Kaduna
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| Kaduna, Nigeria | |
| Province | Kaduna State |
|---|---|
| Government | |
| - Governor | Ahmed Makarfi PDP |
| Population (2007) | |
| - Urban | 1,652,844 |
| estimated [1] | |
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) |
| - Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+1) |
Kaduna is the state capital of Kaduna State in north-central Nigeria. The city, located on the Kaduna River, is a trade center and a major transportation hub for the surrounding agricultural areas with its rail and road junction. Kaduna is also an industrial center of Northern Nigeria manufacturing products like textiles, machinery, steel, aluminum, petroleum products and bearings.
[edit] History
Kaduna was founded by the British in 1913 and later became the capital of Nigeria's former Northern Region in 1917 and remained so until 1967. Kaduna remains an important political center in Northern Nigeria today, as the city is home to the Nigerian Defense Academy (1964), Kaduna Polytechnic (1968), and the Nigerian Institute for Trypanosomiasis Research (1951). The population of Kaduna is (1995 estimate) 333,600. There is a large racecourse, approximately 1 mile round, inside which the Ahmadu Yakubu Polo Club and Kaduna Crocodile Club are situated. Whilst the Kaduna and Rugby Clubs are on the periphery. There are two airports, including Kaduna Airport. The Nigerian Defence Academy is situated in Kaduna. Lord Lugard, the 1st "Governor of the Northern Region", has a majestic legislative building named after him, Lugard Hall. Currently a huge bypass is being completed around Kaduna. The symbol of Kaduna is the crocodile, called 'kado' in Hausa. It is now the "country residence" of many beaurucrats and business men from Nigeria's capital, Abuja. It is a very mixed city with fourth generation Italian, Lebanese, and British people living there along side Hausas, Ibo, Yoruba etc. Pottery is highly prized from Kaduna, especially from Maraban-Jos, which follows close behind Abuja and Minna. There is a museum with a vast array of priceless artifacts. The main highway through the city is called Ahmadu Bello Way. A lot of the place names come from past Sultans, Emirs and Decorated Civil War Heroes. Since the closure of the Durbar, the ledgendary Hamdala Hotel is the main big hotel, with an excellent Chinese Restaurant. Kaduna has a very large market recently rebuilt after the lethal and devastating fire of the mid-1990s.
[edit] Religious Strife
Due to its religious makeup, Kaduna has been the scene of deadly religious tensions between Muslims and Christians, particularly over the implementation of shari'a law in Kaduna State beginning in 2001. One particular incident in February 2000 saw at least 1000 killed in a particular riot. The city remains segregated to this day as religious tensions and sporadic riots continue.[2]
[edit] References
- ^ "The World Gazetteer". Retrieved on April 6, 2007.
- ^ "BBC News - Kaduna: Nigeria's religious flashpoint". Retrieved on April 6, 2007.
