Adamawa State is a state in the North-East geopolitical zone of Nigeria, bordered by Borno to the northwest, Gombe to the west, and Taraba to the southwest while its eastern border forms part of the national border withCameroon. It takes its name from the historic emirate of Adamawa, with the emirate's old capital of Yola serving as the capital city of Adamawa State. The state was formed in 1991 when the former Gongola State was broken up into Adamawa and Taraba states.[4] The state is one of the most heterogeneous in Nigeria, having over 100 indigenous ethnic groups.
What is now known as Adamawa state has been inhabited for years by various ethnic groups, including the Bwatiye (Bachama), Bali, Bata (Gbwata), Gudu, Mbula-Bwazza, and Nungurab (Lunguda) in the central region; the Kamwe in the north and central region; the Jibu in the far south; the Kilba, Mafa, Marghi, and Waga in the north, and the Mumuye in the south while the Fulani live throughout the state — often as nomadic herders. Adamawa is also religiously diverse as about 50% of the population is Sunni Muslim and 40% is Christian (mainly Lutheran, EYN, ECWA, and Pentecostal), while the remaining 10% are adherents of traditional ethnic religions.[8][9]
Illustration by Edmund D. Morel titled "A Hausa from Yola" (1902)
Before it became a state in Nigeria, Adamawa was a subordinate kingdom of the Sultanate of Sokoto, which also included much of northern Cameroon. The rulers bear the title of emir ("lamido" in the local language, Fulfulde).[13]
The name "Adamawa" came from the founder of the kingdom, Modibo Adama, a regional leader of the Fulani Jihad organized by Usman dan Fodio of Sokoto in 1804. Modibo Adama came from the region of Gurin (now just a small village) and in 1806, received a green flag for leading the jihad in his native country. In the following years, Adama conquered many lands and tribes. In 1838, he moved his capital to Ribadu, and in 1839, to Joboliwo. In 1841, he founded Yola, where he died in 1848. After the European colonization (first by Germany and then by Britain), the rulers remained as emirs and the line of succession has continued to the present day.
Dancers of Adamawa state in their cultural adornment
Originally, modern-day Adamawa State was a part of the post-independence Northern Region until 1967 when the area became part of the North-Eastern State. After the North-Eastern State was split in 1976, Gongola State was formed on 3 February 1976 alongside ten other states. Fifteen years after statehood, Gongola was split with the state's south becoming Taraba State while its north became Adamawa State.
Adamawa State has been badly impacted by the Boko Haram insurgency. In January 2012, Boko Haram attackedGombi, Mubi and Yola. By 2014, the state became home to camps housing an estimated 35,000 internally displaced people, fleeing violence from Boko Haram in locations including Mubi, Madagali, Askira Uba, Bama and Gwoza in the states of Adamawa, Borno, and Yobe. In 2014, an estimate placed the number of IDPs around Yola at 400,000.[15]An attack occurred in Chakawa in 2014. A suicidebombing in Yola in 2015 killed over 30 people.[16] A double suicide bombing in Madagali in 2016 killed over 50 people. Mubi is the worst affected place in Adamawa State, suffering major attacks in 2012, 2014, 2017and 2018.
Organizations serving the community include the Adamawa Peace Initiative (API) - a group of business, religious, and community leaders - and the Adamawa Muslim Council. The United States Agency for International Development has pledged to provide continuing humanitarian assistance.[15]
On 21–22 February 2020, Boko Haram terrorists launched an attack on homes and churches in Garkida, killing three soldiers and wounding civilians.[17][18]
Geography
Adamawa is one of the largest states of Nigeria and occupies about 36,917 square kilometers.[19] It is bordered by the states of Borno to the northwest, Gombe to the west and Taraba to the southwest. Its eastern border forms the national eastern border withCameroon.[20][21]
Global warming has had a negative impact on climate and weather patterns as is visible here with the River Gongola flooding some households and farmlands in Yola.
