Kwara

Kwara State is one of the 36 states of Nigeria.

Capital
Ilorin

Kwara’s capital, Ilorin, is situated 306km inland from the coastal town of Lagos and 500km from the federal capital, Abuja.

Ilorin

Date created
27th May 1967

Land area
36,825 km

Boundaries
Kwara State shares her boundaries with the Republic of Benin at her West and the Niger River at her North.

Major Languages
Yoruba, Nupe, Hausa , Bokobaru and Fufude.

Major towns
include Ilorin, Offa, and Jebba, located on the Niger River. Other cities include Patigi, Erin-lIe, lIoffa, Adeleke Igbewere, Ejidongari, Osi, Lafiagi, Gure, Afon, Kaiama, Isanlu-lsin, Omu-Aran, Egbejila, lIota, Iponrin, and Igbaja.

History
The history of Kwara state starts with Ilorin as a Yoruba town which was originally used as a military outpost by the Alaafin, paramount ruler of the old Oyo empire (Oyo-Ile).

At at 1750 Ilorin was administered by Afonja, the sixth Are-Ona-Kakanfo (generalissimo) of the Oyo army and successor of Are-Ona Oku of Jabata. Illorin became the capital of a kingdom that was a vassal state of the Oyo empire

In 1900 Ilorin was incorporated into the Protectorate of Northern Nigeria in the amalgamated Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria in 1914, and in the Northern region in 1954

Yakubu Gowon created Kwara state with Ilorin as capital
In 1967 Kwara state was created. The then 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.

Kwara state got rearranged
In 1991, five local government areas, namely Oyi, Yagba, Okene, Okehi and Kogi were also excised to form part of the new Kogi State, while a sixth, Borgu Local Government Area, was merged with Niger State.

Local Government Areas of Kwara state
Asa
Baruteen
Edu
Ekiti
Ifelodun
Ilorin East
Ilorin South
Ilorin West
Irepodun
Isin
Kaiama
Moro
Oke-Ero
Offa
Oyun
Patigi