Monday, 13 March 2017

Kaduna State: Its people and their Culture

A society can not exist without a culture which is a collective heritage handed down from generation that saves its members from having to re-invent all adaptations; a culture presupposes the existence of a group which gradually creates it, lives it out and communicates it. Although, there is the intellectual aspect of culture, which includes; philosophy, myths, and art forms, important symbols indeed, but they are not the only ones.

Culture in a distinct society can be recognized by the traits which its members share. Our ways of making a living, our language, our religious beliefs, dress, political organization, and all other aspects of life are influenced by our culture. Culture can be seen through materials things for example, furniture in homes, art, and machines but there are also other aspects of culture, such as religious beliefs, family life, and ways of spending leisure, which are not seen so easily. Music and dancing are important aspects of traditional and modern culture in all societies.


Kaduna is the state capital of Kaduna State in north-western Nigeria. On the Kaduna River, is a trade center and a major transportation hub for the surrounding agricultural areas with its rail and road junction. The population of Kaduna was at 760,084 as of the 2006 Nigerian census. Rapid urbanization over the past decade has created an increasingly large population, now estimated to be around 1.3 million. Kaduna's name derives from the Hausa word "kada" for crocodile ("kaduna" being the plural form).

History
It is generally believed that Zaria is one of the seven Hausa States of the early 15th century and among the largest. The other name for Zaria is Zazzau and the inhabitants are called Zage-zage or Zazzagawa.

Tradition has it that the name Zazzau is derived from a famous sword which was honoured in those days by the Zazzagawa and helped to give a kind of ethnic identity years before the recognition of any king by Zaria people.

There were sixty "Habe" (the name given to Hausa people before the Fulani conquest of Hausaland in 1804) rulers (Kings and Queens) who rules Zaria town. The first ruler was called GUNGUMA, and the 22nd was called Bakwa Turunku (it is still not certain whether Bakwa Turunku was a male or a female).

Bakwa Turunku had two daughters and their names were always linked to the history of Zazzau. The older daughter was called Amina, after whom the original wall, which has a length of about 15 kilometres round the city of Zaria is called. Zaria the younger daughter gave her name to the modern emirate and its capital.

Aminna ruled Zaria had was known as a great warrior, her territories stretching as far to Bauchi in the east and extending as far south as the River Niger. She build a walled town wherever she conquered. Tradition also maintains that Queen Amina was nnever married to a fulltime husband all her life. She took a temporary husband where ever she sojourned and had him killed the following morning so that he would never live to narrate his experiences with her. Queen Amina died in Atagara in the present-day Niger State near Bida during one of her campaigns.

According to an oral tradition, Zaria, Queen Amina's sister married a king of Zazzau but later became bored with married life and decided to escape to the north.

Kadunna State provides the meeting point of the earliest histories of Nigeria. It is the home of Nok which gave its name to the oldest culture of Nigeria - the Nok culture

People
The Hausa and some immigrants from the southern states practice Islam and majori ty of the people in the southern LGAs profess Christianity. The major Muslim festivals are the "Sallah" celebrations of "ld-EIfitri" and "ld-EIKabir", while Christmas, New Year and Easter are observed by the Christians.

The children come from the end of September to early July as pupils in Quranic schools or dry season migrant workers ("yan cin rani" in Hausa) and reside mostly in Zaria. Older in migrants, also come into the cities as "Fadama" farmers and market gardening workers ("yan lambu" in Hausa).

Business Opportunities
Kaduna state is blessed with minerals which include clay, serpentine, asbestos, amethyst, kyannite, gold, graphite and siltimanite graphite, which is found in Sabon Birnin Gwari, in the Birnin Gwari local government. This is an important raw material used in the manufacture of pencils, crucibles, electrodes, generator brushes and other sundry parts.

Kaduna is an industrial center of Northern Nigeria, manufacturing products like textiles, machinery, steel, aluminum, petroleum products and bearings. However, the textile industry has been declining because of factory closings due to neglect during military rule and competition with Chinese imports.





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