Kaduna is the capital city of Kaduna State, and the former political capital of Northern Nigeria. It is located in north-western Nigeria, on the Kaduna River. It is a trade center and a major transportation hub as the gateway to northern states of Nigeria, with its rail and important road network.[3][4]
The population of Kaduna was put at 760,084 as of the 2006 Nigerian census.[5] Rapid urbanization since 2005 has created an increasingly large population, and as at 2023, the city has an estimated population of 1.1 million people.[6]
The etymology of the word Kaduna is said to be a corruption of the Hausa word for "crocodiles", Kaddanni in the Hausa language (kaduna being the plural form).[7] Another version of the name proposes a link to the Gbagyi word/name 'Odna', meaning 'river'.[8]
Kaduna was founded by British colonists in 1900.[9] The first British governor of Northern Nigeria, Sir Frederick Lugard, chose the present site for development due to its proximity to the Lagos-Kano Railway.[10] It became the capital of Nigeria's former Northern Region in 1917,[11] and retained this status until 1967. The city is still influential as the headquarters of various political, military and cultural organizations especially in Northern Nigeria.[12]
In 1976, when the General Murtala Mohammed administration created seven new states in Nigeria, North Central State, with capital at Kaduna, was renamed Kaduna State. It was made up of the two colonial period Provinces of Zaria and Katsina. When in 1991, the number of states in the country was increased from twenty-one to thirty. Katsina Province became Katsina State, while the old Zaria Province became the new Kaduna State. There are twenty-three local government areas (LGAs) in the state, although the number of ethnic groups is much larger.[13]
Kaduna is a major industrial center in Northern Nigeria, manufacturing products like textiles, machinery, steel, aluminum, petroleum products and bearings.[14] However, the textile industry has been in decline due to recent Chinese imports and factory closures caused by years of neglect during the military dictatorship in Nigeria. Other light manufactures include: plastics, pharmaceuticals, leather goods, furniture, and televisions.[10]Agriculture is also a major industry in Kaduna, and as such, the Bank of Agriculture has its headquarters in the city.[15] Some main agricultural exports include: cotton, peanuts, sorghum, and ginger.[16] Kaduna also has a branch of the Nigerian Stock Exchange.[10]Automobile manufacturing also remains an important part of Kaduna's economy.[17] Peugeot Automobiles Nigeria has an assembly plant in Kaduna.[18] Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company (KRPC), one of Nigeria's four main oil refineries is located in Kaduna. It is supplied by a pipeline from the Niger Delta oil fields.[10][19]
A 2009 World Bank survey states that Kaduna is one of the top six cities with the highest unemployment. 20% of the population was estimated to be unemployed.[17]
The infrastructure network in the city were upgraded by the administration of Governor Nasir el-Rufai with underpass, flyover structures and streetlight facilities. Kaduna has an inland dry port.[22] The Nigerian military has several installations in the city including the Nigerian Defence Academy.[23]
The city is served by Kaduna International Airport. The airport commenced operations in 1982.[24] The Nigerian Air Force maintains a presence in the city.[25][26]
Kaduna is popularly known as the centre of learning, as evident from the numerous educational institutions located in the state. Tertiary Institutions in Kaduna city include:
Administration of the state started with the concept of Provincial Administration and Native/Local Authority systems. However, in 1976 the Mohammed Administration introduced the Local Government Area system (LGA) which delegated some responsibilities to the elected/appointed councillors. With each successive Federal Military Administration, the number of the LGAs in Kaduna State increased from fourteen in early 1980s to the present twenty three in 1998. In each LGA, smaller units such as districts and wards, are recognised.[13]
Climate: Kaduna State experiences a typical tropical continental climate with distinct seasonal regimes, oscillating between cool to hot dry and humid to wel. These two seasons reflect the influ- ences of tropical continental and equatorial mar itime airmasses which sweep over the entire coun try. However, in Kaduna State, the seasonality is pronounced with the cool to hot dry season being longer than the rainy season. Again, the spatial and temporal distribution of the rain varies. decreasing from an average of about 1530mm in Kafanchan-Kagoro areas in the Southeast to about 1015mm in Ikara-Makarfi districts in the northeast. High storm intensities (ranging from 60mm hr-1 to 99mm hr-1) plus the nature of surface runoff build up the good network of medium sized river sys- temps High evaporation during the dry season ton however, creates water shortage problems espe cinity in Igabi, Giwa, Soba, Makarfi)and Ikara LGA.[13]
climate issues. Kaduna, igabi
The Kaduna region has a tropical climate. The summers have a lot more rain than the winters do. The predominant climate in this area is categorised as Aw by the Köppen-Geiger scale. Kaduna's yearly mean temperature is 25.2 °C, or 77.4 °F. A total of 39.3 inches or 998 mm of precipitation falls per year.
Due to its proximity to the equator, Kaduna's summers are difficult to characterise. January, February, March, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, and December are the finest months to travel.[40]
^Lagassé, Paul (January 2000). Kaduna (6th ed.). Columbia University Press. ISBN9780787650155. Retrieved 13 November 2016. {{cite book}}: |website= ignored (help)
^ ab"Kaduna". The Forum for Cities in Transition. Retrieved 13 November 2016.
^"Klimatafel von Kaduna / Nigeria"(PDF). Baseline climate means (1961-1990) from stations all over the world (in German). Deutscher Wetterdienst. Retrieved 14 July 2016.
Nigeria
Media related to Kaduna at Wikimedia Commons
