Katsina state is located in the Northwestern region of Nigeria. It is one of the 36 states in Nigeria. The state was named after the ancient city of Katsina, which was built in the 1300s. Katsina State was created out of old Kaduna State on Wednesday, September 23, 1987, by the then administration of General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida. The state started with 7 Local Government Areas but has since increased to 34, one of the highest in the country. Daura, the historical town and the cradle of Hausa history, is located in Katsina, along with other major towns and cities. Katsina state local governments are mostly populated by Hausas.

Katsina state has borders to Kaduna State to the South, Jigawa and Kano State to the East, Zamfara State to the West and the Niger Republic to the North. The state has so far produced two Presidents, one vice president and many other eminent personalities.

Katsina State Profile

Motto

Center of Hospitality

Population

According to the latest projection by the National Bureau of Statistics, NBS in 2017,  the state has a population of 7,831,319 people.

Landmass

Katsina has 24,192 Km2. The state is the 17^th largest state in terms of Landmass.

Flag of Katsina State

Official Site of Katsina State

Katsina State Website

Present Governor of Katsina State

The present Governor of Katsina state is Rt. Hon Aminu Bello Masari elected under the banner of APC in 2015, together with his Deputy QS Mannir Yakubu. They were reelected in 2019.

Social Media Handles

Facebook: Katsina State Governor (facebook.com)

Twitter:  Katsina State Govt (@KTSGovt) / Twitter

Katsina State Local Government Areas

Katsina state has 34 Local Government Areas and they include;

Local Governments in Katsina and Their Headquarters

S/N	Local Government	Headquarters
1.	Bakori	Bakori
2.	Batagarawa	Batagarawa
3.	Batsari	Batsari
4.	Baure	Baure
5.	Bindawa	Bindawa
6.	Charanchi	Charanchi
7.	Dan Musa	Dan Musa
8.	Dandume	Dandume
9.	Danja	Danja
10.	Daura	Daura
11.	Dutsi	Dutsi
12.	Dutsin-ma	Dutsinma
13.	Faskari	Faskari
14.	Funtua	Funtua
15.	Ingawa	Ingawa
16.	Jibia	Jibia
17.	Kafur	Kafur
18.	Kaita	Kaita
19.	Kankara	Kankara
20.	Kankia	Kankia
21.	Katsina	Katsina
22.	Kurfi	Kurfi
23.	Kusada	Kusada
24.	Mai’adua	Mai’adua
25.	Malunfashi	Malumfashi
26.	Mani	Mani
27.	Mashi	Mashi
28.	Matazu	Matazu
29.	Musawa	Musawa
30.	Rimi	Rimi
31.	Sabuwa	Sabuwa
32.	Safana	Safana
33.	Sandamu	Sandamu
34.	Zango	Zango

Former Governors of Katsina State

Governors	System	Date
Abdullahi Sarki Mukhtar	Military Governor	September 1987- July 1988
Lawrence Onoja	Military Governor	July 1988- December 1989
John Yahaya Madaki	Military Governor	December 1989- Jan 1992
Sa’idu Barda	Civilian Governor (NRC)	Jan 1992- Nov 1993
Emmanuel A. Acholonu	Military Governor	Nov 1993- August 1996
Sama’ila Chamah	Military Governor	August 1996- Aug 1998
Joeseph I. Akaagerger	Military Governor	Aug 1998- May 1999
Umaru Musa Yar’Adua	Civilian Governor (PDP)	May 1999- May 2007
Ibrahim Shehu Shema	Civilian Governor (PDP)	May 2007- May 2015
Aminu Bello Masari	Civilian Governor (APC)	May 2015- May 2023

Major Tribes in Katsina State

1. Fulani Tribe
2. Hausa Tribe

Facts about Katsina State

1. Katsina shares border with Niger Republic, through Jibia Local Government

2. Do you know that Katsina state has produced two Nigerian presidents? This is an achievement shared with Niger and Ogun states which each has 2. Late Umar Musa Yar’adua and Muhammadu Buhari are the two Presidents from Katsina.

3. Daura, the progenitor of Hausa Kingdom, is located in Katsina. Daura is one of the original 7 Hausa states founded by Bayajjida and ruled by his sons. The town is named after the queen of the Kingdom, ‘Daurama’ whom Bayajidda married. Katsina is also among the seven original Hausa states.

4. The famous Gobarau minaret which stood at 50 feet tall (15 meters) was built in the 18^th Century. It is one of the most historical and ancient buildings in Northern Nigeria.

5. Katsina has always been a fountain of knowledge, where scholars gather. One of such scholars, Muhammad Ibn Muhammad Al-Fulani Al-Kishnawi was a prominent 18th great work titled, A Treatise on the Magical Use of the Letters of the Alphabet—which is a mathematical scholarly manuscript of procedures for constructing magic squares up to the order 11. He died in Egypt.

