News

How 36 Nigerian States Got Their Names

Published

3 days ago

September 20, 2026

Editor

Nigeria’s 36 states have names rooted in different aspects of the country’s history, geography, languages, kingdoms and indigenous communities.

While some states were named after rivers and other geographical features, others derived their names from traditional rulers, ethnic groups, settlements and historical kingdoms.

In this article, Tribune online highlights the original stories behind the names of Nigeria’s 36 states:

Abia
Abia is said to have been formed from the initials of four major areas that made up the state at its creation in 1991: Aba, Bende, Isuikwuato and Afikpo.

Adamawa
Adamawa was named after Modibbo Adama, a Muslim scholar and warrior who established the Fulani emirate that became known as Adamawa in the 19th century.

Akwa Ibom
Akwa Ibom takes its name from the Qua Iboe, also known as the Kwa Iboe River, which flows through the region.

Anambra
The name Anambra is derived from the indigenous name of the Anambra River, known as Omambala or Oma Mbala.

Bauchi
There are different accounts of the origin of the name Bauchi. One explanation links it to the Hausa expression for the southern part of Hausaland. Another account attributes the name to Baushe, a renowned hunter who lived in the area.

Bayelsa
Bayelsa was created from parts of the old Rivers State. Its name was formed from the first parts of the names of three local government areas: Brass, Yenagoa and Sagbama, giving Bayelsa.

Benue
Benue was named after the Benue River. The name is believed to have evolved from the indigenous term “Binuwe,” associated with the idea of the “mother of waters.”

Borno
Borno derives its name from the historical name used for the Kanuri people and their territory in northeastern Nigeria. The region was historically associated with the Kanem-Bornu Empire.

Cross River
Cross River State takes its name from the Cross River, one of the major rivers flowing through the region.

Delta
The name Delta refers to the Niger Delta, where the River Niger divides into several channels before emptying into the Atlantic Ocean.

Ebonyi
Ebonyi is derived from the name of the Aboine River (Ebonyi River), which flows through the southeastern part of Nigeria.

Edo
The name Edo is associated with the Edo or Bini people, the indigenous people historically linked to the ancient Benin Kingdom.

Ekiti
Ekiti is linked to the Yoruba word “Okiti,” which refers to hills or a hilly area. The name reflects the state’s notably hilly terrain.

Enugu
Enugu comes from the Igbo expression “Enu Ugwu,” meaning “top of the hill” or “hilltop.” The name reflects the hilly landscape around the state capital.

Gombe
Gombe takes its name from the Gombe area and is associated with the Fulani language and the historical Gombe Emirate.

Imo
Imo State was named after the Imo River, one of the prominent rivers in southeastern Nigeria.

Jigawa
The name Jigawa is associated with the distinctive landscape and soil characteristics of the area. The state is particularly known for its sandy and reddish-brown soil.

Kaduna
Kaduna is derived from the Hausa word “kada,” meaning crocodile. The plural form, “Kaduna,” is associated with the crocodiles historically found in the Kaduna River.

Kano
One account traces the name Kano to a blacksmith known as Kano from the Gaya area who settled in the region while searching for ironstone.

Katsina
Katsina is the name of an ancient city and kingdom in northern Nigeria. One traditional account connects the name to Katsina, the wife of a local ruler known as Janzama.

Kebbi
Kebbi is the name of the historical region and kingdom in northwestern Nigeria. Some accounts have linked the name to the Kaaba in Mecca, although the origin is subject to different historical interpretations.

Kogi
Kogi is believed to have been derived from the Hausa word “kogin,” meaning “river.” The name reflects the state’s location around the confluence of the Niger and Benue rivers.

Kwara
The name Kwara comes from the traditional name used for the River Niger by communities in the area, particularly the Nupe people.

Lagos
Lagos was named by Portuguese explorers who encountered the area in the 15th century. The name comes from the Portuguese word for “lakes,” reflecting the numerous lagoons and waterways around the settlement.

Nasarawa
Nasarawa comes from the name of the historic Nasarawa Kingdom. The word “Nasarawa” is associated with victory, and the kingdom was founded by Makama Dogo.

Niger
Niger State was named after the River Niger, one of Africa’s major rivers, which flows through the state.

Ogun
Ogun State takes its name from the Ogun River, a major river in southwestern Nigeria.

Ondo
Ondo derives its name from the historic Ondo Kingdom and the Ondo people, who have long inhabited the region.

Osun
Osun State was named after the Osun River, which is significant to the Yoruba people and flows through the southwestern region.

Oyo
Oyo was named after the historic Oyo Empire, one of the most influential Yoruba states in pre-colonial West Africa.

Plateau
Plateau State takes its name from the Jos Plateau, a prominent highland area in the state.

Rivers
Rivers State was named because of the numerous rivers, creeks and other waterways that characterise the region, particularly its location within the Niger Delta.

Sokoto
Sokoto takes its name from the historic Sokoto Caliphate, which became a major Islamic state in West Africa following the jihad led by Usman dan Fodio in the early 19th century.

Taraba
Taraba State was named after the Taraba River, which flows through the state.

Yobe
Yobe State takes its name from the Komadugu Yobe River, also known as the Yobe River, which forms part of the region’s important water system.

Zamfara
Zamfara was named after the historic Zamfara region and the Zamfarawa people, traditionally associated with one of the Hausa groups.
(TRIBUNE)

News

Six Corps Members Receive N10m Grants To Boost Agribusiness

Published

1 day ago

September 22, 2026

Editor

Six members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) have received a total of N10 million in grants to expand their agribusiness ventures under the Farmers for the Future Programme.

