City Profile: Kaduna
Kaduna is the capital of Kaduna State, Nigeria with a population of about 1.5 million people. Languages include English, Hausa, and several local languages. Religion: the northern part of the state is predominantly Muslim, while the southern part is predominantly Christian; a small number of practitioners of traditional African religions are also present. The area of Kaduna is 7,626.20 sq. kilometres.
The United Kingdom formed Nigeria in 1914 from two previously separate colonies: one in the Muslim-majority north and one in the Christian-majority south, ensuring that this divide would remain central in the nation's politics. The country is further divided into six zones, and major political positions are rotated among these zones – 3 in the north and 3 in the south – which assures an ethnic balance. The president and governors are limited to two terms of four years each.
Kaduna, the capital of Kaduna state, is situated on the Kaduna River, the main tributary of the Niger River and home to many crocodiles. The city’s name derives from the Hausa word for crocodiles, “Kada.” It was founded by the British as the capital of Northern Nigeria in 1917, and was recognized as the commercial, industrial, and political center of Northern Nigeria.
Of the 6 million people who live in Kaduna State today, 1.5 million people live in the city of Kaduna, which is roughly split 50/50 between Christians and Muslims. By design, the colonial authorities created a settlement pattern that segregated the two faiths; however the local population resisted this and moved liberally throughout the city. In general, a majority of Christians inhabit the southern side of the city, and a majority of Muslims live in the northern side. Unlike other cities in Nigeria, Kaduna is characterized by its urbanization and does not have the typical “settler” versus “indigenous population” tension. This is largely because Kaduna is an economic center and many people move there for work.
Kaduna once had a flourishing textile industry, however, most of the factories closed due to economic policy neglect during military rule, and more recently, competition from Chinese imports. Currently the economy of Kaduna is supported mainly through trade in cotton-textiles and beverages, and furniture factories. A pipeline delivers oil from the Niger Delta to the oil refinery and petrochemical plant, an important employer in a city with high unemployment. A 2009 World Bank study shows that one out of every five adults in Nigeria is unemployed. Kaduna is listed as one of the six cities with the highest unemployment. Kaduna state is the home of many important institutes of higher education including the Nigerian Military Training College, Kaduna Polytechnic, Ahmadu Bello University, Kaduna State University, Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, and the Nigerian Institute for Trypanosomiasis Research. The Nigerian Military Training College is the only military institute that trains Nigerian officers in the Army, Air Force, and Navy.
In 2000, the city of Kaduna made international headlines when a violent conflict between Muslims and Christians in the city left 2,000 dead and over 10,000 injured in a clash that lasted from February to May of that year. Over 2,000 properties were destroyed, including 170 churches and mosques, and between 60,000 to 65,000 people were internally displaced. The violence was sparked during a protest by Christian groups in response to the introduction of the criminal code of Islamic Shari’a law in Kaduna state. In 2002, Kaduna was once more rocked by violence over what is known as the “Miss World Riots” in which 250 people were killed within three days.
As a result of these bouts of violence, the Kaduna state government under Governor Ahmed Makarfi instituted several important reforms known as the “Kaduna Compromise,” which has provided a model for other Nigerian states. Under the Compromise, the Shari’a criminal code was implemented only in Muslim-majority local governments in the state and with clear assurances that it would only be applied to Muslims. Thus there is a dual court system of both secular and Shari’a courts. The state government in recent years has also increased the presence of security agencies across the state.
Religious and traditional leaders still have great influence in the community and often assist in mediation efforts. One source of conflict, however, was the power vested by the British in colonial times to the Emir of Zaria as the head of traditional leaders in the state. Under the Kaduna Compromise, however, Governor Makarfi granted additional chiefdoms to various local governments of the state, such that Christians now have state-recognized traditional leaders among their constituencies.
With these changes, very little public unrest has been seen since the incidents of 2000 and 2002, and Kaduna remains a model to which other Nigerian states along the ethnic and religious divides look for solutions to their own conflicts. Nonetheless, tensions among the communities remain, especially amid protracted unemployment as Kaduna’s last textile mill shut its doors in 2009, and the presence of security forces remains high. Nigeria fares poorly on Transparency International’s Corruption Survey.
