Zaria Birnin Zaria | |
---|---|
City in Nigeria | |
![]() Gate to the palace of the Emir of Zazzau | |
Nickname: Zazzau | |
Motto: Birnin Ilimi | |
Coordinates: 11°04′N7°42′E / 11.067°N 7.700°E | |
Country | ![]() |
State | Kaduna State |
City | Zaria, Nigeria |
Area | |
• Total | 563 km2 (217 sq mi) |
Population (2023) | |
• Total | 766,007 [1] |
Time zone | UTC+01:00 (WAT) |
Climate | Aw |
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Zaria is a metropolitan city in Nigeria, located at present time within four local government areas in Kaduna State. It serves as the capital of the Zazzau Emirate Council and is one of the original seven Hausa city-states. The local government areas comprising Zaria are Zaria, Sabon Gari, Giwa, and Soba local government areas of Kaduna State, Nigeria.
It contains Nigeria's largest university, Ahmadu Bello University, and various tertiary institutions including the Federal College of Education(F C E zaria) Nigerian College of Aviation Technology Nigerian Institute of Transport Technology, Nigeria Institute of Leather and Science Technology and Nuhu Bamalli Polytechnic. Nigerian college of Aviation Technology. Department of Agriculture Ahmed Bello University Zaria. Ameer Shehu Idris College of Advanced Diploma.
From the 2006 population census, Zaria was estimated to have 736,000 people. [2] It is home to the Emir of Zazzau.
Zaria, initially known as Zazzau, was the capital of the Hausa kingdom of Zazzau. [3] Zazzau is thought to have been founded in or about 1536 and in the late 16th century it was renamed after Queen Amina's sister, Zaria. [4] Human settlement predates the rise of Zazzau, as the region, like some of its neighbors, had a history of sedentary Hausa settlement, with institutional market exchange and farming.
Zaria was the most southern of the Hausa city-states. It was a trading destination for Saharan caravans as well as a prominent city in the Hausa slave trade. In the late 1450s, Islam arrived in Zaria by the way of its sister Habe cities, Kano and Katsina. Along with Islam, trade flourished between the cities as traders brought camel caravans filled with salt in exchange for slaves and grain. The city-state's power peaked under Queen Amina whose military campaigns established a tributary region including the kingdoms of Kano and Katsina. At the end of the 16th century, after Queen Amina's death, Zaria fell under the influence of the Jukun Kingdom and eventually became a tributary state itself. [3] Between the fifteenth and sixteenth century the kingdom became a tributary state of the Songhai Empire. In 1805 it was captured by the Fulani during the Fulani Jihad. British forces led by Frederick Lugard took the city in 1901. [5]
A French hostage of the Islamist group Ansaru, held captive at Zaria, [6] escaped in 2013 and reached a police station in the city.
In December 2015, Nigeria's military was reported to have killed 300 Shia Muslims and buried their bodies in a mass grave. Although the government denies the event, it has been described as a massacre. [7]
The old part of the city, known as Birnin Zazzau [8] or Zaria City, was originally surrounded by walls and fortress, which have been mostly removed. [9] The Emir's palace is in the old city. In the old city and the adjacent Tudun Wada neighbourhood people typically reside in traditional adobe compounds. These two neighborhoods are predominantly occupied by the indigenous Hausa. [8]
There is great variety in the architecture of Zaria, with buildings made of clay in the Hausa style juxtaposed with modern, multi-storied university and government buildings. [4]
Silk-cotton tree is one of the largest trees in Zazzau emirate generally and the tree has played an important role in the spiritual and economic lives of the peoples who live in Zaria especially people of Anguwan Kahu who makes Kahu for the Emirs, district heads, ward heads and village heads. silk-cotton-tree-scientific-name-is-ceiba-pentandra-under-blue-sky.
Anguwan Kahu was known to be a place of business where it use cotton to make local mattresses, pillows, Horse shirts etc.
Wakilin Kahu Zazzau is the head of Anguwan Kahu people and their representative at the emir's palace.
