Borno State is a state in north-eastern Nigeria. Its capital is Maiduguri. The state was formed in 1976 from the split of the North-Eastern State. Until 1991 it contained what is now Yobe State.
[edit] Role of the emirs
The state is dominated by the Kanuri and Babur ethnic groups and also a few Shuwa arabs mainly descendants of Arab immigrants, [3] and is an example of the endurance of traditional political institutions in some areas of Africa. There, the emirs of the former Kanem-Bornu Empire have played a part in the politics of this area for nearly 1,000 years. The current dynasty gained control in the early nineteenth century and was supported by the British, who prevented a military defeat for the group and established a new capital for the dynasty at Maiduguri or Yerwa (as referred to by the natives) in 1905, which remains the capital to this day. After Nigerian independence in 1960, Borno remained fairly autonomous until the expansion of the number of states in Nigeria to 12 in 1967. Local government reform in 1976 further reduced the power of the emirs of the former dynasty, and by the time of Nigeria's return to civilian rule in 1979, the emirs' jurisdiction has been restricted solely to cultural and traditional affairs. Today, the emirs still exist, and serve as advisers to the local government.
[edit] Local Government Areas
Borno State is divided into 27 Local Government Areas:
[edit] References
- Aborisade, Oladimeji; Robert J. Mundt (2002). Politics in Nigeria. New York: Longman.
[edit] External links
Nigeria
