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Kano State

State of Nigeria

  • 9 min read
  • 11 chapters
Kano City Aerial
Unknown author · CC BY-SA 4.0

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Two major ethnic groups, the Hausa and Fulani, make up the majority of Kano State's population. Hausa is the dominant language in the state, as in most parts of Northern Nigeria. Kano State has most recently faced challenges such as attacks by the Islamist terrorist group Boko Haram, inter-religious violence, and extreme poverty. Kano State operates under Sharia law, within the legal framework of the Nigerian Constitution.

History

Modern-day Kano State was the site of a number of kingdoms and empires including the Kingdom of Kano, which was centred on Dalla Hill (Hausa: Dutsen Dala) from to 1000CE to 1349. In 1349, the Sultanate of Kano was established when Yaji I converted to Islam and became its first Sultan. In 1463, Kurmi Market was opened, which helped the city of Kano become a centre of commercial activity in Hausaland. The market remains open today and its historic importance is reflected in the state's nickname, the Centre of Commerce.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Sultanate of Kano became one of the most powerful of the Hausa Kingdoms. After the Fulani jihad of 1804-08, the Kano Emirate deposed the former sultanate. Emir Ibrahim Dabo made a number of administrative reforms, seeking to increase commerce in the region.

Leaders during this time encouraged traders to move from Katsina, capitalising on raids from the Hausa Sultanate of Maradi. The leaders of the caliphate encouraged the kola nut trade, and Kano was the greatest beneficiary with an annual turnover of about $30 million. Craft industries also evolved in the pre-colonial period contributing to the prosperity of the province.

In 1903, the British Empire conquered the Kano Emirate, incorporating it into the Northern Nigeria Protectorate. The major ethnic groups in pre-colonial Kano were the Hausa, Fulani, Barebari (Kanuri), Tuareg, Arab, and Nupe. Most people in Kano speak Hausa as a first language, while some identify as ethnically Hausa.

Since Nigerian independence, Kano State has developed a diverse economy, establishing itself as a centre for industry, agriculture, and Islamic banking. Kano State was created on 27 May 1967. In 1991, part of Kano State was separated to form Jigawa State.

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