Located in the Northeastern part of Nigeria, Bauchi State has a vast fertile soil as an advantage for cattle rearing and other agricultural products such as guinea corn, rice, millet, groundnut and maize. The predominant tribes in the state are Hausa, Fulani, Jarawa, Tangale, Waja, Balewa, Sayawa and Tarewa. The state was formed in 1976 – with its capital as the city of Bauchi – when the former North-Eastern State was broken up.
History
With a population about 5 million according to the 2006 census, Bauchi state has gone through tremendous transformation since it was created. During the colonial era up to independence, it formed part of the Bauchi-Plateau of the then Northern Region, until the 1967 state creation exercise, when the Bauchi, Borno, and Adamawa provinces constituted the former North-Eastern State.
With the creation of Bauchi state in 1976, then comprising present Bauchi and Gombe states, it included 16 Local Government Areas. The number of Local Government Areas in the then Bauchi state was increased to 20 and later to 23. However, in 1997 when Gombe state was created out of Bauchi and additional local governments were created in the country, Bauchi state was left with 20 Local Government Areas as shown below.
People and culture
Bauchi state has a total of 55 tribal groups in which include Hausa, Fulani, Gerawa, Sayawa, Jarawa, Bolewa, Karekare, Kanuri, Fa’awa, Butawa, Warjawa, Zulawa, and Badawa as the main tribes.
There are cultural similarities in the people’s language, occupational practices, festivals, dress and there is a high degree of ethnic interaction especially in marriage and economic existence.
The people of Bauchi State are known for their traditional wrestling and boxing dexterity, which attracts participants even from neighbouring countries of Niger, Chad and Cameroon. The traditional wrestling is known as Kokowa while the traditional boxing is called Dambe.
Aside these festivals, the state also holds the Bauchi State Festival of Arts and Culture (BAFEST). This annual event is held among Local governments. It includes a display of various traditions of the people of the state in the fields of traditional dances, music, arts, crafts, and fashion designs, as well as inventions and innovations.
Bauchi state is known for its arts and crafts which include beautiful embroidered caps and gowns (known as babbanriga), fibre craft, and decorated calabashes. It is also very versatile in the production of metal works (such as weaponry), agricultural tools, pottery, and leather works. The leather works include the production of sitting poufs, bags, footwaers, footballs.
Mat weaving is also a common craft in several Local Government Areas like Zaki, Ningi, Misau, etc. The outstanding festivals include Durbar whose main feature is horse racing. The durbar features the parade of horses from the Eid-prayer ground to the palace of the traditional rulers where the horse-racing and other display of horse manship takes place.
Other festivals are the Kyaro war dance performed by the Warji ethnic groups, Afizere dance a traditional dance of the Jarawa people of Toro Local Government, Takai dance which is popular among the Hausa-Fulanis, Ngat-al-Bajar dance popular among the people of Dass Local Government, Lawurba dance peculiar to Sayawa people of Tafawa Balewa and Bogoro Local Governments, and Amanya, a naming ceremony festival among the Badawa people in Zaki Local Government.
Public Notice:
Due to the recent violent attacks in Bauchi and some other part of northern Nigeria cities/towns, visitors are advised not to travel up north for safety purpose. Please wait until you are told to do so by the Nigerian security agency.
[tab: Geography] Bauchi State is located between latitudes 9° 3′ and 12° 3′ north of the equator with a total land area of 49,119 km² representing about 5.3% of Nigeria’s total land mass. The state is bordered by seven states; namely Kano and Jigawa to the north, Taraba and Plateau to the south, Gombe and Yobe to the east and Kaduna to the west.
Bauchi state has two distinctive vegetation zones, namely, the Sudan Savannah and the Sahel Savannah. Sudan savannah vegetation covers the southern part of Bauchi state where the vegetation gets richer and richer towards the south, especially along water sources or rivers, but generally the vegetation is less uniform and grasses are shorter than what grows even farther south, that is, in the forest zone of the middle belt.
Sahel type of the savannah, which is also known as the semi-desert vegetation, becomes manifest from the middle of the state as one moves from the state’s south to its north. This type of vegetation comprises isolated stands of thorny shrubs. On the other hand, the southwestern part of the state is mountainous as a result of the continuation of the Jos Plateau, while the northern part is generally sandy.
