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THE 36 STATES OF NIGERIA AND THEIR
MEANINGS
We hail from one (or more, if ya parents are
from different states na…lol) of the 36 states of
the Nigerian federation. But, many of us do not
actually know the meanings or the story
behind the names of these states. Iyaniwura
has brought that to you. Happy reading:
1. ABIA STATE
As many might have guessed (yelz…lol), Abia is
an acronym derived from the name of the four
main groups of people in the state as at the
time it was formed in 1991. These were the:
Aba, Bende, Isuikwuato and Afikpo. Former
Governor, Orji Uzor Kalu (hin too dey talk
joor) is from Bende while Lambert Ndukwe,
one of the richest men in Nigeria in the 50s
(he imported stockfish from Northern
European nations like Norway and exported
cotton back) was from Isuikwato. Afikpo now
belongs to Ebonyi State and as for Aba, we all
know berra…lol! Okay, let’s roll!
2. ADAMAWA STATE
The area that is now Adamawa State was
conquered by Modibbo Adama Bin Ardo
Hassan, a warrior of the Ba’en clan of the
Fulanis, in the beginning of the 19th century.
Modibbo is a Fulani courtesy title that means
‘The Lettered/Learned One’ (in Hausa, it is
Mallam). Modibbo Adama was also the regional
leader of the Fulani Jihad led Uthman Dan
Fodio in 1804. That made the Adamawa
Emirate a vassal state of the Sultan of Sokoto.
He hailed from the Gurin region (now a tiny
hamlet) and got the green flag (to lead the
jihad) in 1806. A man of humble beginnings
(father was a local teacher and mother, a
simple Shuwa Arab lady, according to some
historians), he later founded Adamawa Emirate
in 1809.
A brave warrior of Dan Fodio, he fought at
Ngazzargamu (capital of the old Borno Empire
now in Yobe State) and was later ordered by
his teacher, Dan Fodio, to return home and
become the Lamido Fumbina (the Ruler of the
Southlands in Fulfulde, the language of the
Fulanis) and then carry out the jihad from the
River Nile to the Bight of Biafra (shoooo!). He
was followed back to his place by Hausa and
Fulani (Toronkawa) fighters. Even trainers and
instructors came from as far as the Maghreb
(now Northwest Africa: Morocco, Algeria,
Tunisia and Libya) and the Ottoman Empire -in
the light of recent events in Nigeria, does this
ring any bell at all? Think about that for a
minute. Thereafter, he conquered many areas
and regions (including incursions into
Northern Cameroon where we now have
mainly Fulani Muslims), moved his capital to
Ribadu, then Joboliwo and eventually died in
1847 in Yola, which he also founded but not
after he had formed his new state which he
named after himself. His tomb is in Gurin,
Furore LGA till today and at the height of his
power, Adamawa Emirate stretched 103,000 sq
km as far as Lake Chad and had as much as 1.5
million inhabitants. Expansion towards the
south was prevented by the thick jungle and
tsetse fly (dangerous to cattle). He also
founded Garoua in northeastern Cameroon.
Today, his descendants rule as the Lamidos of
Adamawa, and the emirate is like the only one
in the north in which Hausa is regarded and
learnt as a second language. The current one is
Muhammadu Barkindo Aliyu Musdafa (a former
chairman of the Federal Radio Corporation of
Nigeria) whose father, Aliyu Musdafa, was one
of the longest-serving traditional rulers in
Africa having spent 57 years on the throne.
Adamawa (cattle breed), Adamawa Region (in
Cameroon), the 4,000 ft-high Adamawa
Plateau called Lesdihosere by the Fulanis (in
Nigeria, Cameroon, Central African Republic),
Adamawa languages such as Chamba-Mumuye,
Kim, Mbum, Wiyaa and Laal are all named after
him. Okay, enough of Adamawa before my
Akwa Ibom friends start to dey vex…lol!
3. AKWA IBOM STATE
One of the richest states in West Africa and the
homeland of my much-cherished Ibibio,
Annang, Obolo and Oron friends, Akwa Ibom is
named after a river, the Qua Iboe (or Kwa
Iboe) River. About 20 miles to the entrance of
this river is the popular Qua Iboe Offshore Oil
Terminal and the Qua Iboe Onshore Oil Field
(Oil Mining Lease, OML, 13) (btw, Oando owns
40% of that).
