Zaria

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Zaria
Birnin Zaria
City in Nigeria
Zaria Emir's palace gate.jpg
Gate to the palace of the Emir of Zazzau
Flag of the Zaria Emirate.svg
Nickname: 
Zazzau
Motto: 
Birnin Ilimi
Nigeria location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Zaria
Coordinates: 11°04′N7°42′E / 11.067°N 7.700°E / 11.067; 7.700
CountryFlag of Nigeria.svg  Nigeria
State Kaduna State
City Zaria, Nigeria
Area
  Total563 km2 (217 sq mi)
Population
 (2023)
  Total766,007 [1]
Time zone UTC+01:00 (WAT)
Climate Aw
Zaria

Zaria is a metropolitan city in Nigeria which lies within four local government areas in Kaduna State; it is the capital city to the Zazzau Emirate Council, and one of the original seven Hausa city-states and a major city in the state. The local government areas that made up of the city of Zaria includes: Zaria Local Government, Sabon Gari Local Government, Giwa Local Government and Soba Local Government areas in Kaduna state, Nigeria.

Contents

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.

History

Guard at the palace of the emir Zaria 130085145 08d4889953.jpg
Guard at the palace of the emir

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

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]

Emir of Zazzau AMB. Alh. Ahmed Nuhu Bamalli Ambassador Ahmed Nuhu Bamalli.jpg
Emir of Zazzau AMB. Alh. Ahmed Nuhu Bamalli

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]

Cityscape

Children playing in one of the streets of Zaria Zaria 130085554 1ac87fb1d9.jpg
Children playing in one of the streets of Zaria

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]

Gates In Zaria

Transport and economy

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]

Zaria City Road, Kaduna Life in Zaria, Kaduna.jpg
Zaria City Road, Kaduna

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]

Education

Senate building of the Ahmadu Bello University Ahmadu bello university senate.jpg
Senate building of the Ahmadu Bello University

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]

Traditional festivals

Durber celebration in Zaria 2021 Hawan Daushe in Zaria 2021.jpg
Durber celebration in Zaria 2021

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]

Climate

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)
MonthJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecYear
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)0.00.00.52.98.410.613.516.613.94.90.00.071.4
Average relative humidity (%)37.231.132.751.369.277.682.485.883.673.453.144.960.2
Source: NOAA [23]

Environment

Air quality

A 2019 study of air pollution in Zaria found that pollution concentrations were within the expected national standards for air pollution. [24]

Land use

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 supply and sanitation

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]

Notable people

Areas In Zaria

Wards in Zaria

See also

Bibliography

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Katsina State</span> State of Nigeria

Katsina State is a state in the northwestern geopolitical zone of Nigeria. Katsina State borders on 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.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zazzau</span> Traditional state in Kaduna State, 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.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abubakar Imam</span> Nigerian writer (1911–1981)

Abubakar Imam ' was a Nigerian writer, journalist and politician from Kagara, Niger in Nigeria. For most of his life, he lived in Zaria, where he was the first Hausa editor of Gaskiya Ta Fi Kwabo, the pioneer Hausa-language Newspaper in Northern Nigeria.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Durbar festival</span>

The Durbar festival is an ancient traditional annual Hausa; cultural, religious and equestrian festival, celebrated as a core part of the Arewa Hausa culture. Durbar has existed for centuries and is as an essential part of Hausa kingdom and Hausa tradition. Durbar is a paramount part of Hausa cultural rites, tradition and history and the Hausa's are renowned in history as ancient horsemen and warriors of the Sahara and the Sahel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barewa College</span> Secondary school in Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria

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Sabon Gari Local Government is a local government area in Kaduna State, Nigeria. It is one of the local government areas in the Zaria metropolis as well as being one of the districts of the Zazzau Emirate Council. The towns and villages are Dogarawa, Bomo, Basawa, Zabi, Samaru, Kwari, Barashi, Muchiya and Palladan. The Local Government council is chaired by Alhaji Mohammed Usman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emir of Zazzau</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shehu Idris</span> Emir of Zazzau and teacher

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.

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References

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