See How All The 36 Nigerian States Got Their Names

There's Rich History Behind Every State And It's Name. Check out all the states and how they were named. 

These are how the 36 Nigerian States acquired their names, from names of rivers to popular heros. 

1. Abia 

This state is an acronym from the four main groups of people in the state as at the time it was created in 1991: Aba Bende Isuikwuato Afikpo. 

2. Adamawa 

The state was named after a warrior Modibo Adama Bin Ardo Hassan, whom conquered the region in the beginning of 19th century. 

3. Akwa - Ibom 

Akwa Ibom is named after the Qua Iboe (or kwa iboe)River.

4. Anambra 

Anambra received it's name from the corrupted version of Oma Mbala (Ányįm Oma Mbala), a popular river in the region. 

5. Bauchi 

How bauchi got it's name are:

'Bauchi' is Hausa word which means the southern flanks of Hausaland. Tribes living in the southern parts of the Hausa land were referred to as "Kasashen Bauchi' and the area they lived in later came to be known as Bauchi. 

The state was named also for baushe, a famous hunter who settled there before the 19th century. 

Bauchi is equally Hausa word for slavery since it was a center for slave raiders. 

6. Bayelsa 

It is a combination of the acronyms of three local government areas which were pulled out of old rivers state. Brass LGA known as BALGA, Yenegoa LGA known as YELGA and Sagbama LGA known as SALGA. The mathematics involved in the formation of their names is BA + YEL + SA = BAYELSA.

7. Benue

Benue received it's name after the "Europeanised" Corruption of Binuwe: the Batta word for 'mother of waters. 

 8. Borno 

The alternative name of the kanoris, the predominant ethnic group in the region, is 'Borno' which gave inspiration for the the naming of the state.

9. Cross River

This state collected it's name from a River called Oyono or Cross River 

10. Delta 

Delta state is where the River Niger forms a delta  as it enters the Atlantic Ocean.

11. Ebonyi 

The state is the angelicised version of 'Aboine', a river that cuts through Abakaliki, the state capital. 

12. Edo 

The Bini people who dwells in the area had always referred to themselves as Edo or iduu. This inspired the name of the state. 

13. Ekiti 

'Okiti' is a term that is said to donate a settlement of many hills. It later became Ekiti. 

14. Enugu 

Due to the many hills and rockey terrain in the area, the people named it in Igbo, 'Enu ugwu' which means ''top of the hill".

15. Gombe 

Gombe is the dialect of Fulani language (fulfulde) spoken in the region. 

16. Imo 

Just like many other Nigerian States, IMO got it's name from the popular river, IMO MMIRI. 

17. Jigawa 

This state takes inspiration from its distinctively golden-coloured soil. 

18. Kaduna 

Kadunas is the plural form of crocodile in Hausa. The state therefore took it's name from the many crocodiles in kaduna River.

19. Kano 

Kano was the name answered by a blacksmith from the Gaya tribe who settled in the region while sourcing for cronstone. the state was named after him. 

20. Katsina 

The katsina state was named after the wife of a popular local ruler known as Janzama. Her name was Katina 

21. Kebbi

It is said that kebbi was named after the ka'abba in mecca, Saudi Arabia. 

22. Kogi 

Since the popular confluence in Nigeria is located in the state, kogi is said to have been derived from 'login',  the Hausa word for river. 

23. Kwara 

River Niger used to be called River Kwara by the Nupes at the Northern border of the state. The states was named after this.

24. Lagos 

In 1472, the first set of Europeans to set foot in Lagos were the Portuguese. Due to many lagoons and rivers in the town, they named it Lagos, which is the Portuguese word for 'lakes.

25. Nassarawa 

Nassarawa is a native word for victorious; the state was named by the founder of Nassarawa kingdom, Makama Dogo 

26. Niger 

The state was named after the river Niger. 

27. Ogun 

This state was also named after a river Ogun River. 

28. Ondo 

Ondo is a word used for settlers. The state was named after the settlers of the old ondo kingdom. 

29. Osun 

This state was also named after a river, the River Osun.

30. Oyo 

The state was named after the old oyo empire. 

31. Plateau

The state was named after the picturesque Jos Plateau. Jos got it name from the mispronunciations of the town 'Gwosh'. 

32. Rivers 

Rivers state was named after many water bodies present in the area. 

33. Sokoto 

Sokoto is the angelicized version of the Arabic word 'suk' meaning 'market' or place of commerce; the state itself was named after the defunct sokoto caliphate. 

34. Taraba 

The state got it's name from the Taraba River.

35. Yobe 

Komadugu yobe (waube ouobe) or River Yobe (or River of Yo) inspired by the name of the state. 

36. Zamfara 

Zamfara state was named after zamfarawa, one of the subdialects of the Eastern Hausa group. 

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