F.C.T,36 STATES AND THE DERIVED MEANING OF THEIR NAMES.

1. ABIA:

The word “Abia” is an acronym derived from the name of the four main groups of people in the state as at the time it was formed in 1991: Aba,Bende,Isuikwuato, Afikpo

SLOGAN-GODS OWN STATE

CAPITAL - Umuahia

2. 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.

SLOGAN- LAND OF BEAUTY, SUNSHINE AND HOSPITALITY

CAPITAL- YOLA

3. AKWA–IBOM:

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

SLOGAN- LAND OF PROMISE

CAPITAL - Uyo

4. ANAMBARA:

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

SLOGAN-HOME FOR ALL

CAPITAL - Awka

5. BAUCHI:

There are three versions of how Bauchi got its name. One version says ‘Bauchi’ is Hausa word meaning the southern planks of Hausa land. Tribes living in the southern parts of the Hausa land were referred to as “kasashen bauchi” and the area they lived in later came to be known simply as Bauchi. 

According to the second version the state was named for Baushe, a famous hunter who settled there before the 19th century while the third states that ‘bauchi’ is Hausa word for slavery since it was a centre for slave raiders.

SLOGAN-PEARL OF TOURISM

CAPITAL - Bauchi

6. BAYELSA:

Bayelsa was formed as a result of the clamour from the three LGAs in old River (Brass LGA known as BALGA, Yenegoa LGA known as YELGA and Sagbama LGA – SALGA).

The name came about from the combination of their

acronymns. BA+YEL+SA = BAYELSA.

SLOGAN- THE GLORY OF ALL LANDS

CAPITAL- Yenagoa

7. BENUE:

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

SLOGAN- FOOD BASKET OF THE NATION

CAPITAL- Makurdi

8. BORNO:

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

SLOGAN – HOME OF PEACE

CAPITAL- Borno

9. CROSS RIVER:

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

SLOGAN – THE PEOPLE’S PARADISE

CAPITAL- Calabar

10. DELTA:

It was named from the delta of the River Niger which formed as it enters the Atlantic Ocean.

SLOGAN – THE BIG HEART

CAPITAL - Asaba

11. EBONYI:

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

SLOGAN- SALT OF THE NATION

CAPITAL- Abakaliki

12. EDO:

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

SLOGAN- THE HEARTBEAT

CAPITAL- Benin

13. EKITI:

‘Ekiti’ is a term that is said to denote a settlement of many hills “Okiti”

SLOGAN- FOUNTAIN OF KNOWLEDGE

CAPITAL – Ado-ekiti

14. ENUGU:

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

SLOGAN-COAL CITY STATE

CAPITAL- Enugu

15. GOMBE:

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

SLOGAN- JEWEL IN THE SAVANNAH

CAPITAL- Gombe

16. IMO:

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

SLOGAN – LAND OF HOPE

CAPITAL- Owerri

17. JIGAWA:

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

SLOGAN – THE NEW WORLD

CAPITAL- Dutse

18. KADUNA:

The state after the crocodiles in Kaduna River. Kadunas is Hausa plural word for crocodiles.

SLOGAN – LIBERAL STATE

CAPITAL- Kaduna

19. KANO:

The state was named after a blacksmith of the Gaya tribe

who settled in the area while sourcing for iron stone. His name was Kano.

SLOGAN – CENTRE OF COMMERCE

CAPITAL - Kano

20. KATSINA:

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

SLOGAN- STATE OF HOSPITALITY

CAPITAL- Katsina

21. KEBBI:

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

SLOGAN- LAND OF EQUITY

CAPITAL- Birni-kebbi

22. KOGI:

The name Kogi was said to have be derived from ‘kogin’, hausa 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.

SLOGAN- THE CONFLUENCE STATE

CAPITAL - Lokoja

23. KWARA:

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

SLOGAN- THE PLACE OF HARMONY

CAPITAL -Ilorin

25. LAGOS:

The name is a Portuguese word for lakes. The Portuguese were the first set of Europeans to reach Lagos in 1472. The name was inspired by the lagoons and rivers in Lagos.

SLOGAN- THE CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE

CAPITAL- Ikeja

26. NASARAWA:

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

Nasarawa means Victorious.

SLOGAN-THE HOME OF SOLID MINERALS

CAPITAL - Lafia

27. NIGER:

Named after the popular River Niger.

SLOGAN- THE POWER STATE

CAPITAL- Minna

28. OGUN:

Named after the Ogun River.

SLOGAN- THE GATEWAY STATE

CAPITAL- Abeokuta

28. ONDO:

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

SLOGAN- THE SUNSHINE STATE

CAPITAL - Akure

29. OSUN:

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

SLOGAN- STATE OF THE LIVING SPRING

CAPITAL - Osogbo

30. OYO:

It was named after the Old Oyo empire.

SLOGAN – THE PACE SETTER

CAPITAL - Ibadan

31. PLATEAU:

The state was named for the Jos Plateau.

SLOGAN- HOME OF PEACE AND TOURISM

CAPITAL - Jos

32. RIVERS:

A state with many water bodies, Rivers State was named for

many of the rivers present in the area.

SLOGAN – TREASURE BASE OF THE NATION

CAPITAL – Port harcourt

33. SOKOTO:

Named after the defunct Sokoto Caliphate. Sokoto is the anglicized version of the Arabic word ‘suk’ which means ‘market’ or ‘place of commerce’. Or “assukuut” which means “silence” in Arabic.

SLOGAN- SEAT OF THE CALIPHATE

CAPITAL- Sokoto

34. TARABA:

The state was named after the Taraba River.

SLOGAN – NATURES GIFT TO THE NATION

CAPITAL- Jalingo

35. YOBE:

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

SLOGAN- THE YOUNG SHALL GROW

CAPITAL- Damaturu

36. ZAMFARA:

Zamfarawa is one of the sub dialects of Eastern Hausa linguistic group and that is where the name came from zan- fara noma

SLOGAN – HOME OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS

CAPITAL-Gusau

FCT

Abuja was named after the ancient ruler and his complexion. The full name of the king was Abubakar; Abu was his nickname. By some accounts his fair complexion earned him the nickname “Ja” which means “red” or “fair-skinned” in Hausa. He became known as “Abu-Ja”meaning Abu the red” or “Abubakar the fair one “other sources say that the“Ja” is a shortened form of Ishaku Jatau, his father’s name. King Abubakar founded the kingdom of Abuja.

SLOGAN- CENTRE OF UNITY

CAPITAL- Abuja