Kano State sits in Nigeria’s North West geopolitical zone, with Kano city as its capital. The state has 44 local government areas and recorded a population of 9,401,288 at the 2006 census, projected at 15,462,200 by 2022. That makes it Nigeria’s most populous state. Every LGA below links to its full town-and-village list where we cover it.
Local Government Areas in Kano State
Kano State’s 44 LGAs range from the dense city wards around Kano Municipal, Dala, Gwale, Fagge, Tarauni, and Nasarawa, to farming districts on the state’s rural fringe. The eight metropolitan LGAs form Kano city proper; the remaining 36 cover mostly rural, farming communities across the wider state. The table below gives each LGA’s 2006 census figure and 2022 projection, in alphabetical order.
| LGA | 2006 census | 2022 projection |
|---|---|---|
| Ajingi | 172,610 | 283,900 |
| Albasu | 187,639 | 308,600 |
| Bagwai | 161,533 | 265,700 |
| Bebeji | 191,916 | 315,600 |
| Bichi | 278,309 | 457,700 |
| Bunkure | 174,467 | 286,900 |
| Dala | 418,759 | 688,700 |
| Dambatta | 210,474 | 346,200 |
| Dawakin Kudu | 225,497 | 370,900 |
| Dawakin Tofa | 246,197 | 404,900 |
| Doguwa | 150,645 | 247,800 |
| Fagge | 200,095 | 329,100 |
| Gabasawa | 211,204 | 347,400 |
| Garko | 161,966 | 266,400 |
| Garum Mallam | 118,622 | 195,100 |
| Gaya | 207,419 | 341,100 |
| Gezawa | 282,328 | 464,300 |
| Gwale | 357,827 | 588,500 |
| Gwarzo | 183,624 | 302,000 |
| Kabo | 153,158 | 251,900 |
| Kano Municipal | 371,243 | 610,600 |
| Karaye | 144,045 | 236,900 |
| Kibiya | 138,618 | 228,000 |
| Kiru | 267,168 | 439,400 |
| Kumbotso | 294,391 | 484,200 |
| Kunchi | 110,170 | 181,200 |
| Kura | 143,094 | 235,300 |
| Madobi | 137,685 | 226,400 |
| Makoda | 220,094 | 362,000 |
| Minjibir | 219,611 | 361,200 |
| Nasarawa | 596,411 | 980,900 |
| Rano | 148,276 | 243,900 |
| Rimin Gado | 103,371 | 170,000 |
| Rogo | 227,607 | 374,300 |
| Shanono | 139,128 | 228,800 |
| Sumaila | 250,379 | 411,800 |
| Takai | 202,639 | 333,300 |
| Tarauni | 221,844 | 364,900 |
| Tofa | 98,603 | 162,200 |
| Tsanyawa | 157,730 | 259,400 |
| Tudun Wada | 228,658 | 376,100 |
| Ungogo | 365,737 | 601,500 |
| Warawa | 131,858 | 216,900 |
| Wudil | 188,639 | 310,300 |
Kano State has 44 official local government areas, and all 44 have full town-and-village lists on this site. Nasarawa, Dala, Ungogo, and Gwale are the most populous, each home to hundreds of thousands of residents inside greater Kano city; Tofa, Rimin Gado, and Kunchi are among the least populous, mostly rural farming LGAs.
Geography
Kano State lies in Nigeria’s far north, on the Sudan savanna plain south of the Sahel. It borders Katsina State to the northwest, Jigawa State to the northeast, Bauchi State to the southeast, and Kaduna State to the southwest. The Hadejia River and the Challawa and Kano rivers cross the state, feeding the Tiga and Challawa Gorge dams that irrigate much of its farmland. The land is mostly flat to gently rolling savanna, with rock outcrops around Doguwa and Karaye in the south. The climate is hot and dry for much of the year, with a short rainy season from June to September and a dusty harmattan wind from December to February. Kano city itself is one of West Africa’s oldest urban centers, ringed in part by the remains of a centuries-old mud city wall built to defend the historic Kano Emirate.
Economy & Local Life
Kano city is northern Nigeria’s largest commercial and industrial hub, built on textiles, leather, tanning, and manufacturing. The old dye pits at Kofar Mata still color cloth by hand, a trade centuries old, and Kurmi Market has drawn traders since the days of the trans-Saharan caravan routes. Dawanau market is one of West Africa’s largest grain markets, and the wider state farms groundnuts, millet, sorghum, maize, cowpeas, and rice, with Kano once famous for its groundnut pyramids. Kano Emirate remains the seat of the Emir of Kano, a traditional institution central to local life across the state. Kano’s central location, rail links, and Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport keep the state a trading crossroads between northern Nigeria, the Sahel, and the rest of the country. Small-scale trading, tailoring, and craft work employ many families in the outlying LGAs, alongside seasonal farming tied to the rains.
FAQ
How many local government areas are in Kano State?
Kano State has 44 local government areas.
What is the capital of Kano State?
The capital of Kano State is Kano city.
What is the population of Kano State?
Kano State had a population of 9,401,288 at the 2006 census, projected at 15,462,200 in 2022.
Which LGA in Kano State has the largest population?
Nasarawa LGA is the most populous, with 596,411 people at the 2006 census, projected at 980,900 in 2022. It is one of the eight metropolitan LGAs that together make up Kano city.
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