#18 KADUNA STATE: The 36 States Of Nigeria And Their Meanings

18. KADUNA STATE

In Hausa language, kaduna means crocodiles, in apparent reference to the ones living in the Kaduna River. Simple. Kada is singular for crocodile.

WEBSITE: http://www.kadunastate.gov.ng/

SIZE (LAND AREA): 3RD

  

#17 JIGAWA STATE: The 36 States Of Nigeria And Their Meanings

17. JIGAWA STATE

The state was named after its distinctively golden-coloured soil, Jigawa. Jigawa can also be translated to mean sand or sandy in Hausa. The colour is said to stand for the resilience, strength, determination and endurance that comes with living in the dry Sahel and Savanna, in which the state is located.

  

#16 IMO STATE: The 36 States Of Nigeria And Their Meanings

16. IMO STATE

This wonderful state is named after the Imo River (Imo Mmiri). Its main tributaries are the Otamiri (a very important river in the state too)and the Njaba, Ulasi, Oramirukwa rivers. According to some, there is a deity (alusi) who owns the river (provides water for fishing, transport and agriculture) and there is a festival for the goddess between May and July during which it overflows its banks. Imo Mmiri is also considered a goddess of fertility and is particularly respected in the Ngwa and Mbaise communities. A bridge crosses the Imo River to connect Rivers State and Akwa Ibom. One of the biggest rivers in Igboland, it starts from the Okigwe/Awka uplands and runs for about 240 km before emptying into the Atlantic Ocean.

WEBSITE: http://www.imostate.gov.ng/

  

#15 GOMBE STATE: The 36 States Of Nigeria And Their Meanings

15. GOMBE STATE

Established as emirate during Jihad by Modibbo Buba Yero, a Fulani warrior and student of Uthman Dan Fodio in 1800, the modern-day Gombe State was carved out of Bauchi State. Gombe was known in the 1930s for its groundnuts and for cotton in the 1950s. Today nko? Gombe is mainly populated by Fulanis and the state has been named ‘Gombe’ which is the dialect of Fulani language (Fulfulde)spoken in the area.

  

#14 ENUGU STATE: The 36 States Of Nigeria And Their Meanings

14. ENUGU STATE

Also known as Nigeria’s coal city, Enugu derived its name from two local words enu ugwu which means ‘top of the hill’. Amazingly, that itself is a derivative of the village of Enugu Ngwo, which is located just to the west of the city. Enugu City itself is not on the hill, it is actually at the base of a plateau but the village is situated right on top of the hill. I hope Governor Sullivan Iheanacho Chime will triumphantly conquer the particular hill he is climbing right now.

WEBSITE: http://www.enugustate.gov.ng/

  

#13 EKITI STATE: The 36 States Of Nigeria And Their Meanings

13. EKITI STATE

‘Ekiti’ is a term that is said to denote a settlement of many hills. Hills are common geographical features in Ekitiland and are responsible for the division of Ekitiland into smaller kingdoms and subunits.