Yola, Nigeria
Encyclopedia
Yola is the capital city and administrative center of Adamawa State
, Nigeria
. Located on the Benue River
, it has a population of 88,500 (2004). Established in 1841, Yola was the capital of a Fulani
state until it was taken by the British
in 1901. Daytime temperatures can easily exceed 40 °C (104 °F) during the dry season (April/May).
Yola is split into two parts. The old town of Yola where the Lamido resides is the traditional city but the new city of Jimeta (about 5 km NW) is the administrative and commercial centre. Generally the term Yola is now used to mean both. To the north are the Mandara Mountains
and the south are the Shebshi Mountains
with Dimlang (Vogel) Peak the second highest point (2,042 m) in Nigeria
after Chappal Waddi
(mountain of death). Yola is an access point for Gashaka Gumpti Nature Reserve and the Mambilla Plateau
.
in 1901. Today, it is the capital of Adamawa State, which was formed in 1991 from part of Gongola State
.
Modibbo Adama, a local chief of the Fulani, founded Yola in 1841. Yola is the first airport in Nigeria as well as first town to have electricity.
During the Islamic Jihad
movement led by Shehu Usman Dan Fodio
in the early 19th Century, Modibbo Adama was recognised as a learned Muslim who could lead the people in the Upper Benue area. Modibbo is the Fulani word for Professor.
Probably the first European to visit the area was Heinrich Barth in 1849, shortly after Yola was founded. He travelled by the Sahara
route, coming through Kukawa, which at the time was the capital of Bornu.
Jimeta has a market, zoo, an airport with direct flights to Saudi Arabia
, NiPost and NiTel offices as well as the main mosque and cathedral. Being a state capital it is a major transport hub with buses and taxis heading north to Mubi and Maiduguri
, west to Numan, Gombe and Bauchi
and south to Makurdi and Katsina. Taxis are available to Garoua
in Cameroon
. There is an airport with regular flights to Abuja
and Lagos
. There is also a State Polytechnic and the Federal University of Technology Yola
(FUTY) is based about 10 km north on the road to Mubi
and other educational institutions. Adamawa has one of the best depots in Nigeria, located about 5 km west on the road to Numan.
The Yola-Jimeta Metropolis is home to the American style private university called American University of Nigeria
, and schools, both primary and secondary, such as ABTI Academy, Ahmadu Ribadu College, University Secondary School FUT and Concordia College (which was nominated as the best post primary school of the year 2007 by the National Association of Nigerian Students).
Adamawa State
Adamawa is a state in northeastern Nigeria, with its capital at Yola. It was formed in 1991 from part of Gongola State with four administrative divisions namely: Adamawa, Ganye, Mubi and Numan. It is one of the thirty-six States which constitute the Federal Republic of Nigeria.-Geography:Adamawa...
, Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
. Located on the Benue River
Benue River
The Benue River is the major tributary of the Niger River. The river is approximately 1,400 km long and is almost entirely navigable during the summer months...
, it has a population of 88,500 (2004). Established in 1841, Yola was the capital of a Fulani
Fula people
Fula people or Fulani or Fulbe are an ethnic group spread over many countries, predominantly in West Africa, but found also in Central Africa and Sudanese North Africa...
state until it was taken by the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in 1901. Daytime temperatures can easily exceed 40 °C (104 °F) during the dry season (April/May).
Yola is split into two parts. The old town of Yola where the Lamido resides is the traditional city but the new city of Jimeta (about 5 km NW) is the administrative and commercial centre. Generally the term Yola is now used to mean both. To the north are the Mandara Mountains
Mandara Mountains
The Mandara Mountains are a volcanic range extending about 200km along the northern part of the Cameroon-Nigeria border, from the Benue River in the south to the north-west of Maroua in the north . The highest elevation is 1,494 m , the summit of Mount Oupay .The region is densely populated,...
and the south are the Shebshi Mountains
Shebshi Mountains
Shebshi Mountains is a mountain range in Adamawa State, northeastern Nigeria near the Cameroon border and between the Benue and Taraba rivers. The peak altitude is reach with Mount Dimlang at 2,042 m .....
with Dimlang (Vogel) Peak the second highest point (2,042 m) in Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
after Chappal Waddi
Chappal Waddi
Chappal Waddi is a mountain in Nigeria and, at 2,419 meters, is the country's highest point.. It is located in Taraba State, near the border with Cameroon, in the Gashaka Forest Reserve . Chappal Wadi is sometimes cited as the highest point in West Africa if the region is defined as excluding...
(mountain of death). Yola is an access point for Gashaka Gumpti Nature Reserve and the Mambilla Plateau
Mambilla Plateau
The Mambilla Plateau is a highland region, found in Taraba State of Nigeria. This highland region, is the northern continuation of the Bamenda Highlands of Cameroon....
.
