THE ORIGIN OF NIGERIAN STATE NAMES (Read and Share) – Swordpress Nigeria

THE ORIGIN OF NIGERIAN STATE NAMES
(Read and Share)
Abia:
Abia is an acronym derived from the name of the four main groups of
the people in the state as at the time it was formed in 1991: Aba,
Bende, Isuikwuato & Afikpo.

Adamawa:
This state was named after a warrior that conquered the region in
the beginning of the 19th century. His name was Modibbo Adama Bin
Ardo Hassan.

Akwa-Ibom:
Akwa Ibom is named after a river, the Qua Iboe (or Kwa Iboe)
River.

Anambra:
It was derived from the name of the Oma Mbala
(Omambala) River (in Igbo, the native name of the river is Ànyịm
Ọma Mbala).

Bauchi:
There are 3 versions of how Bauchi got its name. One version says
‘Bauchi’ is Hausa word meaning the southern flanks of Hausaland.
Tribes living in the southern parts of the Hausaland were referred
to as “kasashen bauchi”.

Bayelsa:
Bayelsa was formed as a result of the clamour from the three LGAs
in old Rivers (Brass LGA known as BALGA, Yenagoa LGA known as YELGA
and Sagbama LGA – SALGA). The name came about from the combination
of their acronymns.
BA + YEL + SA = BAYELSA.

Benue:
It is a word from the Batta language ‘Binuwe’ which means ‘Mother
of Waters’.

Borno:
The name was derived from ‘Borno’, an alternative name of the
Kanuris who form the predominant ethnic group in the state.

Cross River:
The state took its name from a River called Oyono or Cross
River.

Delta:
It was named after the delta of the River Niger formed as it enters
the Atlantic Ocean.

Ebonyi:
The state was named after the Aboine River that cuts through
Abakaliki, the state capital.

Edo:
Named after the Bini people who had always referred to themselves
as Edo or Iduu.

Ekiti:
‘Ekiti’ is a term that is said to denote a settlement of many
hills.

Enugu:
Enugu derived its name from two local words “enu” & “ugwu” which
means ‘top of the hill’.

Gombe:
Named after the dialect of Fulani language (Fulfulde) spoken in the
area ‘Gombe’.

Imo:
This state is named after the Imo River (Mmiri Imo).

I sincerely hope the current Governor doesn’t rename the state
to Rochas Foundation before his tenure elapses.

Jigawa:
The state was named after its distinctively golden-coloured soil,
Jigawa.

Kaduna:
The state after the crocodiles in Kaduna River. “Kadduna” is Hausa
plural word for crocodiles.

Kano:
The state was named after a blacksmith of the Gaya tribe who
settled in the area while sourcing for ironstone. His name was
Kano.

Katsina:
Katsina was named after the wife of the local ruler known as
Janzama. Her name was Katsina.

Kebbi:
Legend has it that Kebbi was named after the Ka’abba in Mecca,
Saudi Arabia.

Kogi:
The name Kogi was said to have been derived from ‘kogi’, (hausa
word for river). This is to represent the fact that the two biggest
Rivers in Nigeria, River Niger and River Benue form a confluence in
the state.

Kwara:
This was named after the River Niger which forms the Northern
border of the state. The Nupes used to call the river, Kwara.

Lagos:
The name is a Portuguese word for lakes. The Portuguese were the
first settlers from Europe to reach Lagos in 1472. The name was
inspired by the lagoons and rivers in Lagos.

Nasarawa:
It was so named by the founder of Nasarawa kingdom, Makama Dogo.
Nasarawa means Victorious.

Niger:,
Niger Named after the popular River Niger.

Ogun:
Named after the Ogun River.

Ondo:
This was named after the settlers of the old Ondo Kingdom. Ondo is
a word for settlers.

Osun:
Like a number of other Nigerian states, it was also named after a
river; River Osun.

Oyo:
It was named after the Old Oyo empire.

Rivers:
A state with many water bodies, Rivers State was named for many of
the rivers present in the area.

Sokoto:
Named after the defunct Sokoto Caliphate. Sokoto is the anglicized
version of the Arabic word ‘suk’ which means ‘market’ or ‘place of
commerce’.

Taraba:
The state was named after the Taraba River.

Yobe:
The state was named after Komadugu Yobe (Waube or Ouobe) or River
Yobe (or River of Yo).

Finally,

Zamfara:
Zamfarawa the land of Jambarawa.

Abuja :

The name “Abuja” was derived from Abu Ja, a brother to Muhammadu
Makau, the last Hausa ruler of Zaria.Makau had left Zaria after
being defeated by the Fulani and settled in the area now known as
Abuja.

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