Kwara State

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For other uses, see Kwara State (disambiguation).
Kwara
State
Nickname(s): State of Harmony
Location of Kwara State in Nigeria
Location of Kwara State in Nigeria
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Country  Nigeria
Date created 27 May 1967
Capital Ilorin
Government
 • Governor
(List)		 Abdulfatah Ahmed (APC)
Area
 • Total 36,825 km2 (14,218 sq mi)
Area rank 9th of 36
Population (1991 census)
 • Total 1,566,469
 • Estimate (2005) 2,591,555
 • Rank 31st of 36
 • Density 43/km2 (110/sq mi)
GDP
 • Year 2007
 • Total $3.84 billion[1]
 • Per capita $1,585[1]
Time zone WAT (UTC+01)
ISO 3166 code NG-KW
Website kwarastate.gov.ng

Kwara (Yoruba: Ìpínlẹ̀ Kwárà) is a state in Western Nigeria. Its capital is Ilorin. The primary ethnic group of Kwara State is Yoruba, with significant Nupe, Bariba, and Fulani minorities.[citation needed]

History

Kwara State was created on 27 May 1967, when the Federal Military Government of General Yakubu Gowon broke the four regions that then constituted the Federation of Nigeria into 12 states. 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.

Kwara State has since 1976 reduced considerably in size as a result of further state creation exercises in Nigeria. On 13 February 1976, the Idah/Dekina part of the state was carved out and merged with a part of the then Benue/Plateau State to form Benue State.

On 27 August 1991, five local government areas, namely Oyi, Yagba, Okene, Okehi and Kogi were also excised to form part of the new Kogi State, while a sixth, Borgu Local Government Area, was merged with Niger State.

Population

As of 2006, the population of Kwarans was 2.37 million based on the Nigeria 2006 Census. This Population size constitutes about 1.69% of the Nation's total population having relied upon immigration for Population growth and Socioeconomic development.[2]

Residents of the state are sometimes referred to as Kwarans.[3]

Local Government Areas

Kwara State consists of sixteen Local Government Areas. They are:

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Tourism

Drummers in Ojumo Oro, Kwara State.

Important tourist attractions in Kwara State include Esie Museum, Owu Falls, Imoleboja Rock Shelter, Ogunjokoro, Kainji Lake National Parks and Agbonna Hill Awon Mass Wedding in Shao.

Transport

The Nigerian Railway Corporation extends services from Lagos through the state to the northern part of the country. The Ilorin Airport is a major center for both domestic and international flights and has now been built up into a hub for transportation of cargoes.

Economy

Agriculture is the main source of the economy and the principal cash crops are: cotton, cocoa, coffee, Kolanut, tobacco, beniseed and palm produce.

Mineral resources in the state are Gold, limestone, marble, feldspar, clay, kaolin, quartz and granite rocks.

Industries in the state include Dangote Flour Mill, Lubcon Lubricant Company, Kam Industries Nigeria Ltd, Tuyil Pharmacy Nig Ltd, Padson Industries NiG Ltd,[4] Kwara Breweries, Ijagbo Global Soap and Detergent Industry, United Match Company, Tate and Lyle Company, Resinoplast Plastic Industry, Phamatech Nigeria Limited, Kwara Textile and Kwara Furniture Company all in Ilorin. Others are Paper Manufacturing Industry, Jebba, Okin Foam and Okin Biscuits, Offa, Kay Plastic, Ganmo and Kwara Paper Converters Limited, Erin-ile. Others are Sugar Producing Company, Bacita, Kwara animal Feed Mall, Ilorin and the Agricultural Products Company.

Education

The state has a federal university,The University of Ilorin (http://www.unilorin.edu.ng), a state university (http://www.kwasu.edu.ng) that commenced in the 2009/2010 session, two polytechnics, Kwara State Polytechic and Offa Polytechic, three colleges of education, school of Health technology and school of nursing. It also has a navy school and aviation college. It is also home for Landmark University (http://lmu.edu.ng) and Al-Hikmah University, both private universities which are located in Omu Aran and Ilorin respectively.

Sports

Sporting activities are managed by the State Sports Council. The importance attached to sports led to the construction of a stadium complex. The facilities available at the stadium complex are mainbowl, indoor sports hall, hostel, recreational press center as well as an Olympic size swimming pool. The state is actively represented both in football and basketball. The state is the home to the Kwara United Football Club and Kwara Falcons Basketball Club

Notable people from Kwara State

References

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