NIGERIAN STATES AND ACRONYMS

*DO YOU KNOW THE ORIGIN OF NIGERIAN STATE NAMES*
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*Abia*
Abia is an acronym derived from the name of the four main groups of people in the state as at the time it was formed in 1991: Aba B ende
Isuikwuato Afikpo.
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*Adamawa*
This state was named after a warrior that
conquered the region in the begining of the 19th century. His name was Modibbo Adama Bin Ardo Hassan.
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*Akwa-Ibom*
Akwa Ibom is named after a river, the Qua Iboe (or Kwa Iboe) River.
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*Anambra*
It was derived from the name of the Oma Mbala
(Omambala) River (in Ibo, the native name of the river is Ànyịm Ọma Mbala).
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*Bauchi*
There are three versions of how Bauchi got its
name. One version says ‘Bauchi’ is Hausa word meaning the southern flanks of Hausaland. Tribes living in the southern parts of the Hausaland
were referred to as kasashen bauchi and the area they lived in later came to be known simply as
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Bauchi. According to the second version thenstate was named for Baushe, a famous hunter
who settled there before the 19th century while
the third states that ‘bauchi’ is Hausa word for
slavery since it was a center for slave raiders.
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*Bayelsa*
Bayelsa was formed as a result of the clamour from the three LGAs in old Rivers (Brass LGA known as BALGA, Yenegoa LGA known as YELGA
and Sagbama LGA – SALGA). The name came
about from the combination of their acronymns.
BA + YEL + SA = BAYELSA
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*Benue*
It is a word from the Batta language ‘Binuwe’
which means ‘Mother of Waters’.
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*Borno*
The name was derived from ‘Borno’, an
alternative name of the Kanuris who form the
predominant ethnic group in the state.
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*Cross River*
The state took its name from a River called
Oyono or Cross River.
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*Delta*
It was named for the delta of the River Niger
formed as it enters the Atlantic Ocean.

*Ebonyi*
The state was named after the Aboine River
that cuts through Abakaliki, the state capital
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*Edo*
Named after the Bini people who had always
referred to themselves as Edo or Iduu
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*Ekiti*
‘Ekiti’ is a term that is said to denote a
settlement of many hills
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*Enugu*
Enugu derived its name from two local words enu
ugwu which means ‘top of the hill’
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*Gombe*
Named after the dialect of Fulani language (Fulfulde)spoken in the area ‘Gombe’.
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*Imo*
This state is named after the Imo River (Imo
Mmiri).
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*Jigawa*
The state was named after its distinctively
golden-coloured soil, Jigawa.
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*Kaduna*
The state after the crocodiles in Kaduna River.
Kadunas is Hausa plural word for crocodiles.
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*Kano*
The state was named after a blacksmith of the
Gaya tribe who settled in the area while sourcing
for ironstone. His name is Kano.
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*Katsina*
Katsina was named after the wife of the local
ruler known as Janzama. Her name was Katsi.
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*Kebbi*
Legend has it that Kebbi was named after the
Ka’abba in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
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*Kogi*
The name Kogi was said to have be derived from
‘kogin’, hausa for river. This is to represent the
fact that the two biggest Rivers in Nigeria, River
Niger and River Benue form a confluence in the
state.
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*Kwara*
This was named after the River Niger which
forms the Northern border of the state. The
Nupes used to call the river Kwara.
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*Lagos*
The name is a Portuguese word for lakes. The
Portuguese were the first set of Europeans to
reach Lagos in 1472. The name was inspired by
the lagoons and rivers in Lagos.
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*Nassarawa*
It was so named by the founder of Nasarawa
kingdom, Makama Dogo. Nasarawa means
Victorious.
*Niger*
Niger Named after the popular River Niger.
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*Ogun*
Named after the Ogun River.
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*Ondo*
This was named after the settlers of the old Ondo Kingdom. Ondo is a word for settlers.
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*Osun*
Like a number of other Nigerian states, it was
also named after a river; River Osun.
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*Oyo*
It was named after the Old Oyo empire.
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Plateau
The state was named for the Jos Plateau.

*Rivers*
A state with many water bodies, Rivers State was named for many of the rivers present in the area.
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*Sokoto*
Named after the defunct Sokoto
Caliphate. Sokoto is the anglicized version of the
Arabic word ‘suk’ which means ‘market’ or
‘place of commerce’.
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*Taraba*
The state was named after the Taraba River.
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*Yobe*
The state was named after Komadugu Yobe
(Waube or Ouobe) or River Yobe (or River of
Yo).
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*Zamfara*
Zamfarawa is one of the subdialects of Eastern [truncated by WhatsApp]