Translating Qua Iboe itself was not an easy
task. Some records indicate that the river
emptied itself around a settlement in Ibeno
called Aqua Obio (meaning ‘Big Town’) but
early European explorers corrupted it to
become Qua Iboe. Today, Aqua Obio includes
Mkpanak and its neighbouring settlements. The
river itself originates from the Umuahia Hills in
Abia State and travels for about 150 km before
it flows N-S and then empties into the Atlantic
Ocean through Eket, Ibeno LGA of Akwa Ibom
State. Its maximum depth is about 10 metres.
There are fears that discharges from the
effluent treatment plants of the nearby Exxon-
Mobil company are poisoning the fish and
other organisms in the river with heavy metals
such as mercury, cadmium, lead and
chromium. That’s according to a very detailed
study carried out in 2006 by scholars from the
Medical Biochemistry, Chemistry and Animal
Science of the Imo State University and the
Federal University of Technology, Owerri. See
the references if you are interested in the
study. Ok, before I forget, Qua Iboe was also
the site of Qua Iboe Mission, the third
Protestant Church to arrive Nigeria in 1887.
The interesting thing here is that the mission
was founded by Samuel Alexander Bill, a British
missionary and a Member of the British Empire
who devoted his life to preaching to the Efik
and Annang speaking people of the area. He is
buried at Ibeno on the bank of the Qua Iboe
River beside his wife, Gracie and his very first
convert, David Ekong. Next!
4. ANAMBRA STATE
Okay, this is pretty straightforward. It was
derived from the name of the Oma Mbala
(Omambala) River (in Ibo, the native name of
the river is Ànyịm Ọma Mbala). Anglicize the
pronunciation and you have Madam NAFDAC’s
homestate. The river is quite long o, about 210
kilometers, it is a major tributary of the River
Niger, the most important below Lokoja. Yep!
Let’s keep rolling.
5. BAUCHI STATE
Nicknamed the Pearl of Tourism (check out
Yankari). ‘Bauchi’ is Hausa word meaning the
southern flanks of Hausaland. Tribes living in
the southern parts of the Hausaland were
referred to as kasashen bauchi and the area
they lived in later came to be known simply as
Bauchi. Then, kasashen bauchi included the
areas that we now call Bauchi itself, Plateau
State, Northern Niger, Southern Sokoto (that
includes Yauri and Zuru) and Southern Kaduna
(hello to my Barnawa friends). It was a major
center for the slave raiders of the day. In
another rendition, the state was named for
Baushe, a famous hunter who settled there
before the 19th century while another states
that ‘bauchi’ is Hausa word for slavery since it
was a center for slave raiders. You decide.
6. BAYELSA STATE
Famed for being the homestate of our dear
President (where the First Lady also known as
Mama Ice Cream is also a Perm Sec), Bayelsa is
also the place of Samson Siasia and Finidi
George. Let’s continue before we delve into
football…lol! How the name came about is
quite interesting. In the old Rivers State, it was
the tradition to use acronyms when naming the
local government areas (LGAs). For example,
Brass LGA was simply called BALGA, Yenagoa
was YELGA while Sagbama was just SALGA. And
since it was the people of these three former
LGAs of Rivers State that clamoured and fought
for the creation of the state forming the State
Creation Movement, the name that they finally
agreed upon was this:
BA + YEL + SA = BAYELSA. Simple. No long
thing.
7. BENUE STATE
It is a word from the Batta language ‘Binuwe’
which means ‘Mother of Waters’. Streams
forming watershed from the Adamawa Plateau
drain into this mighty river and it has its roots
in northern Cameroon. Interestingly, the Benue
(La Benoue in French, and it was also formerly
called Chadda (Tchadda) River) has many
tributaries in the Adamawa Emirate. These
include the Beti, Kunini and the Lamorde.
During the months of August and September,
the river becomes very navigable as it reaches
its widest and can stretch up to a mile from
bank to bank bringing with it flood plain
deposits of fertile soils that has made the state
one of the best locations for farming in
Nigeria. It reaches its lowest level in March and
April and stretching for 1,400 kilometers, it is
the longest tributary of the River Niger.
