Niger State

Niger
State
From top, left to right: Minna City gate (exit); Tunga roundabout; AP roundabout; Minna central mosque; St. Michael's Cathedral; landscape view of Minna city
Flag
Nicknames:  The Power State
Location of Niger State in Nigeria
Coordinates: 10°00′N 6°00′E / 10.000°N 6.000°E / 10.000; 6.000
Country	Nigeria
Date created	3 February 1976
Capital	Minna
Government
• Body	Government of Niger State
• Governor (List)	Mohammed Umar Bago (APC)
• Deputy Governor	Yakubu Garba (APC)
• Legislature	Niger State House of Assembly
• Senators	E: Sani Musa (APC) N: Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi (APC) S: Muhammad Bima Enagi (APC)
• Representatives	List
Area
• Total	76,363 km2 (29,484 sq mi)
• Rank	1st of 36
Population  (2006)[2]
• Total	3,954,772
• Estimate  (2022)	6,783,300[1]
• Rank	9th of 36
• Density	52/km2 (130/sq mi)
GDP (PPP)
• Year	2021
• Total	$29.63 billion[3]
• Per capita	$4,496[3]
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (WAT)
postal code	920001
ISO 3166 code	NG-NI
HDI (2022)	0.523[4] low · 27th of 37
Website	NigerState.gov.ng

Niger State is a state in the North Central region of Nigeria, bordered to the east by Kaduna State and the Federal Capital Territory, to the north by Kebbi State and Zamfara State, and to the south by Kogi and Kwara states, while its western border makes up part of the international border with Benin. It is the largest state in the country by area. The state capital is Minna, and the state is divided into 25 local government areas. Other major cities include Bida, Kontagora, and Suleja.^[5][6]

Of the 36 states of Nigeria, Niger is the eleventh most populous with an estimated population of about 6.7 million as of 2020.^[7] Geographically, the state is split between the West Sudanian savanna in the east and the Guinean forest–savanna mosaic ecoregion in the rest of the state. The Kainji Lake as well as the Niger and Kaduna rivers are the state's major water bodies, with the River Niger flowing through from Kainji Lake through the western part of the state and forming the border with Kwara State. Niger State is also home to the Kainji, Jebba, and Shiroro Dams, which are major sources of hydroelectric power. Also situated there is Kainji National Park, the largest National Park in Nigeria, which contains Kainji Lake, the Borgu Game Reserve and the Zugurma Game Reserve.

Niger State is ethnically diverse, including communities of Adara, Fulani, Gbagyi, Hausa, Hun-Saare, Kambari, Kamuku, Koro Gungawa, Nupe, and other ethnic groups. In terms of religion, Islam and Christianity are the most practised faiths with a minority of adherents of traditionalist religions.

Historically, parts of modern-day Niger State were centers of powerful pre-colonial states, including the Nupe Kingdom, Gbagyi states, and parts of the Hausa Bakwai states. In the early nineteenth century, parts of the state were incorporated into the Sokoto Caliphate following the Fulani jihad. With British colonization in the early 1900s, the area became part of the Northern Nigeria Protectorate. Upon Nigeria’s independence in 1960, Niger State was initially part of the Northern Region until 1967, when it became part of the North-Western State. In 1976, Niger State was created as a distinct entity following the breakup of North-Western State and in the 1990s, the state gained the Borgu region from Kwara. Since the late 2010s, Niger has been one of the states hit hardest by banditry and terrorism.

Economically, Niger State is largely driven by agriculture along with livestock farming and herding. The state plays a key role in Nigeria’s energy sector due to its hydroelectric dams. Niger State has the tenth-highest GDP in the country but has a low Human Development Index ranking.^[8]