About Kwara State

Kwara State was created on 27th May 1967 when the Federal Military Government of General Yakubu Gowon broke the four regions that then constituted the Federation of Nigeria into 12 states. At its creation, the state was made up of the former Ilorin and Kabba provinces of the then Northern Region and was initially named the West Central State but later changed to “Kwara”, a local name for the River Niger. The capital of the State is Ilorin, which lies 306km northeast of Lagos and 500km southwest of Abuja. Kwara State has since 1976 reduced considerably in size as a result of further state creation exercises in Nigeria. On February 13, 1976, the Idah/Dekina part of the state was carved out and merged with a part of the then Benue/Plateau State to form Benue State. On August 27, 1991, five local government areas, namely Oyi, Yagba, Okene, Okehi and Kogi were also excised to form part of a new state called Kogi, while a sixth, Borgu Local Government Area, was merged with Niger State. Land Area Kwara State has a land area of about 32,500 square kilometers. Capital: Ilorin Local Government Areas There are sixteen Local Government Areas in the State. They are: Asa, Baruteen, Edu, Ekiti, Ifelodun, Ilorin-East, Ilorin-South, Ilorin-West, Irepodun, Isin, Kaiama, Moro, Offa, Oke-Ero, Oyun, Patigi. More on Local Government. Population Kwara State has a population of over 1.5 million made up of four main ethnic groups namely, Yoruba, Nupe, Fulani and Baruba. Location Kwara State is bounded in the North by Niger State, in the South by Osun and Ondo States, in the East by Kogi State and in the West by Oyo State. It has an International Boundary with Benin Republic in Baruteen Local Government Area along the Northwestern part of the State. Climate There are two main climate sessions; the dry and wet seasons with an intervening cold and dry harmattan period usually experienced from December to January. Vegetation The natural vegetation consists broadly of rain forest and wooded Savannah. The landforms consist of undulating hills, valleys and plains traversed by the Niger River and its tributaries. Rainfall The annual rainfall ranges from 1,000 - 1,500mm, while maximum average temperature ranges between 300C and 350C. With this climatic pattern and size-able expanse of arable and rich fertile soils, the vegetation, which is mainly the wooded Savannah is well suited for the cultivation of a wide variety of food crops like yams, cassava, maize, beans, rice, sugarcane, fruits, vegetables, etc. In Kaiama and Baruteen Local Government Areas in particular, the climate and vegetation are well suited for the rearing of livestock. The mainstay of the economy is agriculture. Religion The principal religions are Islam, Christianity and traditional religions.