Adamawa State

Adamawa is one of the largest states of Nigeria and occupies about 36,917 square kilometers.[13] It is bordered by the states of Borno to the northwest, Gombe to the west and Taraba to the southwest. Its eastern border forms the national eastern border with Cameroon.[14][15]

Topographically, it is a mountainous land crossed by the large river valleys – Benue, Gongola and Yedsarem. The valleys of the Mount Cameroon, Mandara Mountains[16] and Adamawa Plateau form part of the landscape.

Climate Change

Global warming has had a negative impact on climate and weather patterns as is visible here with the River Gongola flooding some households and farmlands in Yola.

A study conducted on climate in 2012 in Nigeria's Adamawa state revealed monthly mean temperature rise in Gyawana, Yola, and Mubi, while annual rainfall declined. Delays in rainfall and reduced length of fall were observed in these areas.[17][18]

Contrarily, in recent times, the humidity and temperature of Adamawa state, especially during the dry season, begins in November, which is usually very hot. The harmattan period is experienced between December and February every year.[15]

In recent years, climate change in Adamawa state has begun to be more evident. Tropical wet and dry weather prevails in Adamawa State. The wet season lasts from April to October, whereas the dry season lasts for at least five months (November to March) yearly. An upsurge in rainfall in September in recent years is usually accompanied by floods.[19] According to Dr. Sulieman Muhammad, the Executive Secretary of the Adamawa State Emergency Management Agency (ADSEMA), 25 people died in September 2022 due to floods brought on by both the overflow of water from the Lagdo Dam in Cameroon and severe rainfall.[20]

In October 2022, additional flood claimed 37 lives and submerged 89,000 thousand hectares of farmlands with 58 others sustaining various degrees of injuries.[3]

Mandara Mountains from Yola

Adamawa has vast arable land for agriculture, waterfalls and landscape, and solid minerals like limestone, tantalite and kaoline. The GDP of the state is estimated to be ₦2.66 trillion. It has the 18th largest economy among the 36 states of Nigeria and the largest in the North-East region. The total revenue of the state experienced a growth of 9.93% from around ₦700.602 billion in 2020 to ₦777.62 billion in 2021. However, the state heavily depends on federally distributed revenues, with 77.52% of its total revenue being Gross FAAC in 2021.[21] Adamawa had an IGR of ₦8.65 billion in 2021. The state imported $25.02 million worth of goods between 2019 and 2021. It has a debt stock of ₦132.68 billion as of December 2021, ranking the 19th most indebted state in Nigeria and 2nd most indebted in the North-East.[21]

The Dangote group operates a sugar production factory in Numan which has a sugar refining capacity of 3,000 tonnes of cane per day. The company announced plans to expand to factory to a capacity of 6,000tcd, 9,800tcd and to 15,000 tcd. They also plan to increase the size of the factory from 8,700 hectares in 2022 to about 24,200 hectares within seven years.[22]

The markets found in state are incredibly important to its economic activity and to its inhabitants. These markets, especially its cattle markets, enhanced the development of economic activities in the state, cash crops like groundnut and beans are grown and crops like rice, maize and sorghum are grown as food crops. Around River Yedseram and its tributaries, vegetable gardening in dry season is practiced. Fishing is also very popular in the riverine areas. The breeds of cattle found in Adamawa are; Adamawa Gudali, Sokoto Gudali, White Fulani, Ambala, Red Sokoto and Red Fulani.[23] The state has around 1.5 million cattle and 64 grazing reserves of which 30 are gazetted.[24][25]

Adamawa state has a thriving livestock industry especially cattle-rearing. It has 2.5million heads of cattle produced in Nigeria. Traders come from all over the country and West Africa to buy and sell cattle in its markets such as the Mubi International cattle market in Mubi South. Despite the state's high level of cattle production, the markets are poorly developed with essential services like meat processing. Meaning, live animals have to be transported in trucks for 4 days before they reach cities with high demand in regions like the South-West, South-South or South-East Nigeria.[23]

The development of many communities in the state can be traced to the colonial era when the Germans ruled a swath of territory known as the Northern and Southern Kameruns from Dikwa in the North to Victoria (Limbe) on the Atlantic coast in the 19th century. These were, however, handed over as United Nations Trust Territories to the British at the end of the World War I with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles. After a series of referendums, the Northern Kameruns joined Nigeria to form the then Sardauna Province, and the Southern Kameruns formed a Confederation with French speaking Cameroon.[26][27]