The ward of Anguwan Liman is located north of the Zaria palace.[ citation needed ] [10]
Zaria's economy is primarily based on agriculture. Staples are guinea corn and millet. Cash crops include cotton, groundnuts and tobacco. [3] Not only is Zaria a market town for the surrounding area, it is the home of artisans from traditional crafts like leather work, dyeing and cap making, to tinkers, printshops and furniture makers. [8] Zaria is also the center of a textile industry that for over 200 years has made elaborately hand-embroidered robes that are worn by men throughout Nigeria and West Africa. [11]
Because Zaria is north of the rail junction at Kaduna, it has equal rail access to the seaports at Lagos and Port Harcourt. However, only the railway between Lagos and Kano is functional, as the eastern line of Nigeria's rail network is not operational. This means that Zaria currently has rail access to Lagos and Kano to the north but not Port Harcourt. [12] [13]
From 1914 to 1927, Zaria was the break-of-gauge junction station for the Bauchi Light Railway to the tin mines at Jos. [14]
Zaria is home to Ahmadu Bello University, the largest university in Nigeria and the second largest on the African continent. The institution is very prominent in the fields of Agriculture, Science, Finance, Medicine and Law. [15] The school is known for the large number of elites from the region that passed through its academic buildings and counts among its alumni five who were Nigerian heads of state, including the late president Umaru Musa Yar'Adua. [16]
Zaria is also the base for the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, [17] National Research Institute for Chemical Technology, [18] Nigerian Army Depot, [19] Nigerian Military school, Bassawa Baracks, Federal college of Education Zaria. [20] Some historic secondary schools in the adjoining town of Wusasa, where the former Head of the Federal Military Government Yakubu Gowon resides are the St. Bartholomew's School and Science School Kufena, formerly known as St. Paul's College, also MAISS-GIWA a school established by The Emir of Zazzau Dr. Shehu Idris is situated there. Barewa College (formerly Katsina middle school) and Alhudahuda college are other famous secondary schools in the city. [21]
Zaria is among the northern cities that celebrates the annual cultural durbar festivals in Nigeria. [2] The festival is celebrated twice a year which marks the end of Ramadan and also coinciedes the Muslim festivals of eid al adha and eid al fitri respectively. [11] In Zaria the festival is celebrated in phases. The first day, known as Hawan sallah, consists of the eid prayers and the subsequent tour by the emir around the city from the eid ground to his palace in the company of District heads and the royal guards, while the second day known as Hawan Bariki sallah and so the third day known as Hawan Daushe is the for the last tour by the Emir around the city for the festival. [7] [12]
Zaria has a tropical savanna climate (Köppen climate classification Aw) with warm weather year-round, a wet season lasting from April to September, and a drier season from October to March. [22]
Climate data for Zaria (1991–2020) | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °C (°F) | 38 (100) | 39.5 (103.1) | 40.2 (104.4) | 41 (106) | 40 (104) | 38 (100) | 34 (93) | 32.8 (91.0) | 34 (93) | 35.4 (95.7) | 37 (99) | 36 (97) | 41.0 (105.8) |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 29.8 (85.6) | 32.8 (91.0) | 36.0 (96.8) | 36.6 (97.9) | 34.0 (93.2) | 31.2 (88.2) | 29.3 (84.7) | 28.5 (83.3) | 30.1 (86.2) | 31.7 (89.1) | 32.2 (90.0) | 30.2 (86.4) | 31.9 (89.4) |
Daily mean °C (°F) | 22.2 (72.0) | 25.1 (77.2) | 28.6 (83.5) | 30.0 (86.0) | 28.4 (83.1) | 26.4 (79.5) | 25.1 (77.2) | 24.5 (76.1) | 25.3 (77.5) | 25.9 (78.6) | 24.6 (76.3) | 22.5 (72.5) | 25.7 (78.3) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 14.6 (58.3) | 17.4 (63.3) | 21.2 (70.2) | 23.4 (74.1) | 22.7 (72.9) | 21.5 (70.7) | 20.8 (69.4) | 20.5 (68.9) | 20.6 (69.1) | 20.1 (68.2) | 17.0 (62.6) | 14.8 (58.6) | 19.6 (67.3) |
Record low °C (°F) | 9 (48) | 11 (52) | 15 (59) | 14 (57) | 16 (61) | 17.5 (63.5) | 16 (61) | 17.8 (64.0) | 18 (64) | 14 (57) | 12 (54) | 8.8 (47.8) | 8.8 (47.8) |
Average precipitation mm (inches) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.3 (0.01) | 5.6 (0.22) | 32.7 (1.29) | 121.9 (4.80) | 147.9 (5.82) | 232.1 (9.14) | 301.9 (11.89) | 208.0 (8.19) | 66.4 (2.61) | 0.1 (0.00) | 0.0 (0.0) | 1,116.7 (43.96) |