6. Katsina boasts of some powerful and brave warriors, including Danwaire, Gwagware Habu etc.

7. To date, Daura Kingdom is the only emirate that can bestow a traditional title on behalf of all Hausaland.

Tourist Attraction Sites in Katsina State

Katsina state has a lot of interesting tourist attractions, and they include;

1. Gobarau Minaret
2. Katsina Teacher’s College, the oldest college in the North
3. Katsina City Gates, Ganuwar Amina
4. DanMarna cemetry
5. Emirs Palaces in Katsina and Daura
6. Jibia Holiday Resort
7. Mairuwa and Ajiwa Resorts
8. Kusugu Well, Daura
9. National Museum, Katsina
10. Ajiwa Dam
11. Zobe Dam
12. Jibiya Dam
13. Sabke Dam
14. Ajiwa Dam
15. Maska Earth Dam
16. Kankia Dam
17. Jachi Dam

Notable Figures from Katsina State

1. Umaru Musa Yar’adua, Former President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (2007-2010)
2. Abba Musa Rimi, Governor of Kaduna State (1980–1983)
3. Aminu Bello Masari former speaker house of representatives 2003 to 2007 and current Governor of the State (2015-Date)
4. Ibrahim Shema, Governor of Katsina State (2007–2015)
5. Lawal Kaita, Governor of Kaduna State 1983
6. Senator Mahmud Kanti Bello, Former Chief Whip of the Senate
7. Hadi Sirika, Former Senator and Minister of Aviation (2015- Date)
8. Mustafa Bukar, Former Senator
9. Senator Abu Ibrahim, Former Senator and Gubernatorial Aspirant
10. Senator Garba Yakubu Lado Danmarke Former Senator and Two term Gubernatorial Aspirant
11. Alhaji Umar Abdu Tsauri ‘Tata’, Gubernatorial aspirant
12. Bello Mandiya, Senator, 2019- Date
13. Senator Abdullahi Barkiya, Senator 2019-Date
14. Ahmad Babba Kaita, Former House of Representatives Member and Senator (2018-Date)
15. Hamza Zayyad Rafindadi, former head of the Technical Committee on Privatization and Commercialization
16. Major Genral Hassan Katsina, First Military governor of the northern region (1966–1967) and Ciroman Katsina
17. Ibrahim Coomassie, Former Inspector General of Police (1993–1999) Sardaunan Katsina
18. Isa Kaita, first northern Nigeria minister of education and speaker of the house of parliament and Wazirin Katsina
19. Mohammed Bello, former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court
20. Muhammadu Dikko Yusufu Inspector General of Police from 1975 to 1979 and Presidential Aspirant
21. Muhammadu Dikko, Emir of Katsina 1906–1944.
22. Mamman Nasir, Former President Appeal Court and Galadiman Katsina
23. Ibrahim Coomassie, Former Inspector General of Police
24. Sadik Abdullahi Mahuta, former Chief Judge of Katsina State from 1991 to 2013 and the 11th Galadiman Katsina, District Head of Malumfashi.
25. Sani Zangon Daura, Federal Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development 1999–2000, Federal Minister of Environment 2000 – 2001
26. Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, politician, Major general and Military Vice President 1976–1979
27. Tajudeen Abdul-Raheem, Pan-Africanist, Oxford Rhodes Scholar and Former Deputy Director of United Nations Millennium Campaign for Africa 1961–2009
28. Sama’ila Isah Funtua, Businessman, Publisher, Former Minister and Politician
29. Umaru Mutallab, business and banking veteran and also a former Minister of economic development.
30. Ja’afar Mahmud Adam, Salafist Islamic scholar aligned with the Izala Society
31. Ummarun Dallaje was the 39th Islamic Leader of Katsina, the first Fulani emir, as well as the patriarch of the Dallazawa dynasty.
32. Abdulmumini Hassan Rafindadi, Physician and Pioneer  Vice Chancellor, Federal University Lokoja
33. Tajudeen Abdul-Raheem, Famous Pan African and Deputy Director of United Nations Millennium Campaign for Africa
34. Dr Marliya Zayyana, Academician
35. Mamman Shata, a Hausa griot/musician.
36. Bala Abdullahi Funtua, Writer, translated George Orwell’s  Animal Farm
37. Ahmadu Ingawa, Wrote Iliya Dan Maikarfi, a Hausa novel
38. Muhammadu Bello Walin Katsina, Wrote the Popular Hausa novel Gandoki
39. Abdu Boda, Famous Musician
40. Barmani Coge, Famous Singer
41. Dahiru Mangal, Businessman and Philantropist, owner of Max Air

Emirates in Katsina State

Katsina state has two first-class emirates namely the Emirate of Katsina and that of Daura. Along with that, the state has close to 60 district heads.

HRH. Alhaji Faruk Umar Faruk, CON, Emir of Daura (2007-Date)

HRH. Alhaji Abdulmumin Kabir Usman, Emir of Katsina (2008-Date)

Natural Resources in Katsina State

1. Large deposits of Kaolin
2. Asbestos
3. Lead
4. Ore
5. Manganese
6. Mica
7. Gemstones
8. Precious stones
9. Marble
10. Quartz
11. Granite
12. Silica etc.

Ceremonies and Festivals in Katsina State

1. Hawan Sallah

2.  Hawan Idi

3. Eid al-Adha ( Babban Salla)

4. Eid al-Fitri

5. Sallar Gani

6. Jaci Festival in Mani

7. Kalankuwa Festival

8. Tashe Festival

9. Sharo Festival

10. Maulidi ceremony

Tertiary Institutions in Katsina State

1. Al-Qalam University, Katsina (AUK)
2. Federal College of Education (FCE) Katsina
3. Katsina State Institute of Technology & Mgt.
4. Umaru Musa Yar’adua University Katsina (UMYU)
5. Hassan Usman Katsina Polytechnic (HUK), Katsina
6. Usman Danfodio Institute, Katsina
7. School of Basic And Remedial Studies Funtua,
8. Yusuf Bala Usman College of Legal Studies, Daura
9. Federal University, Dutsinma (FUDMA)
10. Isa Kaita College of Education, Dutsinma
11. Federal University of Transportation Daura
12. National Open University (NOUN) Kafur Study Center

List of Major Markets in Katsina State

1. Katsina Central market
2. Kasuwan Charanci
3. Kasuwar Sabon layi
4. Kasuwar tsaitsaye
5. Kasuwar Yar kutungu
6. Kasuwar Danja
7. Central market Funtua