Reviewed by Omotolani Ajileye
Edited by Paul Elegbeleye
Table of Contents
Little Explorers: Fun Facts About Nigerian States
Did you know Nigeria has 36 states, plus one special capital city called Abuja? That is 37 exciting places, and each one has its own story, its own food, and its own treasures waiting to be discovered.
Well, maybe that could be common knowledge for you; but then, get ready for some not-so common knowledge and grab your explorer hat! We are about to take a fun trip across Nigeria, one state at a time, without ever leaving your seat. Nigeria’s states are grouped into six regions called geopolitical zones and right now, we will explore them zone by zone, so let’s begin our journey.
South East Zone
This zone is home to the Igbo people and five states rich in trade, craft, and culture.
Abia (Umuahia): Abia is nicknamed “God’s Own State.” Its city of Aba is famous across Nigeria for making shoes, bags, and clothes by hand, so much so that people sometimes call it the “Japan of Africa.”
Anambra (Awka): Awka, the capital, has been known for centuries for its skilled blacksmiths who shape iron into tools. Anambra is also home to Onitsha, which has one of the biggest and busiest markets in all of West Africa.
Ebonyi (Abakaliki): Ebonyi is called “The Salt of the Nation” because natural salt lakes can be found there. The state is also one of Nigeria’s biggest rice producers, so the rice you eat may have come from here.
Enugu (Enugu): Enugu means “top of the hill,” and the state is nicknamed the “Coal City State” because coal was once mined there. That coal helped power trains and factories across Nigeria many years ago.
Imo (Kerri): Imo is home to Oguta Lake, a lovely lake locals call the “Blue Lake” because of its calm, clear water that many people love to visit.
South South Zone
This zone hugs the coast and the Niger Delta, filled with rivers, creeks, and oil wells.
Akwa Ibom (Uyo): Akwa Ibom is called the “Land of Promise.” It produces a large share of Nigeria’s crude oil and has beautiful beaches along its coast, including the popular Nwaniba Beach.
Bayelsa (Yenagoa): Bayelsa sits deep in the Niger Delta, crisscrossed by rivers and creeks. Many communities here can only be reached by boat.
Cross River (Calabar): Calabar hosts the famous Calabar Carnival every December, often called “Africa’s biggest street party.” Cross River is also one of the last homes of the Cross River gorilla, one of the rarest gorillas in the whole world.
Delta (Asaba): Delta’s capital, Asaba, sits right across the Niger River from Onitsha. The two cities are connected by the Niger Bridge, one of the longest bridges in Nigeria.
Edo (Benin City): Benin City was once the heart of the great Benin Kingdom, famous for its beautiful bronze artworks called the Benin Bronzes. The old city was also surrounded by huge earth walls that people built by hand long ago.
Rivers (Port Harcourt): Port Harcourt is nicknamed the “Garden City” because of its many tree-lined streets. Rivers State is also a major centre for Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.
South West Zone
Home to the Yoruba people, this zone blends big cities with deep cultures.
Ekiti (Ado-Ekiti): Ekiti is a hilly state with cool weather. It is home to the Ikogosi Warm Springs, a rare spot where warm water and cold water flow side by side without mixing.
Lagos (Ikeja): Lagos is Nigeria’s smallest state by land size, yet it is the busiest and most populous. It was once Nigeria’s capital city before Abuja took over in 1991.
Ogun (Abeokuta): Abeokuta means “under the rock,” named after Olumo Rock, a giant rock formation that people still climb today for a stunning view of the whole city.
Ondo (Akure): Ondo is called the “Sunshine State.” It is home to the Idanre Hills, an ancient hilltop settlement you can reach by climbing a long stone staircase.
Osun (Osogbo): ASUN is home to the Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove, a forest so special that the United Nations named it a World Heritage Site. Every year, a colourful festival is held there to celebrate it.
Oyo (Ibadan): Ibadan, the capital, is one of the largest cities in West Africa by land area. It is also home to the University of Ibadan, the very first university in Nigeria.
North Central Zone
This zone is often called the “Middle Belt” and sits right at the he@rt of the country.