History
Established in 1841, Yola was the capital of a Fulani state until it was taken over by the BritishUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in 1901. Today, it is the capital of Adamawa State, which was formed in 1991 from part of Gongola State
Gongola State
Gongola State is a former administrative division of Nigeria. It was created on 3 February 1976 from Adamawa and Sardauna Provinces of North-Eastern State, together with the Wukari Division of the then Benue-Plateau State; it existed until 27 August 1991, when it was divided into two states -...
.
Modibbo Adama, a local chief of the Fulani, founded Yola in 1841. Yola is the first airport in Nigeria as well as first town to have electricity.
During the Islamic Jihad
Jihad
Jihad , an Islamic term, is a religious duty of Muslims. In Arabic, the word jihād translates as a noun meaning "struggle". Jihad appears 41 times in the Quran and frequently in the idiomatic expression "striving in the way of God ". A person engaged in jihad is called a mujahid; the plural is...
movement led by Shehu Usman Dan Fodio
Usman dan Fodio
Shaihu Usman dan Fodio , born Usuman ɓii Foduye, was the founder of the Sokoto Caliphate in 1809, a religious teacher, writer and Islamic promoter. Dan Fodio was one of a class of urbanized ethnic Fulani living in the Hausa States in what is today northern Nigeria...
in the early 19th Century, Modibbo Adama was recognised as a learned Muslim who could lead the people in the Upper Benue area. Modibbo is the Fulani word for Professor.
Probably the first European to visit the area was Heinrich Barth in 1849, shortly after Yola was founded. He travelled by the Sahara
Sahara
The Sahara is the world's second largest desert, after Antarctica. At over , it covers most of Northern Africa, making it almost as large as Europe or the United States. The Sahara stretches from the Red Sea, including parts of the Mediterranean coasts, to the outskirts of the Atlantic Ocean...
route, coming through Kukawa, which at the time was the capital of Bornu.
Jimeta has a market, zoo, an airport with direct flights to Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
, NiPost and NiTel offices as well as the main mosque and cathedral. Being a state capital it is a major transport hub with buses and taxis heading north to Mubi and Maiduguri
Maiduguri
Maiduguri, also fondly called Yerwa by its locals, is the capital and the largest city of Borno State in north-eastern Nigeria. The city sits along the seasonal Ngadda River which disappears into the Firki swamps in the areas around Lake Chad...
, west to Numan, Gombe and Bauchi
Bauchi
Bauchi is a city in northeast Nigeria, the capital of Bauchi State, of the Bauchi Local Government Area within that State, and of the traditional Bauchi Emirate. The city has a population of 316,173...
and south to Makurdi and Katsina. Taxis are available to Garoua
Garoua
Garoua is the capital of the North Province of Cameroon, lying on the Benue River. The city had 235,996 inhabitants at the 2005 Census, and is an important river port.- Overview :...
in Cameroon
Cameroon
Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon , is a country in west Central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west; Chad to the northeast; the Central African Republic to the east; and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo to the south. Cameroon's coastline lies on the...
. There is an airport with regular flights to Abuja
Abuja
Abuja is the capital city of Nigeria. It is located in the centre of Nigeria, within the Federal Capital Territory . Abuja is a planned city, and was built mainly in the 1980s. It officially became Nigeria's capital on 12 December 1991, replacing Lagos...
and Lagos
Lagos
Lagos is a port and the most populous conurbation in Nigeria. With a population of 7,937,932, it is currently the third most populous city in Africa after Cairo and Kinshasa, and currently estimated to be the second fastest growing city in Africa...
. There is also a State Polytechnic and the Federal University of Technology Yola
Federal University of Technology Yola
The Federal University of Technology Yola is a research intensive university located in Yola, the capital city of Adamawa State in Northeastern Nigeria. It is one of the 27 universities part of the federal government university system and one of only 4 federal technology universities established...
(FUTY) is based about 10 km north on the road to Mubi
Mubi
Mubi is a town in Adamawa state, Nigeria. The major tribes are Fulanis from Digil as well as the Fali People from Vimtim. Names like Nuhu Auwalu Wakili are very common in the state. The Nuhu Wakili's family is the ruling family in the town. It is home to the state university, Adamawa State...
and other educational institutions. Adamawa has one of the best depots in Nigeria, located about 5 km west on the road to Numan.
The Yola-Jimeta Metropolis is home to the American style private university called American University of Nigeria
American University of Nigeria
American University of Nigeria is the first American university to be established in Nigeria.-History:The opened its doors to its first students in 2005. Founded by the former vice president of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar, it is located in north-eastern Nigeria in Yola, the state capital of Adamawa...
, and schools, both primary and secondary, such as ABTI Academy, Ahmadu Ribadu College, University Secondary School FUT and Concordia College (which was nominated as the best post primary school of the year 2007 by the National Association of Nigerian Students).