Gombe State is a state in northeastern Nigeria. It was formed from a part of Bauchi State on 1 October 1996 by the Abacha military government, with Gombe as the state capital. Of the 36 states in Nigeria, Gombe is the 21st largest in area and the 32nd most populous, with an estimated population of about 3.25 million as of 2016. The state bears a slogan “Jewel in the Savannah”.

Gombe State is inhabited by various ethnic groups, primarily the Fulani people living in the north and center of the state along with the Bolewa, Kanuri, and Hausa peoples, while the state’s diverse eastern and southern regions are populated by the Cham, Dadiya, Jara, Kamo, Pero, Tangale, Tera, and Waja peoples. Religiously, between 65% and 70% of the state’s populations are Muslims while the Christian minority comprises between 30% and 35%.

History Of All States In Nigeria

In the pre-colonial period, the area that is now Gombe State was split up between various states until the early 1800s, the Fulani jihad seized much of the area and formed the Gombe Emirate under the Sokoto Caliphate. In the 1910s, British expeditions occupied the Emirate and the surrounding areas, incorporating them into the Northern Nigeria Protectorate which later merged into British Nigeria before becoming independent as Nigeria in 1960.

Originally, modern-day Gombe State was a part of the post-independence Northern Region until 1967 when the region was split and the area became part of the North-Eastern State. After the North-Eastern State was split, Bauchi State was formed in 1976 alongside ten other states. Twenty years afterward, a group of LGAs in the Bauchi’s west were broken off to form the new Gombe State.

All Nigerian States And The State They Share Borders With

Gombe state has 14 Emirates which include the following

• Gombe Emirate
• Akko Emirate
• Funakaye Emirate
• Dukku Emirate
• Billiri Emirate
• Kaltungo Emirate
• Nafada Emirate
• Tula Emirate
• Gona Emirate
• Balanga Emirate
• Yamaltu Emirate
• Deba Emirate
• Pindiga Emirate

Which States Share Border With Gombe State?