The state is usually referred to as Katsina State to distinguish it from the city of Katsina – which is her capital. The State was carved out of old Kaduna State and currently has a population that is above 6 million inhabitants.
Quick fact about Katsina State
Date of creation: 23rd of September 1987
Geopolitical zone: North-West zone
Slogan: Home of Hospitality
Aminu Bello Masari is the current governor of the State, a member of the All Progressives Congress, alongside his deputy Mannir Yakubu.
Demography
Although there are various ethnic groups in Katsina State, the Hausa people are the predominant group in the State.
Religion
Many of the inhabitants of Katsina are muslims, but there are also a reasonable number of Christians living in the State too. For instance, the Church of Nigeria has a Diocese of Katsina. Other Pentecostal churches such as The Redeemed Christian Church of God can also be found there.
Local Government Areas in Katsina State
There are 34 Local Government Areas in Katsina State, and they are:
- Bakori
- Batagarawa
- Batsari
- Baure
- Bindawa
- Charanchi
- Dan Musa
- Dandume
- Danja
- Daura
- Dutsi
- Dutsin-Ma
- Faskari
- Funtua
- Ingawa
- Jibia
- Kafur
- Kaita
- Kankara
- Kankia
- Katsina
- Kurfi
- Kusada
- Mai’Adua
- Malumfashi
- Mani
- Mashi
- Matazu
- Musawa
- Rimi
- Sabuwa
- Safana
- Sandamu
- Zango
Education
There are various educational institutions in Katsina State, some of them are:
- Federal College of Education, Katsina
- Hassan Usman Katsina Polytechnic, Katsina
- Federal University of Agriculture, Dutsin-Ma
- Katsina State University, which was renamed after the late President, Umaru Musa Yar’adua University
- AlQalam University Katsina
- Yusufu Bala Usman College of Legal, and General Studies, Daura and the
- School of Basic and Remedial Studies, Funtua (SBRS/ABU Funtua) and
- Isa Kaita College of Education Dutsin-Ma, located at Dutsin-ma town.
Notable People From Katsina State
Katsina had produced some popular individuals, including:
- Mohammed Bello. A former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court
- Muhammadu Buhari. A Military Head of State 1983–1985, Chairman PTF and President of Nigeria since May 29, 2015
- Ibrahim Coomassie. An Inspector General of Police 1993–1999
- Ummarun Dallaje. The 39th Islamic Leader of Katsina, the first Fulani emir, as well as the patriarch of the Dallazawa dynasty.
- Muhammadu Dikko. Emir of Katsina 1906–1944.
- Shehu Musa Yar’Adua. A politician, major general and Military Vice President 1976–1979
- Sani Ahmed Daura. A Lagos State commissioner of police 1990, and first Governor of Yobe State 1991–1992
- Lawal Musa Daura. The Director-General of the Nigerian State Security Service
- Habu Daura. A Commissioner of Police and he was the acting Administrator of Bayelsa State, from February to June 1997
- Umaru Musa Yar’Adua. The Governor of the State 1999–2007, and President of Nigeria 2007–2010
- Tajudeen Abdul-Raheem. Pan-Africanist, Oxford Rhodes Scholar and Former Deputy Director of United Nations Millennium Campaign for Africa 1961–2009
- Hamza Rafindadi Zayyad. A former head of the Technical Committee on Privatization and Commercialization
- Abdulmuminu Kabir Usman. Emir of Katsina
- Isa Kaita. The first northern Nigeria minister of education and speaker of the house of parliament
- Hassan Usman Katsina. A Military governor of the northern region 1966–1967.
- Sani Zangon Daura. The Federal Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development 1999–2000, Federal Minister of Environment 2000 – 2001
- Mohammed Tukur Liman. A former majority leader of the Nigerian Senate.
- Mamman Shata. A popular Hausa griot/musician
- Aminu Bello Masari. A former speaker house of representatives 2003 to 2007 and current Governor of the State
- Mahmud Kanti Bello. A Former Chief Whip of the Senate
- Muhammadu Dikko Yusufu. An Inspector General of Police from 1975 to 1979
- Abba Musa Rimi. The Governor of Kaduna State 1980–1983
- Ibrahim Shema. The Governor of Katsina State 2007–2015
- Lawal Kaita. The Governor of Kaduna State 1983
Governors of Katsina State from 1987 Till Date
| Governor | Years in Office | Political Platform |
| Abdullahi Sarki Mukhtar | 1987 to July 1988 | Mukhtar was the first military administrator of Katsina upon creation in 1987 by Ibrahim Babangida |
| Lawrence Onoja | July 1988 to December 1989 | Military administrator |
| John Madaki | December 1989 to January 1992 | Military administrator |
| Saidu Barda | January 1992 to November 1993 | Saidu Barda was the first civilian governor of Katsina in the aborted third republic |
| Emmanuel Acholonu | December 1993 to August 1996 | Military administrator |
| Samaila Bature Chamah | August 1996 to August 1998 | Military administrator |
| Joseph Akaagerger | August 1998 to May 29, 1999 | Military administrator |
| Umaru Musa Yar’Adua | May 29, 1999, to May 29, 2007 | Second civilian governor of Katsina, he later became Nigeria’s president. He was a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) till his death in May 2010 |
| Ibrahim Shema | May 29, 2007 to May 29, 2015 | PDP |
| Aminu Bello Masari | 29 May 2015 till date | Masari was a former speaker of House of Representatives. He first won election as Katsina governor under the platform of Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), now defunct. And in 2019 he contested under All Progressive Change (APC) and won again a second term |