• Kaoline
• Bentonite
• Magnesite
• Gypsum

Source:[28]

Federal Highways are:

• A4 north from Taraba State at Mayo Lane via Numan and Shellen to Borno State at Mada,
• A8 Numan Rd east from A4 at Numan 61 km to A13 at Yola Airport, and
• A13 north from A8 at Jimeta across the Benue River via Song, Wuro Hesso, Marraraba, Mubi, Amjawa, Gulak and Mararaba to Borno State near Wagga Lugere.

Other major roads include

• the Gombe-Yola Rd northwest from A4 at Ngbalang via Giwano, Boskeri and Lafia to Gombe State at Yolde,
• the Bambuka-Lafia Rd east from Taraba State near Sarkin Baka and northeast via Lamurde,
• the Visik-Marraraba-Sangere-Manga Rd north from Marraraba to Borno State at Hildi Hills,
• northeast from A13 at Jiberu via Yolde to Belel,
• the Mubi-Maiha-Bungel Rd north from Belel to A13 at Mubi,
• the Ngurore-Ganye Rd south from Wuro Yanka to Mayo Belwa, and
• the Zaridi-Mayo Belwa Rd west to Taraba State at Bisa [Google Maps].

Five roads to Cameroon:

• south from Mayo Belwa via Jada and Tungo at Kontcha,
• at Kojoli to Poli via Tchamba,
• east from Jimeta at Touruoa to Ngong,
• east from Belel via Demsa to Gaschiga on P1 north of Garoua, and
• from Mubi to Boukoula [Google Maps].

Airports:

Yola International near Jimeta.

Adamawa is a Muslim majority state in Nigeria, with a substantial Christian population.[29] Historically, Adamawa is home to the major happenings of the Islamic Jihad, led by the Sokoto Caliphate in the early 1800s. Till today, the state of Adamawa is led traditionally by an Emir also known as Lamido, who is a descendant of the Islamic kings who conquered and ruled the area, prior to the amalgamation of Nigeria. Atiku Abubakar serves as the Waziri (Vizier) to the King of Adamawa. Adamawa is also home to the headquarters of two indigenous churches, the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria (EYN Church) with its headquarters in Mubi in the northern zone of the state, and the Lutheran Church of Christ in Nigeria (LCCN Church) with headquarters in Numan in the southern zone of the state.[30] The Church of the Brethren in Nigeria (EYN church) was founded in Garkida Gombi Local Government of the state in March 1923 by American missionaries.[31] The Lutheran Church of Christ in Nigeria (LCCN Church) was founded in Numan by Dutch missionaries in 1913.[32] 4.5% Catholic with 192,767 followers (2020) in the Diocese of Yola (1950) with 39 parishes under Bishop Stephen Dami Mamza (2011) . The Anglican Diocese of Yola (1990) with 39 parishes is led by Bisho Markus Ibrahim (2020), also the Archbishop of the Province of Jos Anglican Diocese of Yola.

Illustration by Edmund D. Morel titled "A Hausa from Yola" (1902)

Before it became a state in Nigeria, Adamawa was a subordinate kingdom of the Sultanate of Sokoto, which also included much of northern Cameroon. The rulers bear the title of emir ("lamido" in the local language, Fulfulde).[33]

The name "Adamawa" came from the founder of the kingdom, Modibo Adama, a regional leader of the Fulani Jihad organized by Usman dan Fodio of Sokoto in 1804. Modibo Adama came from the region of Gurin (now just a small village) and in 1806, received a green flag for leading the jihad in his native country. In the following years, Adama conquered many lands and tribes. In 1838, he moved his capital to Ribadu, and in 1839, to Joboliwo. In 1841, he founded Yola, where he died in 1848. After the European colonization (first by Germany and then by Britain), the rulers remained as emirs and the line of succession has continued to the present day.

