SSC201 ASSIGNMENTS(G) - STATES AND THEIR DETAILS

KEBBI
GENERAL INFORMATION
Kebbi was formed out of Sokoto State in August 27, 1991 by the then regime of General Ibrahim Babangida. It's capital is Birnin-Kebbi. Its major towns include Birnin-Kebbi, Argungu and Yelwa.

Kebbi State is divided into 21 local government areas , four emirate councils (Gwandu, Argungu, Yauri and Zuru), and 35 districts. Kebbi state derived its name from the 14th century "KEBBI KINGDOM" which was a province of the former Songhai Empire. Islam is the predominant religion.

Located in North Western Nigeria, Kebbi State occupies 36,800 square kilometres. Kebbi State shares boundaries with Sokoto State on the North-Eastern axis, Zamfara State on the Eastern part, Niger state on the Southern part and Republic of Niger on the Western part.

KWARA 
GENERAL INFORMATION
Kwara State was formed out of the former northern region on 27th May 1967 by the then regime of General Yakubu Gowon. At its creation, the state was made up of the former Ilorin and Kabba provinces of the then Northern Region and was initially named the West Central State but later changed to Kwara, a local name for the River Niger. It's capital is Ilorin.

Located in north western Nigeria, Kwara State occupies 36,825 square kilometres. In the 1976 state creation exercise, the Idah/Dekina portion of the state was excised to merge with a part of the then Benue-Plateau State to form Benue State. On August 27, 1991, five local government areas, namely Oyi, Yagba, Okene, Okehi and Kogi were also excised to form part of a new state called Kogi, while a sixth, Borgu Local Government Area, was merged with Niger State.

Kwara State is bounded in the north by Niger State, in the south by Oyo, Osun and Ekiti States, in the east by Kogi State and in the west by Benin Republic. Because of its unique geographical position, the State is referred to as the "gateway" between the north and the south of the country.

The main ethnic groups are Yoruba, Fulani, Nupe and Barubas. Islam and Christianity are the major religions in the state.

LAGOS 
GENERAL INFORMATION
Lagos State was created out of the former western region by the then regime of General Yakubu Gowon. It's capital is Ikeja. Prior to this, Lagos Municipality had been administered by the Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Lagos Affairs as the regional authority, while the Lagos City Council (LCC) governed the City of Lagos. Equally, the metropolitan areas (Colony Province) of Ikeja, Agege, Mushin, Ikorodu, Epe and Badagry were administered by the Western Region.

Located in the south-western part of Nigeria, Lagos State occupies 3,345 square kilometres. It shares boundaries with Ogun State both in the North and East and is bounded on the west by the Republic of Benin. In the South it stretches for 180 kilometres along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. The smallest State in the Federation, it occupies an area of 3,345 square kilometres, 22% or 787sq. km of which consists of lagoons and creeks

The State took off as an administrative entity on April 11, 1968 with Lagos Island serving the dual role of being the State and Federal Capital.

However, with the creation of the Federal Capital Territory of Abuja in 1976, Lagos ceased to be the capital of the State which was moved to Ikeja. Equally, with the formal relocation of the seat of the Federal Government to Abuja on 12 December 1991, Lagos ceased to be Nigeria's political capital.

NASARAWA

GENERAL INFORMATION
Nassarawa was created out of Plateau State on October 1, 1996 by the then regime of General Sani Abacha. It's capital is Lafia.

Located in north central Nigeria, Nassarawa State covers 27,117 square kilometres. Nassarawa state is bounded on the north by Kaduna State, on the South by Benue State, on the East by Plateau & Taraba States, while on the West by The Federal Capital Territory & Kogi State.

The state is composed of different ethnic groups each with its own distinct local dialect but Hausa is common among the people.

NIGER
GENERAL INFORMATION
Niger State was created the then North Western State on 3rd February, 1976 by the then regime of General Murtala Mohammed. It has Minna as it's capital. Other major cities are Bida, Kontagora, and Suleja.

Located in the Middle Belt of Nigeria, Niger State covers 76,363 square kilometres. It is the largest Nigerian state by land area.

The state has a small majority of Muslims. The state is named for the River Niger. Two of Nigeria's major hydroelectric power stations are located in Niger State: the Kainji dam and the Shiroro dam. Kainji National Park is also situated in Niger State. It contains the lake formed by the Kainji dam. It is the largest National Park of Nigeria, but a lot of the wildlife has disappeared.

Niger State shares boundaries with Kaduna State and Federal Capital Territory, Abuja States in the East and South-East respectively, Kebbi and Zamfara in the North, Kwara and Kogi States in the South and Benin Republic in the East.

OGUN 
GENERAL INFORMATION
Ogun State was created from the old Western State on February 3, 1976 by the then regime of General Murtala Mohammed. It has Abeokuta as it's capital and largest city.

Located in SOuth Western Nigeria, Ogun State covers 16,762 square kilometres. It borders Lagos State to the south, Oyo and Osun states to the North, Ondo State to the east and the Republic of Benin to the west.