8. BORNO (BORNU) STATE
It has been nicknamed the Home of Peace but
you will agree with me that that has to be
changed asap! The name was derived from
‘Borno’, an alternative name of the Kanuris who
form the predominant ethnic group in the
state. Kanuris are also known as Yerwa, Sirata
or Beri Beri (known in places like Ilorin as
Baruba or Bariba). However, another rendition
has it that it means ‘Barr Nuh’, which is Arabic
for ‘The Land of Noah’ as it was believed that
the Ark of Noah landed there after the Flood.
Some historians do not subscribe to this
because they believe it is a fancy of some
Arabists. You decide.
9. CROSS RIVER
First, it is Cross River State and NOT Cross
Rivers State. And yes, it is Rivers State, not
River State. Don’t get it twisted. The state took
its name from the Cross River (known to
natives as the Oyono, and the Manyu River in
Cameroon). Flowing through swamps, creeks
and inland delta, it joins the Calabar River to
end up in the Atlantic Ocean.
10. DELTA STATE
Obviously, it was named for the delta of the
River Niger formed as it enters the Atlantic
Ocean. The geographical feature formed when
a river is about to enter a larger body of water
like the sea or ocean is called a delta and there
are various shapes.
11. EBONYI STATE
Known for having some of the nation’s finest
rice, yams and richest salt deposits, the state
was named after the Aboine River which rises
from the Enugu Highlands and cuts through
Abakaliki, the state capital. It was formed in
1996 under the military junta of the late
General Sani Abacha. Geographical name data
supplied by the National Geospatial Intelligence
Agency, a member of the United States military
intelligence community shows the river flowing
not too far from Afikpo too, with its main
tributary being the Asu River. The river joins
Cross River 10 km to the east of Afikpo (see
references). During the colonial times, it was
known as the Western Aboine River. One of the
major activities along and on the river is sand
quarrying. Ebonyi is home to the brilliant Nkwa
Umuagbogho and the Amasiri-based
Ojianyalere Dancers. You need to see their
dances to appreciate. Mehn! They are superb
dancers! Nigeria is such a rich country, only if
we realize this and concentrate on real matters
and not the irritating trivialities you see
everywhere today. You can enjoy some of the
dances here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=BTaC8HQfW_k , Let’s go to Benin now…lol!
12. EDO STATE
Hmmmmn, Edo. Initially applied to mean the
Bini people (they’ve always called themselves
Edo or Iduu, after the progenitor of the Edo
race) of the Benin Kingdom (which existed for
about 1,000 years before the British
conquered it in 1897), Edo today also means
the land itself, the culture and the language. It
also refers to the adjoining peoples, cultures
and languages. The name appears in the royal
title of the Oba of Benin, Omo N’Oba N’Edo
Uku Akpolokpolo. I must chip it in here that
many of the websites of Nigerian state
governments were absolutely useless for any
form of information gathering. Some were
either propaganda pages for the governor or
were just too bad -graphics and all. Some
states did not even have any website! No
online representation or presence at all! In the
21st century, this is a shame. But I must say
that a few states have very outstanding
websites.
13. EKITI STATE
‘Ekiti’ is a term that is said to denote a
settlement of many hills. Hills are common
geographical features in Ekitiland and are
responsible for the division of Ekitiland into
smaller kingdoms and subunits.
14. ENUGU STATE
Also known as Nigeria’s coal city, Enugu
derived its name from two local words enu
ugwu which means ‘top of the hill’. Amazingly,
that itself is a derivative of the village of Enugu
Ngwo, which is located just to the west of the
city. Enugu City itself is not on the hill, it is
actually at the base of a plateau but the village
is situated right on top of the hill. I hope
Governor Sullivan Iheanacho Chime will
triumphantly conquer the particular hill he is
climbing right now.
15. GOMBE STATE
Established as emirate during Jihad by Modibbo
Buba Yero, a Fulani warrior and student of
Uthman Dan Fodio in 1800, the modern-day
Gombe State was carved out of Bauchi State.
Gombe was known in the 1930s for its
groundnuts and for cotton in the 1950s.
