Kaduna

Kaduna is a north-western Nigerian state with one of the most ethnically and religiously mixed populations in the north, including Hausa-Fulani communities concentrated in the north of the state and numerous other groups, such as the Atyap, Bajju, Gbagyi and Adara, concentrated in the south, alongside a significant Christian population in southern Kaduna. Its capital, Kaduna city, was built as a colonial administrative and railway centre and later became a major industrial and educational hub, giving the state its nickname, Centre of Learning. Kaduna is also historically significant as the location of the Nok culture, one of the earliest known complex societies in West Africa, identified from terracotta artefacts found in the area.

Kaduna State's territory includes the site of the Nok culture, dated broadly to the first millennium BC through the early first millennium AD, known for its distinctive terracotta sculptures and among the earliest evidence of ironworking in West Africa. In the nineteenth century the northern part of the region came under Zazzau, one of the original Hausa Bakwai city-states, which was reorganised as an emirate after the 1804 jihad within the Sokoto Caliphate. The British colonial administration founded Kaduna town in 1913 as the capital of Northern Nigeria, building it around the railway. After independence the area became North-Central State and was renamed Kaduna State in the 1976 state creation exercise. Kaduna city has since served as a major administrative, military and industrial centre.

Kaduna State lies on the high plains of the Nigerian plateau region, with generally undulating terrain and elevations that give it a relatively cool climate for a northern state. It is drained by the Kaduna River, a major tributary of the River Niger, along with smaller rivers such as the Galma. Rainfall ranges from roughly 1,100 to 1,500mm a year, falling mainly between April and October, with a dry Harmattan season from November to March. Vegetation consists mainly of Southern Guinea savanna, with woodland and grassland supporting both farming and grazing. The state's terrain and rock outcrops, including areas associated with the Nok culture finds, distinguish its landscape from the flatter plains further north.

Kaduna's economy combines agriculture, industry and public administration. Farmers grow maize, sorghum, ginger, tobacco, cotton and vegetables, and rear livestock across the state's rural areas. Kaduna city was historically a major textile and manufacturing centre linked to its colonial-era railway and remains home to an oil refinery and various industrial enterprises, though the textile sector has declined from its peak. The state hosts a concentration of universities and colleges, including Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria, making education a significant part of its economy. Trade, transport and public sector employment, including a strong military presence in Kaduna city, also contribute substantially to livelihoods.