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 2.9 | 8.4 | 10.6 | 13.5 | 16.6 | 13.9 | 4.9 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 71.4 |
Average relative humidity (%) | 37.2 | 31.1 | 32.7 | 51.3 | 69.2 | 77.6 | 82.4 | 85.8 | 83.6 | 73.4 | 53.1 | 44.9 | 60.2 |
Source: NOAA [23] |
A 2019 study of air pollution in Zaria found that pollution concentrations were within the expected national standards for air pollution. [24]
Zaria's geography and previous land use meant that much of the city's historical land cover was barren. [25] A 2020 study found that barren land decreased from 1990 to 2020 while built environment increased 66 percent and vegetative land increased by 29%. [25] Vegetation had been decreasing from 1990 to 2005, but the study area found a dramatic increase due to agriculture and reforestation afterwards. [25] Predictive modeling based on local policy and urban development trends suggested that increase in urban and vegetative land cover would continue through 2050. [25]
Water provided to the city comes from Kaduna State Water Board. [26] As of 2012, the city of Zaria had 30% access to clean water supply. [26] The African Development Fund issued funding for an expansion project in 2013 for 100 million dollars of $480 million. [26] [27] The project had problems with some of its local contractors, resulting in the African Development Bank banning four companies from further participating in bank funding projects. [28] As of August 2020, 60% of water in the system was unaccounted for because of illegal connections, poor metering practices, and poor maintenance. [28]
Kaduna State is a state in the northwest geopolitical zone of Nigeria. The state capital is its namesake, the city of Kaduna, which was the 8th largest city in the country as of 2006. Created in 1967 as North-Central State, which also encompassed the modern Katsina State, Kaduna State achieved its current borders in 1987. Kaduna State is the fourth largest and third most populous state in the country, Kaduna State is nicknamed the Centre of Learning, owing to the presence of numerous educational institutions of importance within the state such as Ahmadu Bello University.
Katsina State is a state in the northwestern geopolitical zone of Nigeria. Katsina State borders the Republic of Niger to the north for 250 km and the States of Jigawa for 164 km and Kano to the east, Kaduna to the south for 161 km and Zamfara to the west. States. Nicknamed the "Home of Hospitality", both the state capital and the town of Daura have been described "ancient seats of Islamic culture and learning" in Nigeria.
The Bayero University Kano (BUK) is a university situated in Kano, Kano State, Nigeria. It was founded in 1975, when it was renamed from Bayero University College and upgraded from University College to University. It is the first university in Kano State, North-western Nigeria.
The Zazzau, also known as the Zaria Emirate, is a traditional state with headquarters in the city of Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria. The current emir of Zazzau is H.E Alhaji Ahmed Nuhu Bamalli CFR, who succeeded the former emir, late Alhaji Shehu Idris.
The Kaduna Mafia is a loose group of Nigerian businessmen, civil servants, intellectuals and military officers from Northern Nigeria, who resided or conducted their activities in Kaduna, the former capital of the region towards the end of the First Republic.
Barewa College is a college in Zaria, Kaduna State, northern Nigeria. Founded in 1921 by British Governor General Hugh Clifford, it was originally known as Katsina College. It switched its name to Kaduna College in 1938 and to Government College, Zaria in 1949 before settling on Barewa College. It is one of the largest boarding schools in Northern Nigeria and was the most-celebrated post-primary schools there up to the early 1960s. The school is known for the large number of elites from the region who attended and counts among its alumni include Tafawa Balewa who was Prime Minister of Nigeria from 1960 to 1966, four heads of state of Nigeria. The school is located along Gaskiya road in the Tukur -Tukur area of Zaria.
Shehu Ladan was a Nigerian lawyer, philanthropist and oil and gas management strategist from Kaduna State. Who has contributed to the socio-economic activities of the state and Nigeria at large in different capacities. He was the immediate past Group Managing Director of NNPC in Nigeria.