A study conducted on climate in 2012 in Nigeria's Adamawa state revealed monthly mean temperature rise in Gyawana, Yola, and Mubi, while annual rainfall declined. Delays in rainfall and reduced length of fall were observed in these areas.[23][24]
Contrarily, in recent times, the humidity and temperature of Adamawa state, especially during the dry season, begins in November, which is usually very hot. The harmattan period is experienced between December and February every year.[21]
In recent years, the effect of climate change has begun to be more evident. Tropical wet and dry weather prevails in Adamawa State. The wet season lasts from April to October, whereas the dry season lasts for at least five months (November to March) yearly. An upsurge in rainfall in September in recent years is usually accompanied by floods.[25] According to Dr. Sulieman Muhammad, the Executive Secretary of the Adamawa State Emergency Management Agency (ADSEMA), 25 people died in September 2022 due to floods brought on by both the overflow of water from the Lagdo Dam in Cameroon due to severe rainfall.[26]
In October 2022, an additional flood claimed 37 lives and submerged 89,000 thousand hectares of farmlands with 58 others sustaining various degrees of injuries.[27]
Flooding in September 2023 killed 5 people.[28] Flooding the next month across 14 out of 21 LGAs in Adamawa caused 33 deaths and displaced 51,043 people. 11 temporary settlements across the LGAs of Yola South, Yola North, Lamude, Madagali, and Demsa were set up to house the internally displaced.[29]
Economy
Mandara Mountains from Yola
Adamawa has vast arable land for agriculture, waterfalls and landscape, and solid minerals like limestone, tantalite and kaoline. The GDP of the state is estimated to be ₦2.66 trillion. It has the 18th largest economy among the 36 states of Nigeria and the largest in the North-East region. The total revenue of the state experienced a growth of 9.93% from around ₦700.602 billion in 2020 to ₦777.62 billion in 2021. However, the state heavily depends on federally distributed revenues, with 77.52% of its total revenue being Gross FAAC in 2021.[30] Adamawa had an IGR of ₦8.65 billion in 2021. The state imported $25.02 million worth of goods between 2019 and 2021. It has a debt stock of ₦132.68 billion as of December 2021, ranking the 19th most indebted state in Nigeria and 2nd most indebted in the North-East.[30]
The Dangote group operates a sugar production factory in Numan which has a sugar refining capacity of 3,000 tonnes of cane per day. The company announced plans to expand to factory to a capacity of 6,000tcd, 9,800tcd and to 15,000 tcd. They also plan to increase the size of the factory from 8,700 hectares in 2022 to about 24,200 hectares within seven years.[31]
The markets found in the state are incredibly important to its economic activity and to its inhabitants. These markets, especially its cattle markets, enhanced the development of economic activities in the state, cash crops like groundnut and beans are grown and crops like rice, maize and sorghum are grown as food crops. Around River Yedseram and its tributaries, vegetable gardening in the dry season is practised. Fishing is also very popular in the riverine areas. The breeds of cattle found in Adamawa are; Adamawa Gudali, Sokoto Gudali, White Fulani, Ambala, Red Sokoto and Red Fulani.[32] The state has around 1.5 million cattle and 64 grazing reserves of which 30 are gazetted.[33][34]
Adamawa state has a thriving livestock industry especially cattle-rearing. It has 2.5 million heads of cattle. Traders come from all over the country and West Africa to buy and sell cattle in its markets, such as the Mubi International cattle market in Mubi South. Despite the state's high level of cattle production, the markets are poorly developed without essential services like meat processing. Meaning, live animals have to be transported in trucks for 4 days before they reach cities with high demand to regions like the South-West, South-South or South-East Nigeria.[32]
The development of many communities in the state can be traced to the colonial era when the Germans ruled a swath of territory known as the Northern and Southern Kameruns from Dikwa in the North to Victoria (Limbe) on the Atlantic coast in the 19th century. These were, however, handed over as United Nations Trust Territories to the British at the end of the World War I with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles. After a series of referendums, the Northern Kameruns joined Nigeria to form the then Sardauna Province and the Southern Kameruns formed a Confederation with French-speaking Cameroon.[35][36]
