Jigawa

Jigawa, state, northern Nigeria. It was created from the northeastern half of Kano state in 1991. Jigawa borders the Republic of Niger to the north and the Nigerian states of Yobe to the northeast, Bauchi to the southeast and south, Kano to the southwest, and Katsina to the northwest. The state consists mostly of plains covered by wooded savanna in the south and scrub vegetation in the north. It is drained by the Hadejia River, a seasonal stream that flows northeastward through the state. The state’s major crops include peanuts (groundnuts), sorghum, cotton, cowpeas, millet, and the rice grown in the river valley. The herding of cattle, goats, and sheep is widespread. Most of the state’s inhabitants are Hausa or Fulani. Dutse (the state capital), Gumel, Hadejia, Kazaure, and Birnin Kudu are the chief market centers. Jigawa state is crossed by the main (Lagos-Nguru) railway and by roads that link it to Kano and Bauchi states. Pop. (2006) 4,361,002; (2022 est.) 7,499,100.