Today nko? Gombe is mainly populated by
Fulanis and the state has been named ‘Gombe’
which is the dialect of Fulani language
(Fulfulde)spoken in the area.
16. IMO STATE
This wonderful state is named after the Imo
River (Imo Mmiri). Its main tributaries are the
Otamiri (a very important river in the state
too)and the Njaba, Ulasi, Oramirukwa rivers.
According to some, there is a deity (alusi) who
owns the river (provides water for fishing,
transport and agriculture) and there is a
festival for the goddess between May and July
during which it overflows its banks. Imo Mmiri
is also considered a goddess of fertility and is
particularly respected in the Ngwa and Mbaise
communities. A bridge crosses the Imo River to
connect Rivers State and Akwa Ibom. One of
the biggest rivers in Igboland, it starts from the
Okigwe/Awka uplands and runs for about 240
km before emptying into the Atlantic Ocean.
17. JIGAWA STATE
The state was named after its distinctively
golden-coloured soil, Jigawa. Jigawa can also be
translated to mean sand or sandy in Hausa.
The colour is said to stand for the resilience,
strength, determination and endurance that
comes with living in the dry Sahel and Savanna,
in which the state is located.
18. KADUNA STATE
In Hausa language, kaduna means crocodiles,
in apparent reference to the ones living in the
Kaduna River. Simple. Kada is singular for
crocodile.
19. KANO STATE
The legendary Kano Emirate was said to have
been established around the AD 999 and it was
named after Kano, a blacksmith of the Gaya
tribe who settled in the area while sourcing for
ironstone (from which iron can be smelted)
around the Dalla Hill. Kano itself was initially
called Dalla and would eventually be captured
by the rampaging British in 1903.
20. KATSINA STATE
Founded in cc. 1100, Katsina was named for
Katsina, the wife of Janzama, the local ruler at
that time. She was also a princess of Daura.
21. KEBBI STATE
Of all the 36, I find Kebbi particularly
interesting and controversial at the same time.
According to the Kebbi Chronicles, the state
was founded as a kingdom in 600 BCE by
refugees escaping from the Assyrian Empire
after its conquest by forces from Babylon and
Medes. But that is not all o, in the Chronicles,
Mesopotamian kings were listed out as the
earliest ancestral kings of Kebbi. It was also
deduced that Kebbi (Kabawa) was derived
from the Holy Ka’aba in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
You really need to read up the scholarly and
extremely detailed work of Dierk Lange to get
the full gist (see reference on website).
22. KOGI STATE
The name ‘Kogi’ is a derivation of the Hausa
word ‘kogi’ meaning ‘river’. The two biggest
rivers in Nigeria, the Niger and the Benue form
a confluence in the state. Quite simple, isn’t it?
23. KWARA STATE
Created in May 1967 as the West Central State,
the name was changed to Kwara (Kuwara,
Quarra or Kowara), which is the local name
that the Nupes have given to the River Niger
which forms the northern border of the state.
In Nupenci (Nupe language), Kwara means ‘Sea’
or ‘Lake’ of the Nupes. The Nupes are some of
the most amazing and enchanting tribes in
Nigeria and they live on both sides of the River
Niger (in Kwara and Niger States). For the
Nupes in Niger State, the same river is also
called Edu, and there are already agitations for
the creation of an Edu State for the Nupes.
Some Hausas also refer to the River Niger as
‘Kwara’ or Gulbi Nkowora (River Kwara). At
almost 4,200 kilometers, it is the 3rd longest
river in Africa. #CeendeeMiYeBs!
24. LAGOS STATE
Now to the legend, the smallest state in Nigeria
but as you know na, gidigba o shilekun. In
1861, the Oba of Lagos ceded the area to the
United Kingdom thus becoming a colony and
was named the Settlement of Lagos and
Dependencies. The indigenous name for
Nigeria’s most popular subregion was Eko (you
can add Aromisalegbelegbe if you like) but in
the 17th century, the name was changed to
‘Lago di Curamo’ by the Portuguese traders
and explorers after a port in Portugal which
bears the same name and then finally called it
Lagos. ‘Lagos’ means lakes (lago = lake) in
Portuguese and it was inspired by the many
lagoons, rivers and water bodies in the state.