Adamawa is a Muslim-majority state in Nigeria, with a substantial Christian population.[38] Historically, Adamawa is home to the major happenings of the Islamic Jihad, led by the SokotoCaliphate in the early 1800s. Adamawa is also home to the headquarters of two indigenous churches, the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria (EYN Church) with its headquarters in Mubi in the northern zone of the state, and the Lutheran Church of Christ in Nigeria (LCCN Church) with headquarters in Numan in the southern zone of the state.[39] The Church of the Brethren in Nigeria (EYN church) was founded in Garkida Gombi Local Government of the state in March 1923 by American missionaries.[40]The Lutheran Church of Christ in Nigeria (LCCN Church) was founded in Numan by Dutch missionaries in 1913.[41] 4.5% Catholic with 192,767 followers (2020) in the Diocese of Yola (1950) with 39 parishes under Bishop Stephen Dami Mamza (2011) [https://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/dyola.html Yola (Diocese) Catholic-Hierarchy. The Anglican Diocese of Yola (1990) with 39 parishes is led by Bishop Markus Ibrahim (2020), also the Archbishop of the Province of Jos Anglican Diocese of Yola.[citation needed]
Adamawa state has many healthcare sectors that are of different levels, these levels are federal, state and local(grassroot) levels, these include:[48]
Adamawa state is home to many languages due to the state's ethnic diversity. Inter-ethnic communication is mostly done using Fulfulde, Hausa or English. Many of the state's languages are at danger of extinction due to economic, social, political, religious, and contextual factors. Fewer and fewer people are using their ethnic languages in homes.[50]
The electoral system of each state is selected using a modified two-round system. To be elected in the first round, a candidate must receive the plurality of the vote and over 25% of the vote in at least two-thirds of the State local government Areas. If no candidate passes the threshold, a second round will be held between the top candidate and the next candidate to have received a plurality of votes in the highest number of local government areas.[52]
Notable people
Atiku Abubakar[53] (born 26 November 1946) a Nigerian politician and businessman who served as the Vice President of Nigeria from 1999 to 2007.[54]
Yola, meaning 'Great Plain' or 'Vast Plain Land', is the capital city and administrative centre of Adamawa State, Nigeria. It is located on the Benue River, and has a population of over 336,648 (2010). Yola is split into two parts. The old town of Yola where the Lamido of Adamawa resides, is the traditional city and the new city of Jimeta is the administrative and commercial centre.
Borno State is a state in the North-East geopolitical zone of Nigeria. It is bordered by Yobe to the west for about 421 km, Gombe to the southwest for 93 km, and Adamawa to the south while its eastern border forms part of the national border with Cameroon for about 426 km. Its northern border forms part of the national border with Niger for about 223 km, mostly across the Komadougou-Yobe River, and its northeastern border forms all of the national border with Chad for 85 km. It is the only Nigerian state to border up to three countries. It takes its name from the historic emirate of Borno, with the emirate's old capital of Maiduguri serving as the capital city of Borno State. The state was formed in 1976 when the former North-Eastern State was broken up. It originally included the area that is now Yobe State, which became a distinct state in 1991.
Madagali or Madagli is a town and local government area in Adamawa State, Nigeria, adjacent to the border with Cameroon.
Boko Haram, officially known as Jamā'at Ahl as-Sunnah lid-Da'wah wa'l-Jihād, is an Islamist terrorist jihadist organization based in northeastern Nigeria, which is also active in Chad, Niger, northern Cameroon, and Mali. In 2016, the group split, resulting in the emergence of a hostile faction known as the Islamic State's West Africa Province.
Michika (Mwe-cika) is a town and Local Government Area in Adamawa State, Nigeria, it is the administrative headquarters of the local government. It is in Northern Adamawa State and located directly across the border from the famous tourist site of Mcedigyi in vecemwe Rhumsiki in Cameroon. Mwe-cika (Michika) is the fourth largest town in Adamawa State.
The A8 highway is a roadway in Adamawa State, Nigeria. It spans approximately 100 kilometers, running from west to east. This highway connects two towns located to the south of the Benue River: Numan and Jimeta.
The A13 highway is a major road in Nigeria spanning approximately 615 kilometers. It connects the city of Jimeta in Adamawa State in the south to its northern terminus near Bama in Borno State. The highway plays a significant role in regional transportation.
Adamawa State Polytechnic is a tertiary educational institution in Yola, Adamawa State, Nigeria. It was established in 1991 through a merger of the College of Preliminary Studies Yola and the Staff Development Institute, Numan. The new polytechnic provides national diploma programs in computer science, statistics, accountancy, business studies and secretarial studies. The polytechnic, run by the State government, is accredited by the National Board for Technical Education. The institution has become affiliated with the University of Maiduguri for the purpose of running degree programmes.
