Kaduna
Kaduna is the state capital of Kaduna State located in north-central Nigeria. Founded by the British in 1913, Kaduna was the capital of Nigeria’s former Northern Region from 1917 until 1967.
Its location on the Kaduna River makes Kaduna a major trade center and transportation hub for the surrounding agricultural area. The Kaduna River is a tributary of the Niger River which flows for 550km through Nigeria.
Kaduna State occupies the area that was home to the earliest civilization in Nigeria, the Nok. The Nok civilization appeared in Nigeria around 500BC and mysteriously vanished around 200 AD. Pieces of ancient pottery were found on the Jos Plateau in 1928 during excavations for tin mining.
The area is rich in minerals including clay, serpentine, asbestos, amethyst, kyanite, gold, graphite and siltimanite graphite. Kaduna is an industrial centre of Nothern Nigeria, producing textiles, machinery, steel, petroleum products, bearings and alumunium.
Visit Luggard Hall and Government Monument Bridge, General Hassan Usman Park, the Man-Made Lake at Kaduna, Nok Terra Cotta, Nok Village and Emir of Zazzau’s Palace. The National Museum has some interesting cultural and pre-historic exhibits. Outside the museum, visitors can watch artisans at work at the recreated Hausa village and may purchase their finished products.
The area is well known for its exceptional pottery. Shop for pottery at Jacaranda Pottery or view the pieces on display at Maraban-Jos. Kaduna has several markets, the largest of which was rebuilt after an extensive fire in the mid-1990s. Here one may purchase printed cloth, leather ware and fresh produce.