Ogun State thus has the highest number of registered universities in Nigeria (nine in all) with five new private universities also in the state.

ECONOMY
Its natural resources include an extensive fertile soil suitable for agriculture and mineral deposits. The climate and soil of the state are suitable for the cultivation of a wide range of crops. The major food crops include rice, maize, cassava, yam and banana. The main cash crops include cocoa, kolanut, rubber, palm oil and palm kernels. Ogun State is one of the largest producers of kolanut in the country. It also produces timber and rubber on a large scale. About 20% of its total area is constituted of forest reserve suitable for livestock.

ONDO 
GENERAL INFORMATION
Ondo State was created on 3 February 1976 from the former Western State by the then regime of General Murtala Mohammed. It originally included what is now Ekiti State, which was split off in the state creation exercise of 1996. Akure is the state capital.

Located in SOuth Western Nigeria, Ondo State covers 14,606 square kilometres. Ondo State is bounded in the East by Edo and Delta States, in the North by Ekiti and Kogi States, in the West by Osun and Ogun States and in the South by the Atlantic Ocean.

The ethnic composition of Ondo State is largely from the Yoruba subgroups of the Akoko, Akur?, Ikare, Ilaj?, Ondo, Owo, Arogbos and Akpois who are Ijaw extraction and are mostly located in the riverine areas of the state.
Ondo State contains the largest number of public schools in Nigeria - over 880 primary schools and 190 secondary schools.

OSUN 
GENERAL INFORMATION
Osun State was carved out of Oyo State on August 27, 1991 by the then regime of General Ibrahim Babangida. It's capital is Osogbo.

Located in South West Nigeria, Osun state is landlocked and occupies 9,251 square kilometres.

Osun State shares borders Kwara State to the North, Oyo State to the West, Ogun State to the South and Ondo and Ekiti States to the East.

The people of the state are Yorubas and they trace their origin to Oduduwa and the town of Ile-Ife. Ile Ife is an important center of political and religious development for Yoruba culture. Other important cities and towns include the ancient kingdom-capitals of Elá Oràngún, Elá Oràngún, Ede, and Ilesa.

The state's name is derived from the River Osun, a deified natural spring where annual traditional festivities are held. Osun-Osogbo Grove, the shrine of the annual rites of the deity and an important artistic center in western Nigeria, was declared a World Heritage Site in 2005.

Every year, adherents and non-adherents of Osun, one of the Orisa (the traditional deities of the Yoruba), travel from all over the world to attend the annual Osun festival in August. Visitors include nationals of Brazil, Cuba, Trinidad, Grenada, and other nations in the Americas with a significant Yoruba cultural heritage.

OYO 
GENERAL INFORMATION
Oyo State was created in February 3, 1976 out of the old Western State by the then regime of General Murtala Mohammed.

Located in South West Nigeria, Oyo State covers 28,454 square kilometres. It is bounded in the south by Ogun State and in the north by Kwara State, in the west by the Republic of Benin while in the east it is bounded by Osun State.

The state is homogenous and comprises the Oyos, the Ibadans and the Ibarapas, all belonging to the Yoruba family and speaking the same Yoruba language. People from within and outside the country trade and settle in the state mostly in the urban areas. The capital, Ibadan is reputed to be the largest city in Africa, south of the Sahara.

A prominent landmark in Oyo State is Cocoa House, the first skyscraper built in Africa. The state is also home to NTA Ibadan, the first television station in Africa and Liberty Stadium, Ibadan the first stadium built in Africa. Other major tourist attractions located in the state include: Agodi Botanical Garden, Ado-Awaye Suspended lake, Mapo Hall, University of lbadan Zoological Garden, Ido Cenotaph, Trans-Wonderland Amusement Park, Oke-Ogun National Park, Bowers Tower and the Cultural Centre, Mokola.

PLATEAU 
GENERAL INFORMATION
Plateau State was created out of the then Benue-Plateau State on February 3, 1976 by the Murtala Mohammed Regime. It's capital is Jos. Jos the original name of 'Gwosh' was wrongly pronounced as 'Jos' by the Hausa who settled on the site and turned it into a trading centre.

Plateau State gets its name from the Jos Plateau, a mountainous area in the north of the state with captivating rock formations. Bare rocks are scattered across the grasslands, which cover the plateau. The altitude ranges from around 1,200 meters (about 4000 feet) to a peak of 1,829 metres above sea level in the Shere Hills range near Jos. Plateau State has led to a reduced incidence of some tropical diseases such as malaria. The Jos Plateau, makes it the source of many rivers in northern Nigeria including the Kaduna, Gongola, Hadejia and Yobe rivers.

Located in North Central Nigeria, Plateau State occupies 30,913 square kilometres. Plateau State shares borders with Kaduna State to the North, Kaduna and Nassarawa States to the East, Benue to the South and Taraba State to the East. Plateau State is located between latitude 80°24'N and longitude 80°32' and 100°38' east.