The Lutheran Church of Christ in Nigeria (LCCN) is a major Lutheran denomination in Nigeria, a member of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF).
The Boko Haram insurgency began in July 2009, when the militant Islamist and jihadist rebel group Boko Haram started an armed rebellion against the government of Nigeria. The conflict is taking place within the context of long-standing issues of religious violence between Nigeria's Muslim and Christian communities, and the insurgents' ultimate aim is to establish an Islamic state in the region.
Adamawa state is the home of a large number of Christians, forming the largest minority religion in the predominantly Muslim state. Christian communities in the state have been heavily attacked by Boko Haram. However, these attacks have reduced in recent years due to the Nigerian military's efforts to combat terrorism in the region. The state has the Roman Catholic Diocese of Yola as majority headed by Stephen Dami Mamza. Ekklesiyar ‘Yan’uwar a Nigeria – has its seat in the province. Deeper Life Bible Church and Living Faith Church are present in Yola. Most of the members of the Lutheran Church of Christ in Nigeria are in the state, with the headquarters being at Numan. Fellowship Baptist Conference of Nigerian Baptist Convention has its seat at Mubi and Gongola Baptist Conference-Ag of Nigerian Baptist Convention has its seat at Numan. Gombi, Golembatal, Uvu, Nokwam Nbulum, Wurobalka and Mubi have National Evangelical Mission churches.
Timeline of the Boko Haram insurgency is the chronology of the Boko Haram insurgency, an ongoing armed conflict between Nigerian Islamist group Boko Haram and the Nigerian government. Boko Haram have carried out many attacks against the military, police and civilians since 2009, mostly in Nigeria. The low-intensity conflict is centred on Borno State. It peaked in the mid-2010s, when Boko Haram extended their insurgency into Cameroon, Chad and Niger.
The January 2014 Northern Nigeria attacks were a set of terrorist massacres that occurred in January 2014 at Kawuri, Borno state and in Chakawa village, Madagali Local Government Area, Adamawa State respectively. All of the attacks have been blamed on Boko Haram.
The following lists events from 2014 in Nigeria.
The following lists events that happened during 2016 in Nigeria.
Kyari Mohammed is a Nigerian academic, professor of History, and the Vice Chancellor of the Nigerian Army University Biu, Borno State and the former Vice Chancellor of Moddibo Adama University of Technology (MAUTECH),, Adamawa State, and serves as Chair for Peace and Security Studies at the same institution. He began his position as a replacement for Prof. Bashir Usman Hanna. Mohammed is one of Nigeria's leading scholars on the ongoing Boko Haram insurgency and counter insurgency. Now on this day been 26 April 2019, a new Vice Chancellor has been announced in person of Professor Abdullahi Liman Tukur, Professor of Geography, from the department of Geography of the institution, after the contestant has been screened by the panel on Vice Chancellor matters on 23 April 2019. Professor Abdullahi Liman Tukur emerged as the winner.
The Adamawa State College of Education is a state government higher education institution located in Hong, Adamawa State, Nigeria.
The 2019 Adamawa State House of Assembly election was held on March 9, 2019, to elect members of the Adamawa State House of Assembly in Nigeria. All the 25 seats were up for election in the Adamawa State House of Assembly.
The 2023 Nigerian presidential election in Adamawa State will be held on 25 February 2023 as part of the nationwide 2023 Nigerian presidential election to elect the president and vice president of Nigeria. Other federal elections, including elections to the House of Representatives and the Senate, will also be held on the same date while state elections will be held two weeks afterward on 11 March.
↑ Aga, Chiegeonu (2009). Nigeria: State by State. Nigeria: Lulucom. ISBN9781105864322.
1 2 Mamman, A.B.; Oyebanji, J.O.; Petters, S.W. (2000). Nigeria: A People United, A Future Assured (Milleniumed.). Federal Ministry of Information: Gabumo Publishing.
↑ Adebayo, A.A.; Zemba, A.A.; Ray, H.H.; Dayya, S.V. (2012). "Climate change in Adamawa State Nigeria: Evidence from Agro-Climatic Parameters". Adamawa State University Journal of Scientific Research. 2 (2): 1–18.
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