The Portuguese were the first Europeans to
reach Lagos in 1472. Till today, the
Portuguese/Brazilian influence is still very
much visible. Shebi you still remember Joao
Esan Da Rocha and his descendants, Fernandez,
Cardoso, Faustinho, Vera Cruz, Marinho and
the rest na. Make una no go add Aguero for
there o ;D
25. NASARAWA (NASSARAWA) STATE
There is an interesting story here. The founder
of the old Nasarawa Kingdom, Makama Dogo
had to form his kingdom before the river
because doing so beyond the river would mean
all his children would turn pagans. Thus, he
cited the kingdom before the river and
declared victory (Nasara is the Hausa word for
victory) and then named the area ‘Nasarawa’
meaning the ‘Victorious’. Please note: that
Nasara (derived from Arabic) is also Hausa
word for ‘Christian’ or ‘white man’ but that
does not apply in this context. A very
interesting dimension to the origin of the word
‘nasara’ is that it came originally from the
Greek word ‘Nazaraios’ which meant ‘the man
from Nazareth’. Later on, ‘Nazarene’ was the
term used to describe the early Christians. This
is a direct correlation to the fact that Christ
Jesus came from Nazareth, thus the name for
his followers.
26. NIGER STATE
The largest of all the 36 in terms of area, the
state was named after the River Niger, one of
the longest in Africa. Called the nahr-al-anhur
or the River of Rivers by the Arabs, the local
Tuaregs would later modify the name to
become ngereoun meaning the ‘big river’.
When the Arab explorer, Leo Africanus wrote,
he noted it in 1526 as ‘Niger’ which meant
‘black’ in Latin, like to mean ‘River of the
Blacks’. (I hear you o! Exactly what is going on
in your mind! LOL!) Especially when you know
the meaning of Nigeria….lmao!
27. OGUN STATE
The state of MKO Abiola, Baba Iyabo, General
Diya, Professor Wole Soyinka, General
Donaldson Oladipupo Diya, Mike Adenuga (rtd),
Fela, Tai Solarin, Obafemi Awolowo, Ernest
Shonekan, Lateef Adegbite, Prince Bola
(Bolasodun Adesumbo) Ajibola and many
others is named after the Ogun River. The river
courses through the state in a north-south
direction before emptying into the Lagos
Lagoon and it can be troublesome with its
flooding. Among the Yorubas, Yemoja is the
mother goddess of women (especially pregnant
ones) and of the River Ogun. (Yemoja =Yeye
Omo Eja, Mother of Fish-Like Offspring). For
some, the river is still worshipped.
28. ONDO STATE
The state was named for the Old Ondo
Kingdom. The people inhabiting the area were
referred to as the Ondo meaning ‘the settlers’.
(Kingdoms of the Yoruba by Robert Sydney
Smith. P.52, see other references below or on
the website).
29. OSUN STATE
The state was named after the River Oshun (or
Osun), believed and worshipped by many as
the manifestation of Oshun, one of the wives of
Sango, the Yoruba god of thunder. There is
annual Osun Osogbo Festival in honour of the
goddess. It draws many from all over the globe
and is usually quite colourful. The river itself
drains into the Lagos Lagoon and the Gulf of
Guinea (Atlantic Ocean).
30. OYO STATE
It was named after the Old Oyo Empire, one of
the strongest in Africa. Now a much smaller
kingdom, Oyo is headed by the Alaafin (the
Owner of the Palace). Old Oyo was known as
Katunga and is now a tiny location along the
Kwara-Oyo border (a nice place for historical
excursion if you ask me). The exact meaning of
Oyo itself is shrouded in so much controversy,
some accounts even suggest that the name was
a foreign word imposed by the Nupe warrior
king, Tsoede, when he conquered the Old Oyo
Empire. And that’s where it gets murky.
31. PLATEAU STATE
This extremely beautiful but scarred and
injured state was named for the Jos Plateau,
one of the most breath-taking in Africa. The
Shere Hills form the highest point of the
plateau at a height of about 6,000 ft. Rivers
Kaduna, Yobe, Gongola and Hadejia all take
their source from the Jos Plateau. I pray lasting
peace comes to Plateau State and all of Nigeria.
