Yobe State

Yobe is a state located in northeastern Nigeria. A mainly agricultural state, it was created on August 27, 1991. Yobe State was carved out of Borno State. The capital of Yobe State is Damaturu; its largest city is Potiskum.

Yobe
State
Flag
Nickname(s): 
Pride of the Sahel
Location of Yobe State in Nigeria
Coordinates: 12°00′N 11°30′E
Country Nigeria
Date created27 August 1991
CapitalDamaturu
Government
 • Governor
(List)		Mai Mala Buni (APC)
 • Deputy GovernorIdi Barde Gubana
 • Senators
Area
 • Total45,502 km2 (17,568 sq mi)
Area rank6th of 36
Population
 (2006 census)
 • Total2,321,339[1]
 • Estimate 
(2011)
2,757,000
 • Rank32nd of 36
GDP (PPP)
 • Year2007
 • Total$2.01 billion[2]
 • Per capita$843[2]
Time zoneUTC+01 (WAT)
postal code
320001
ISO 3166 codeNG-YO
HDI (2018)0.365[3]
low · 35th of 37

Geography

The state borders four states: Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, and Jigawa. It borders to the north the Diffa and Zinder Regions of Niger. Because the state lies mainly in the dry savanna belt, conditions are hot and dry for most of the year, except in the southern part of the state which has more annual rainfall.

Tulutulu in yobe state Nigeria
Nguru River bank Yobe State

History

Yobe State came into being on 27 August 1991. It was carved out of the old Borno State by the Babangida administration. Yobe State was created because the old Borno State was one of Nigeria's largest states in terms of land area and was therefore considered to be too large for easy administration and meaningful development. Ethnic rivalries within the old Borno State also contributed to the decision.[4]

Boko Haram

On 14 May 2013, President Goodluck Jonathan declared a state of emergency in Yobe State along with nearby Borno and Adamawa States, due to the jihadist terrorist network Boko Haram's insurgency. Boko Haram's leader Abubakar Shekau was born in Shekau village of Yobe.[5]

Boko Haram's attacks in Yobe include those in Damaturu in November 2011, December 2011 and June 2012, Gadaka in December 2011, Potiskum in December 2012, November 2014 and July 2015, Mamudo in July 2013, Gujba in September 2013, Buni Yadi in February and May 2014 and Dapchi in 2018.

Local Government Areas
See also: List of villages in Yobe State

Yobe State consists of 17 local government areas (or LGAs). They are:

Economy

While Yobe state is an agricultural state, it also has rich mineral deposits, including gypsum and kaolin in Fune Local Government and very rich agricultural resources as well. The state's agricultural produce include gum arabic, groundnuts, beans, and cotton. The state also has one of the largest cattle markets in West Africa, located in Potiskum.

Ethnic groups

The major ethnic groups living in Yobe State are the Kanuri and Fulani, while other major ethnic communities include Bolewa, Ngizim, Karai-Karai, Bade, Hausa, Ngamo, Shuwa, Bura, Marghi and Manga.

Languages

Languages of Yobe State listed by LGA:[6]

LGALanguages
BadeBade; Duwai
BursariBade
DamaturuYerwa Kanuri]]
FikaBole, Karekare; Ngamo
FuneFulani
GeidamYerwa Kanuri,fulani
GujbaYerwa Kanuri
Gulani ll fulani
JakuskoBade
Nangere Fulani
NguruYerwa Kanuri, Fulani
PotiskumKarekare, Ngizim

Other languages of Yobe State are Bura-Pabir, Manga Kanuri, and Zarma.[6]

Religion

The population is mainly Muslim. Sharia law is valid. However, there are Christians in the State although no Roman Catholic diocese has its seat in the state.

Notable people
  • Usman Albishir - (15 June 1945 – 2 July 2012) former senator and Senate Minority Leader
  • Mai Mala Buni - (born 11 November 1967) politician and the current Governor of Yobe State
  • Adamu Ciroma - (born 20 November 1934) former Minister and Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria
  • Ibrahim Gaidam, former governor and now Senator for Yobe Zone A
  • Buba Galadima - politician and National Secretary of the Congress for Progressive Change(CPC) party,
  • Bukar Ibrahim - (born October 1950) former governor of Yobe State and Senator in Nigeria
  • Khadija Bukar Abba Ibrahim - (born 6 January 1967) member of the House of Representatives and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs
  • Ahmed Lawan - senator and Senate President of the 9th National Assembly
  • Abubakar Umar Suleiman - (born January 1962) 11th Emir of Bade
  • Adamu Garba Talba - a politician and former senator Yobe south
  • Adamu Waziri - (born 14 September 1952) former minister of Police Affairs

References
  1. "2006 PHC Priority Tables – NATIONAL POPULATION COMMISSION". population.gov.ng. Retrieved 2017-10-10.
  2. "C-GIDD (Canback Global Income Distribution Database)". Canback Dangel. Retrieved 2008-08-20.
  3. "Sub-national HDI - Area Database - Global Data Lab". hdi.globaldatalab.org. Retrieved 2018-09-13.
  4. "Yobe State", Online Nigeria, Accessed here on 3 August 2007.
  5. "Nigeria declares 'massive' military campaign on borders". BBC News. 15 May 2013. Retrieved 6 June 2013.
  6. "Nigeria". Ethnologue (22 ed.). Retrieved 2020-01-10.
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