Niger State

Niger State
—  State  —
Gurara Falls, a waterfall along the Gurara River in Niger State
Nickname(s): The Power State
Location of Niger State in Nigeria
Coordinates: 10°00′N 6°00′E / 10°N 6°E / 10; 6Coordinates: 10°00′N 6°00′E / 10°N 6°E / 10; 6
Country	Nigeria
Date created	3 February 1976
Capital	Minna
Government
- Governor (List)	Mu'azu Babangida Aliyu (PDP)
- Senators
- Representatives
Area
- Total	76,363 km2 (29,483.9 sq mi)
Area rank	1st of 36
Population (1991 census)
- Total	2,482,367
- Estimate (2005)	4,082,558
- Rank	18th of 36
- Density	32.5/km2 (84.2/sq mi)
GDP (PPP)
- Year	2007
- Total	$6.00 billion[1]
- Per capita	$1,480[1]
Time zone	WAT (UTC+01)
ISO 3166 code	NG-NI
Website	nigerstate.gov.ng

Not to be confused with Niger.

Niger State is a state in the western part of Nigeria and the largest state in the country. The state capital is Minna, and other major cities are Bida, Kontagora, and Suleja. It was formed in 1976 when the then North-Western State was bifurcated into Niger State and Sokoto State.

The state is named for the River Niger. Two of Nigeria's major hydroelectric power stations, the Kainji Dam and the Shiroro Dam, are located in Niger State; also situated there is Kainji National Park, the largest National Park of Nigeria, which contains Kainji Lake, the Borgu Game Reserve and the Zugurma Game Reserve.^[2]

Government

Like the majority of Nigerian states, it is governed by a Governor and a House of Assembly. Under the administration of Mu'azu Babangida Aliyu on 13 January 2007, the state has adopted sharia law as the code of law, even though the population of the state has been historically evenly divided between Muslims and Christians.

Administrative subdivisions

Niger State is divided into 25 Local Government Areas.

• Agaie
• Agwara
• Bida
• Borgu
• Bosso
• Chanchaga
• Edati
• Gbako
• Gurara
• Katcha
• Kontagora
• Lapai
• Lavun
• Magama
• Mariga
• Mashegu
• Mokwa
• Munya
• Paikoro
• Rafi
• Rijau
• Shiroro
• Suleja
• Tafa
• Wushishi

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "C-GIDD (Canback Global Income Distribution Database)". Canback Dangel. http://www.cgidd.com. Retrieved 2008-08-20. 
2. ^ "Kainji Lake National Park". United Nations Environment Programme: World Conservation Monitoring Centre. http://www.unep-wcmc.org/sites/pa/0302p.htm. Retrieved 2010-10-21. 

External links

• Official portal
• News on Niger State