[tab:Attractions] Yankari Game ReserveYankari has become the most developed wildlife park in Nigeria with a lot of attractions for visitors with a wide variety of flora fauna. The park is famous for its variety of animals available for viewing around the year, though the animals are better watched between November and May period of the dry season when the animals converge around the Gaji River in the park.Read more here
Wikki Warm Spring
The Wikki Warm Springs is one of the best features of the game reserves. It is crystal-clear, disease free and naturally warm. For many individuals, the Wikki Springs with white sand resting at the bottom, is the main reason for visiting the Yankari. Flood-lit at night, it’s wonderful after a hot day’s game-viewing to relax in the warm water. Read more here
Iron Smelting
The shau shau iron smelting works has about 60 standing shaft furnaces, which are believed to be the largest historical industrial complex of its time in the West Africa Sub-region.
Marshall Caves
59 dwelling caves dug into sandstone escarpments, which were discovered by P.J. Marshall in 1980. There are rock paintings and engravings in zig-zag form and in straight lines.
Tunga Dutse
A rock with more elaborate engravings than the Marshall caves. Legible writings cover an area on the sandstone rock embankment of about 4m in length in Dwall River. The writings are legible. However, their age and meanings have not been determined.
Sumu Wildlife
Park in Ganjuwa Local Government. Other places of interest that abound in the state are the palaces in the six emirates.
Kalban Hill
A flat topped hill gives tourists a complete view of the park.
Kariyo Hill
Located near the Marshal caves is a beautiful picnic ground.
Paliyaram Hill
A popular camp for poachers, located 10 km from Wikki.
The Tonlong Gorge
A scenic gorge with associated hills, buttes and escarpments located in the west of the park.
Dukkey Wells
139 wells with interconnecting shafts representing an elaborate water storage system.
Other places of interest:
Panshanu Stone Heaps (Kwandon Kaya) in Toro Local Government,
Lame/Burra Game Reserve,
First Mining Beacon in Nigeria located at Tilden Fulani in Toro Local Government
Babban Gwani at Kafin Madaki in Ganjuwa Local Government
Shadawanka Rock Paintings located in Bauchi Local Government
Geji Rock Paintings located in Toro Local Government
Shira Rock Paintings (Dutsen Damisa) located in Shira Local Government
Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa’s Tomb Monument (Tomb of Nigeria’s first Prime Minister)
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[tab: Hotels] Protea Hotel Bauchi VIP SuitesProtea Hotel Bauchi VIP Suites has 12 identical, luxurious, double storey suites. Each suite comprises of a downstairs open-plan kitchen/lounge area and a guest bathroom. Upstairs is a spacious bedroom with a king size bed and en suite bathroom. All suites have front and back entrances and are fully air conditioned. Contact: Yakubu Bauchi Road, Bauchi.
Tel: +234 077 541 760
Zaranda Hotel
Zaranda Hotel has many spacious rooms offering comfort to all guests. Their rooms are all equipped with air conditioning for those hot summer days, satellite television, laundry service etc
Awalah Hotel Ltd
A multi-million naira hotel located in Bauchi state. They offer hospitality services. The maintenance of their computers and supply of stationeries and consumables are all under our service. Contact: Maiduguri Road, P.O. Box 552, Bauchi,
Tel: +234 77-42377, 42344, 42851
Horizontal Hotel
Horizontal Hotel offers peace of mind, spacious garden and beautiful surrounding views. The hotel guests can enjoy profound security and as well, the hotel’s many amenities and facilities. Contact: Yandoka Road, P.O. Box 52, Bauchi. Tel: +234 77-42177
State Hotels
Contact: Tafawa Balewa Road, P.M.B. 12, Bauchi. Tel: +234 77-42156, 42580
Plaza Hotel
Contact: Murtala Muhammed Way, Baya Gari, Bauchi. Tel: 077-43208
Yankari National Park Lodges
Contact: Wikki Camp, Yankari, Bauchi. Tel: +234 77-43674
Zaranda Hotel
Contact: Jos Road, Bauchi. Tel: +234 77-5435902
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