Kaduna is the capital city of Kaduna State, and the former political capital of Northern Nigeria.
It is a trade Centre and a major transportation hub as the gateway to northern states of Nigeria, with its rail and important road network.
The population of Kaduna was at 760,084 as of the 2006 Nigerian census.
Rapid urbanization since 2005 has created an increasingly large population, as at 2023, the estimated population is 1.1 million.
The project population of people in Kaduna state as at 2021 is 8.9 million people.
History
Kaduna was founded by British colonists in 1900.
The first British governor of Northern Nigeria, Sir Frederick Lugard, chose the present site for development due to its proximity to the Lagos-Kano Railway.
It became the capital of Nigeria’s former Northern Region in 1917 and retained this status until 1967.
The city is still influential as the headquarters of various political, military and cultural organizations especially in northern Nigeria.
Kaduna is a major industrial centre in Northern Nigeria, manufacturing products like textiles, machinery, steel, aluminium, petroleum products and bearings.
However, the textile industry has been in decline due to recent Chinese imports and factory closures caused by years of neglect during the military dictatorship in Nigeria. Other light manufactures include: plastics, pharmaceuticals, leather goods, furniture, and televisions.
Agriculture is also a major industry in Kaduna, and as such, the Bank of Agriculture has its headquarters in the city.[9] Some main agricultural exports include: cotton, peanuts, sorghum, and ginger.
Kaduna also has a branch of the Nigerian Stock Exchange.
Automobile manufacturing also remains an important part of Kaduna’s economy.
Peugeot Automobiles Nigeria has an assembly plant in Kaduna.
Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company (KRPC), one of Nigeria’s four main oil refineries is located in Kaduna.
It is supplied by a pipeline from the Niger Delta oil fields.
Infrastructure
The infrastructure network in the city are currently being developed under the administration of Nasir el-Rufai.
Kaduna has an inland dry port. The Nigerian military has several installations in the city including the Nigerian Defence Academy.
Airport
The city is served by Kaduna International Airport.
The airport commenced operations in 1982.
The Nigerian Air Force maintains a presence in the city.
Education
Kaduna is popularly known as the centre of learning, as evident from the numerous educational institutions located in the state. Tertiary Institutions in Kaduna city include:
Kaduna State University
Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), Kaduna
Greenfield University Kaduna
National Open University of Nigeria, Kaduna Study Center
Air Force Institute of Technology, Kaduna
National Teachers Institute (NTI), Kaduna
School of Midwifery Kaduna
Kaduna Polytechnic (1968), Kaduna
National board for Islamic and Arabic studies
Kaduna Business School
Dialogue Institute Kaduna
Institute of Ophthalmology, National Eye Centre, Kaduna.
National center for nomadic education
Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna State
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