History of Bauchi State and Governors from 1976 Till Date

Bauchi State is one of the 36 states in Nigeria and is located in the Northern part of the country. It is usually referred to as Bauchi State so as to distinguish it from the city of Bauchi – which is the capital of the State.

Nicknamed the “Pearl of Tourism”, Bauchi State was established on the 3rd of February, 1976, and currently has over 5 million people inhabiting the region.

It is home to the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University – which is situated in the city of Bauchi. It also boasts of various other educational institutions including the Bauchi State University and Federal Polytechnic, Bauchi.

History

The region used to be part of the then North-Eastern State of Nigeria until it became a State in 1976 – making her one of the oldest states in Nigeria.

A lot of changes have however happened over the years as far as Bauchi State is concerned. For instance, the Ajawa Language used to be the predominant language being used for communication in the region – but it has been replaced with Hausa.

When Bauchi State was founded in 1976, it was comprised of both present Bauchi State and Gombe States. However, in 1997, Gombe State was carved out of Bauchi State and became a State of its own. In 2001, the State chose to adopt the Islamic Sharia law.

 How Her Name Was Derived

The Bauchi Emirate was founded around 1800, and the first traditional ruler was a man simply known as Yakubu.

However, according to stories, a hunter had first come to settle in the region before the arrival of Yakubu – and he is known as Baushe.

Bauchi in Hausa means ‘the land of freedom and tourism.’ According to history, the State, alongside Adamawa State, were the major sources of freedom and tourism for the then Fulani Empire of Sokoto.

Local Government Areas

One of the major transformations in the State since the time of her creation is the changes in the number of her Local Government Areas. Presently, the State consists of twenty (20) Local Government Areas (LGAs), and they are:

• Bauchi
• Tafawa Balewa
• Dass
• Toro
• Bogoro
• Ningi
• Warji
• Ganjuwa
• Kirfi
• Alkaleri
•  Darazo
•  Misau
• Giade
•  Shira
• Jama’are
• Katagum
• Itas/Gadau
• Zaki
• Gamawa
•  Damban

Geography

Bauchi State is neighbor to the likes of Kano and Jigawa States (both to the north), Taraba and Plateau States (both to the south), Gombe and Yobe (both to the east) as well as Kaduna (to the west)

Bauchi State is indeed a dynamic state as far as geography is concerned. The northern part of the State is sandy, while the southwestern part is mountainous.

As for rainfall, it ranges between 1,300 millimetres each year in the south and only 700 millimetres each year in the extreme north. Of course, this pattern is not unique to just Bauchi State, but is a popular trend in the West Africa sub-region as a whole.

The Southern region of the State welcomes the Rain earlier before the northern part. In the southern part, it rains very heavily and they lasts longer. But in the other part, the rain comes later – usually around June or July.

Generally, the weather in the southern and the northern parts is not the same. In the southern part of the State, during the early period of the rainy season, it is humidly hot and it lingers up to the Northern part.

In addition to rainfall, it enjoys water from some rivers – including the Gongola and Jama’are rivers.

Population

There are over 50 tribal groups in the State. However, the major ones are:

• Gerawa
• Sayawa
• Jarawa
• Kirfawa
• Turawa Bolewa
• Karekare
• Kanuri
•  Fa’awa
•  Butawa
• Warjawa
• Zulawa
• Boyawa MBadawa
• Hausa
• Fulani

So, they have backgrounds, beliefs, and various other things that form part of the existence of those inhabiting the State.

However, there are various similarities in terms of their cultural practices, festivals, and dressing. There is a high level of ethnic interaction especially in marriage existence amongst the people.

List of Past and Incumbent Governors of Bauchi State

Here a full list of military administrators and civilian governors who have governed Bauchi state since its creation February 3, 1976. The state was created by military regime of Gen. Murtala Muhammed