The programme was organised on Monday by the British American Tobacco Nigeria Foundation (BATNF) in collaboration with the NYSC to encourage young Nigerians to embrace agriculture and develop sustainable businesses.

Presenting the cheques to the beneficiaries in Abuja, the NYSC Director-General, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, urged Corps members to maximise the opportunities provided by the service year by venturing into commodity marketing and other viable businesses.

Nafiu said agribusiness remained a viable avenue for young people to build sustainable enterprises, create employment and generate wealth.

He also stressed the importance of value addition to the success and sustainability of business ventures, while commending BATNF for placing Nigerian youths at the centre of its entrepreneurship initiatives through value-chain development, employment creation and its partnership with the NYSC.

“I charge you to spread the news around. We have seen the outcome, and it is a good idea,” he said.

The beneficiaries are Dominic Olufemi (FC/25C/1143), who received N3 million; Temitope Adewole (ED/26A/2251), N2 million; Abdulwaheed Bala (ED/25B/1402), N2 million; Olanike Mayungbe (OG/26B/1037), N1 million; Kingsley Udoeyen (KG/26A/1735), N1 million; and Lorember Lorsue (JG/25B/1742), N1 million.

Speaking on the selection process, the Acting Director, Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED), Mrs Winifred Shopeka, said the programme began with an online registration portal through which Corps Members engaged in agribusiness submitted their business plans.

She said nearly 3,000 Corps members applied and underwent a rigorous selection process that produced 20 finalists.

According to her, the finalists participated in a boot camp and a final pitching session, which produced the 10 best presenters before the six ultimate winners were selected.

Shopeka said the beneficiaries had also been mentored and attached to established market operators to assist them in marketing their products.

She added that Corps Members who did not make the final stage of the competition were also trained by BATNF.

The BATNF Team Lead, Mr Oludare Odusanya, congratulated the beneficiaries and urged Corps Members engaged in agribusiness to master the fundamentals and acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed.

“We are happy with our collaboration with the NYSC, and it will continue,” he said.

Odusanya explained that BATNF was an independent organisation established to contribute to poverty reduction in Nigeria through sustainable agricultural practices and other interventions.

He said the Farmers for the Future Programme was instituted in collaboration with the NYSC to encourage Corps Members to venture into agribusiness and become job creators.

He added that the beneficiaries would be attached to mentors who would guide them towards achieving success in their respective businesses.

According to him, the programme has, since its inception, continued to enhance the entrepreneurial capacity of Corps Members.

News

CBN Reduces Interest Rate To 23%

Published

1 day ago

September 22, 2026

Editor

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on Tuesday announced the reduction of the interest rate, also known as Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) to 23 percent.

Briefing the media in Abuja, the Governor of the CBN, Mr. Olayemi Cardoso, said at the 307th MPC meeting held on September 22, 2026 agreed the resetting of the MPR and recaliberation of the monetary policy market.

According to Cardoso, the committe is satisfied with the disinflation progress, adding that members noted stable banking sector following successful recapitalisation.

Meanwhile, according to Nigerian Tribune, reports that that the MPC, at its 306th meeting in July 2026, disclosed its resolution to retain the interets at 26.5 percent.

According to the Governor of the CBN, Olayemi Cardoso, “the Committee’s decision to maintain the current policy stance followed a thorough assessment of the balance of risks. Although headline inflation moderated marginally in June 2026, global uncertainties have heightened, due mainly to the renewed hostilities in the Middle East.

“In view of the evolving developments, maintaining a cautious monetary policy stance remains appropriate. In arriving at its decision, the Committee noted the recent resurgence of hostilities in the Middle East, with particular attention to its spillover effects on global energy prices and the potential pass-through to domestic inflation.”

News

NURTW: KWAM1 Settles Long-time Rift Between MC Oluomo, Tafa Sego

Published

1 day ago

September 22, 2026

Editor

Nigerian Fuji musician, Wasiu Ayinde Marshal, popularly known as KWAM1, has brokered a peace deal between the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) National President, Musiliu Akinsanya, popularly known as MC Oluomo, and the Lagos State Chairman of the union, Mustapha Adekunle, aka Tafa Sego.

The reconciliation took place at Ojusagbola in Ijebu, Ogun State, where several NURTW chieftains gathered for the meeting.

The development was announced on Tuesday on KWAM1’s digital media page on Instagram, alongside photographs from the meeting.

According to the post, the two union leaders have resolved their differences after years of strained relations.

“After years of an age-long rift, MC Oluomo and Tafa Sego have finally settled their differences. And from what we know now, this is final,” the post said.

The musician was said to have intervened as the Mayegun of Yorubaland, with the aim of bringing an end to the longstanding disagreement between the two NURTW figures.

“K1 acted in his role as the Mayegun of Yorubaland by seeking an end to the long-standing rift, once and for all,” it said.

The post also described the meeting as a significant step beyond previous public displays of reconciliation.

“This time, it was not just another handshake for the cameras. The two old friends and colleagues came together at Ojusagbola, with King Wasiu Ayinde Marshal (K1) playing the peacemaker.”

Both MC Oluomo and Tafa Sego were reported to be pleased with the outcome of the intervention.

“Both parties are delighted about the new development,” the post said.

The two men had previously been allies and prominent figures within the Lagos NURTW before their relationship became strained amid disagreements linked to leadership of the union in the state.