Lere is a Local Government Area and town in the southern part of Kaduna State, Nigeria. Lere town is located geographically at the latitude of 10 degrees 39 North and longitude of 8 degrees 57 East. It is the headquarters of the Lere Emirate. The town and its environs have an estimated population of about 553,290 (2016). Lere Local Government has an area of 2,634 km2 and a population of 339,740 at the 2006 census. Its headquarters are in the town of Saminaka. The postal code of the area is 811.
The Daura Emirate is a religious and traditional state in Northern Nigeria, the Emir of Daura still rules as a ceremonial hereditary monarch, and maintains a palace. Muhammad Bashar became the emir in 1966, reigning for 41 years until his death in 2007, On 28 February 2007, Umar Faruk Umar became Emir of Daura succeeding Muhammad Bashar.
The Emir of Zazzau, known as Sarkin Zazzau in Hausa is the traditional ruler based in Zaria, which was also known as Zazzau in the past. Although in centuries past, the emirs ruled as absolute monarchs, in the 20th and 21st centuries Nigerian traditional rulers hold little constitutional power, but wield considerable behind-the-scenes influence on the government. The emir's residence is in the historic palace in the town of Zaria.
For the Arab Hutaymi tribe, see Sulluba
Ahmed Tijjani Mora (OON) is a Nigerian pharmacist, academic, former Registrar and now Chairman of the Governing Council of Pharmacy Council of Nigeria. He is the National President, Ahmadu Bello University Alumni Association. He was elected President of the Alumni Association in August 2015 at the Annual General Assembly (AGA) of the association. The assembly was attended by delegates from over 25 States. Prior to his election, he was the substantive Deputy National president of the association.
Shehu Idris was a Nigerian teacher who served as the 18th Emir of Zazzau, a Nigerian traditional state headquartered in Zaria. He also served as chairman of Zazzau Emirate Council and Kaduna State Council of Chiefs. A member of the Fula people, he ascended the throne on 8 February 1975 following the demise of Alhaji Muhammadu Aminu, his predecessor. Idris was the longest reigning monarch in the history of the Zazzau emirate, having reigned for 45 years from 1975 to 2020. He was succeeded by Ahmed Nuhu Bamalli as the 19th Emir of Zazzau.
Nuhu Bamalli Polytechnic is a tertiary education institution in Zaria Kaduna State, Nigeria. The polytechnic was established on 2 February 1989 by the Kaduna state government to provide training and development techniques in the Field of engineering, applied science, commerce and other spheres of learning. The polytechnic is one of the tertiary teaching institutions owned and managed by the Kaduna State government. The polytechnic was named after the then Nigeria's foreign minister Nuhu Bamalli. In August 2022, Barrister Abdullahi Zubair Abdullahi was appointed the new Registrar of the polytechnic.
Ahmed Nuhu Bamalli CFR is a Nigerian lawyer, banker and diplomat. He is the former Nigerian ambassador to Thailand with concurrent accreditation to Myanmar, and the current 19th Fulani Emir of Zazzau, a Nigerian traditional state with headquarters in Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria. He is the first Emir from the Mallawa ruling house to be enthroned in a century after the dethronement of his grandfather, Emir Alu Dan Sidi in 1920.
Muhammadu Bello KagaraHausa pronunciation:[MuhammadBelloKagara] was an educator, a writer and a royalist. He wrote the famous book novel known as Gandoki, the novel is a manuscript written during a literature bureau competition organized in 1933 by Rupert East. His book Ganɗoki was considered either first or second book to be published in the entire Northern Nigeria, the first or the second being Ruwan Bagaja by Abubakar Imam.
Hausa literature is any work written in the Hausa language. It includes poetry, prose, songwriting, music, and drama. Hausa literature includes folk literature, much of which has been transcribed, and provides a means of recording, preserving, and transmitting knowledge, especially in regard to social, psychological, spiritual, or political roles.
The Ahmadu Bello University is a public research university located in Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria. It was opened in 1962 as the University of Northern Nigeria.
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Media related to Zaria at Wikimedia Commons
Zaria travel guide from Wikivoyage