The United Kingdom formed Nigeria in 1914 from two previously separate colonies: one in the Muslim-majority north and one in the Christian-majority south, ensuring that this divide would remain central in the nation's politics. The country is further divided into six zones, and major political positions are rotated among these zones – 3 in the north and 3 in the south – which assures an ethnic balance. The president and governors are limited to two terms of four years each.
Kaduna, the capital of Kaduna state, is situated on the Kaduna River, the main tributary of the Niger River and home to many crocodiles. The city’s name derives from the Hausa word for crocodiles, “Kada.” It was founded by the British as the capital of Northern Nigeria in 1917, and was recognized as the commercial, industrial, and political center of Northern Nigeria.
Of the 6 million people who live in Kaduna State today, 1.5 million people live in the city of Kaduna, which is roughly split 50/50 between Christians and Muslims. By design, the colonial authorities created a settlement pattern that segregated the two faiths; however the local population resisted this and moved liberally throughout the city. In general, a majority of Christians inhabit the southern side of the city, and a majority of Muslims live in the northern side. Unlike other cities in Nigeria, Kaduna is characterized by its urbanization and does not have the typical “settler” versus “indigenous population” tension. This is largely because Kaduna is an economic center and many people move there for work.
Kaduna once had a flourishing textile industry, however, most of the factories closed due to economic policy neglect during military rule, and more recently, competition from Chinese imports. Currently the economy of Kaduna is supported mainly through trade in cotton-textiles and beverages, and furniture factories. A pipeline delivers oil from the Niger Delta to the oil refinery and petrochemical plant, an important employer in a city with high unemployment. A 2009 World Bank study shows that one out of every five adults in Nigeria is unemployed. Kaduna is listed as one of the six cities with the highest unemployment. Kaduna state is the home of many important institutes of higher education including the Nigerian Military Training College, Kaduna Polytechnic, Ahmadu Bello University, Kaduna State University, Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, and the Nigerian Institute for Trypanosomiasis Research. The Nigerian Military Training College is the only military institute that trains Nigerian officers in the Army, Air Force, and Navy.
In 2000, the city of Kaduna made international headlines when a violent conflict between Muslims and Christians in the city left 2,000 dead and over 10,000 injured in a clash that lasted from February to May of that year. Over 2,000 properties were destroyed, including 170 churches and mosques, and between 60,000 to 65,000 people were internally displaced. The violence was sparked during a protest by Christian groups in response to the introduction of the criminal code of Islamic Shari’a law in Kaduna state. In 2002, Kaduna was once more rocked by violence over what is known as the “Miss World Riots” in which 250 people were killed within three days.
As a result of these bouts of violence, the Kaduna state government under Governor Ahmed Makarfi instituted several important reforms known as the “Kaduna Compromise,” which has provided a model for other Nigerian states. Under the Compromise, the Shari’a criminal code was implemented only in Muslim-majority local governments in the state and with clear assurances that it would only be applied to Muslims. Thus there is a dual court system of both secular and Shari’a courts. The state government in recent years has also increased the presence of security agencies across the state.
Religious and traditional leaders still have great influence in the community and often assist in mediation efforts. One source of conflict, however, was the power vested by the British in colonial times to the Emir of Zaria as the head of traditional leaders in the state. Under the Kaduna Compromise, however, Governor Makarfi granted additional chiefdoms to various local governments of the state, such that Christians now have state-recognized traditional leaders among their constituencies.
With these changes, very little public unrest has been seen since the incidents of 2000 and 2002, and Kaduna remains a model to which other Nigerian states along the ethnic and religious divides look for solutions to their own conflicts. Nonetheless, tensions among the communities remain, especially amid protracted unemployment as Kaduna’s last textile mill shut its doors in 2009, and the presence of security forces remains high. Nigeria fares poorly on Transparency International’s Corruption Survey.
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