Dancers of Adamawa state in their cultural adornment

A measles outbreak was reported in an internally displaced persons camp, in January 2015.[34]

Adamawa State University in Mubi

Library in the American University of Nigeria

Tertiary institutions in Adamawa state include:

• Adamawa State Polytechnic, Yola[39]
• Adamawa State University[40]
• American University of Nigeria, Yola[41]
• Federal College of Education, Yola[42]
• Federal Polytechnic, Mubi[43]
• Modibbo Adama University, Yola[44]

Adamawa state has many healthcare sectors that are of different levels, these levels are federal, state and local(grassroot) levels, these include:[45]

Gashaka-Gumti National Park

The Three Sisters rock in Song, Adamawa State

Sukur World Heritage site

• Sukur World Heritage Site in Madagali
• Mandara Mountains at Nigeria-Cameroon border in Maiha
• Kiri Dam in Shelleng
• Ruwan Zafi Spring in Lamurde
• Lamido Muhammadu Barkindo's Palace in Yola
• Mambilla Plateau at the Adamawa-Taraba border in Toungo
• Gashaka Gumti National Park in Toungo
• Shebshi Mountains and Mount Dimlang at the Adamawa-Taraba border in Ganye
• Kamale Mountain Peak in Michika
• Three Sisters Rock in Song
• Sassa Waterfalls in Sassa Village, Toungo
• Yadim Waterfalls in Yadim Village, Fufore
• Fombina Palace Museum in Yola
• The confluence of Rivers Benue and Gongola in Numan Uba under Mubi (Valanyi)

Adamawa State consists of twenty-one Local Government Areas (LGAs):

Adamawa state is home to many langugages due to the state's ethnic diversity. Inter-ethnic communication is mostly done using Fulfulde, Hausa or English. Many of the state's languages are at danger of extinction due to economic, social, political, religious, and contextual factors. Less and less people are using their ethnic languages in homes.[47]

Languages of Adamawa State listed by LGA:[48]

The Governor of Adamawa State is the Executive, the State Legislature, Adamawa State House of Assembly, is located in Yola, the state capital.

The electoral system of each state is selected using a modified two-round system. To be elected in the first round, a candidate must receive the plurality of the vote and over 25% of the vote in at least two -third of the State local government Areas. If no candidate passes threshold, a second round will be held between the top candidate and the next candidate to have received a plurality of votes in the highest number of local government areas.[49]

• Atiku Abubakar[50]
• Iya Abubakar[51]
• Jibril Aminu[52]
• Alex Badeh[53]
• Mohammed Bello
• Aisha Buhari[54]
• Done P. Dabale
• Aisha Dahiru Binani
• Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri[55]
• Binta Masi Garba[56]
• Boni Haruna[57]
• Bindo Jibrilla
• Muhammadu Gambo Jimeta[58]
• Aliyu Kama
• Babachir David Lawal[59]
• Tahir Mamman[60][61]
• Buba Marwa[62][63][64]
• Abubakar Saleh Michika[65][66]
• Boss Mustapha[67]
• Murtala Nyako[68]
• Bamanga Tukur[69][70]
• Mahmud Tukur
• Mohammed Sanusi Barkindo
• Nuhu Ribadu
• Ibrahim Lamorde
• Ahmed Joda
• Mahmud Modibbo Tukur

On Saturday, 7 October 2023 The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) gave a caution over the danger of fast flooding along the Stream Niger and Stream Benue Bowl, attributable to the arrival of water from the Lagdo Dam in the Republic of Cameroon, requiring the prompt actuation of a crisis reaction plan in the accompanying states: Adamawa, Benue, Taraba, Nasarawa, Kogi, Anambra, Edo, Delta, Streams, and Bayelsa.

In Adamawa State, water levels began ascending on Thursday, October 5 October 2023, prompting extreme flooding that caused huge framework harm, including streets, cover offices, wellbeing offices, IDP destinations, schools, and other local area offices across 14 out of 21 LGAs in Adamawa State.

As per the most recent Adamawa State Emergency Management Agency (ADSEMA) report, the floods have caused an enormous scope dislodging of in excess of 8,504 families (51,043 people), most of whom are ladies, youngsters, and the old, presently living in 11 transitory settlements across Yola South, Yola North, Lamude, Madagali, and Demsa LGAs. 33 losses were accounted for.

The genuine size of the calamity is as yet unusual, as the circumstance is still intently being checked. The flood exacerbated philanthropic necessities, with people, principally ladies and youngsters, being presented to undignified everyday environments and snoozing open or swarmed spaces, presenting them to security and wellbeing gambles[71]

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