Benue (Makurdi): Benue is known as the “Food Basket of the Nation” because it grows huge amounts of yam and soybeans. The Benue River, Nigeria’s second-longest river, flows right through it.
Kogi (Lokoja): Kogi is called the “Confluence State” because it is the exact spot where the River Niger and River Benue, Nigeria’s two biggest rivers, flow into each other. Lokoja was also Nigeria’s very first capital city, long before Lagos or Abuja.
Kwara (Ilorin): Kwara is home to the Esie Museum, which holds hundreds of mysterious stone carvings that were found in a forest. Nobody has ever fully solved how old they are or exactly who carved them.
Nasarawa (Lafia): Nasarawa is nicknamed the “Home of Solid Minerals” because it is rich in resources like tin and limestone found beneath the ground.
Niger (Minna): Niger is Nigeria’s largest state by land size. It is home to the Kainji and Shiroro Dams, which help generate electricity for much of the country.
Plateau (Jos): Jos sits high up on a cool, rocky plateau, so it enjoys much cooler weather than most of Nigeria. It is famous for its curious rock formations, like Riyom Rock, shaped by wind and rain over thousands of years.
FCT (Abuja): Abuja is Nigeria’s capital city and is nicknamed the “Centre of Unity” because it was specially built to belong to every Nigerian, no matter their state. It is home to Aso Rock, a huge rock that sits right behind the President’s official villa.
North East Zone
This zone stretches towards Lake Chad and holds Nigeria’s highest point.
Adamawa (Yola): Adamawa is home to Mount Dimlang, one of the tallest mountains in Nigeria, and the Mandara Mountains along its border with Cameroon.
Bauchi (Bauchi): Bauchi calls itself the “Pearl of Tourism.” It is home to Yankari National Park, where you can spot wild elephants and swim in the sparkling Wikki Warm Spring.
Borno (Maiduguri): Borno was once the seat of the powerful Kanem-Bornu Empire, one of the oldest empires in African history. It also borders Lake Chad, a lake shared by four different countries.
Gombe (Gombe): Gombe is nicknamed the “Jewel in the Savannah” for its wide, golden grasslands that stretch across the state.
Taraba (Jalingo): Taraba is home to Chappal Waddi, Nigeria’s highest mountain, standing taller than any other peak in the country. It sits inside Gashaka-Gumti National Park, Nigeria’s largest national park.
Yobe (Damaturu): Yobe lies within the Sahel, a dry region on the edge of the Sahara Desert, and shares the Lake Chad basin with Borno State.
North West Zone
This zone is Nigeria’s most populous region, rich in old cities and trading history.
Jigawa (Dutse): Jigawa is home to part of the Hadejia-Nguru Wetlands, an important home for hundreds of species of migrating birds each year.
Kaduna (Kaduna): Kaduna is nicknamed the “Centre of Learning” because it holds many of Nigeria’s top schools and colleges.
Kano (Kano): Kano is one of Africa’s oldest cities and was a major trading centre along ancient trade routes across the Sahara. Its old city walls and the Kurmi Market, hundreds of years old, still stand today.
Katsina (Katsina): Katsina is home to ancient city walls and the Gobarau Minaret, one of the oldest standing structures in Nigeria.
Kebbi (Birnin Kebbi): Kebbi hosts the Argungu Fishing Festival, a lively event where hundreds of fishermen race into the river at once, using fishing nets, calabash gourds, and their bare hands.
Sokoto (Sokoto): Sokoto is known as the “Seat of the Caliphate” because it was the historic centre of the Sokoto Caliphate, founded over 200 years ago. It is also one of the hottest cities in Nigeria.
Zamfara (Gusau): Zamfara’s slogan is “Farming is Our Pride,” reflecting how much of the state’s land is used for growing crops like millet and sorghum.
You Have Explored All of Nigeria!
Look at you go! You just travelled through all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, all from wherever you are sitting right now. From mountains and rivers to ancient walls and colourful festivals, Nigeria is full of wonders just waiting for curious explorers like you.
So, after today’s enthralling journey, which state surprised you the most? Maybe one day, you will get to visit some of these amazing places yourself.
This article is part of Geeky Nigeria’s Children’s Special – celebrating curious minds and inspiring the innovators of tomorrow.
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