As Nigerians, we have all it takes to rule the
world, only if we can shed our bestial
tendencies and see the humanity in all of us.
Enjoy this piece from the state, you’ll see the
green beauty and the raw talent that abound
in the state full of warm and hospitable people:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=qVrAwXW8KEQ
32. RIVERS STATE
A state criss-crossed by many water bodies,
Rivers State (once again, it is not River State)
was named for many of the rivers present in
the area. Well, this is not funny at all, looking
at the barrage of floods the state has had to
face, especially in recent times.
33. SOKOTO STATE
Named after the defunct Sokoto Caliphate, an
empire that stretched from Burkina Faso to
Cameroon. The Caliphate itself once consisted
of more than 30 different emirates. Sokoto (or
Sakwatto) is the anglicized version of the
Arabic word ‘suk’ which means ‘market’ or
‘place of commerce’. Sakwatto Birnin Shehu da
Bello means Sokoto, the Capital of Shehu and
Bello, in reference to Shehu Usman Dan Fodio,
the founder of the Caliphate and first Sultan of
Sokoto. Mohammed Bello was his son and
second Sultan. Upon his death, his brother,
Abu Bakr Atiku took over.
34. TARABA STATE
The 3rd largest state in Nigeria and the home
of the Chambas, Mumuyes, Jukuns, Ichens,
Wurkums, Mambilas and many others, the state
was named after the Taraba River which rises
from the hills around Gashaka flows into the
River Benue as one of its largest tributaries. It
flows along the southern flank of the state and
is called Teraba in German (Germany actually
tried to colonize that area and succeeded to an
extent). Taraba itself is a word that has been
given various meanings by the locals who bear
it as a surname: from the Arabic taraba ‘to
drink’, to ‘gardener’ or even ‘favoured by God’.
35. YOBE STATE
In a place called Fune in this state, there is the
Dufuna Canoe which is 8,000 years old.
Discovered in 1987 by Fulani herdsmen, it is
the oldest canoe in Africa and the third oldest
in the world but that is story for another day.
The state was named after Komadugu Yobe
(Waube or Ouobe) or River Yobe (or River of
Yo). In Kanuri, ‘komadugu’ means ‘river’, ‘a mass
of water’ or literally ‘water place’. It is also
called River Yo or Yeou because it passes
through a town of the same name and it enters
Chad at the town of Bosso. Please note that at
that time, Yo (or Yoo, Yeou) was the most
important town in the region, crisscrossed by
caravan traders while Wau (or Ouo) was just a
small village to the east. Based on this, many
historians believe that the proper name for the
river is Komadugu Yobe and not Komadugu
Waube. I hope you get the drift…lol!
36. ZAMFARA STATE
Mention Zamfara and the next thing that comes
to the mind of many is Sharia…lol! Carved out
of Sokoto State in 1996 by General Sani
Abacha (the Khalifa), Zamfara State that we
know today was once a bustling Hausa
Kingdom from the 10th to the 18th centuries.
Like Gobirawa, Kebbawa and Adarawa, the
Zamfarawa people are one of the ethnic
(actually, more of linguistic groups) in the
state. Zamfarawa is one of the subdialects of
Eastern Hausa linguistic group and that is
where the name came from. In the past, the
area was known for revolts, rebellions and for
conducting extensive military raids into
neighboring towns and settlements.
See you o! Tired already? LOL! Ok, just one
more. Or you thought I’d forget Abuja, the
Federal Capital Territory? No! Nigeria’s capital
city took its name from the ancient Hausa
emirate of Abuja which itself was in turn
named after a fortified settlement near Zuba by
Abu(bakar) Ja in 1828 (meaning Abu the Red
(or Fair-Skinned like some Fulanis), ja is the
word for red or fair-complexioned in Hausa).
In 1976, a panel headed by Justice Akinola
Aguda selected Abuja as the new capital as
Lagos was then suffering from overcongestion.
Abuja was originally established by the ruling
Hausa dynasty of Zaria in the 1600s. And did I
tell you? ABJ is Nigeria’s first planned city.
Okay, I guess that’s it!
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