Provinces of Nigeria

The Provinces of Nigeria were administrative divisions in Nigeria, in use from 1900 to 1967 in Colonial Nigeria and shortly after independence. They were altered many times through their history. They were divided into divisions; some of these were further subdivided into native authorities. Northern Nigeria and Southern Nigeria were also sometimes known as the Northern Provinces or Southern Provinces respectively. Currently, Nigeria is a federation of 36 states.The first use of provinces was in Northern Nigeria after Britain took over administration of the area from the Royal Niger Company in 1900. The British originally divided the area into eleven provinces which were: Bauchi Bida Bornu Kabba Kontagora Lower Benue or Nassarawa Illorin Muri Sokoto Upper Bema Zaria

In 1903 six more provinces were added; five following the Sokoto-Kano campaign, and also Gwandu province, making a total of 17. The number of provinces was reduced to 13 in 1911, and 12 after World War I. In 1926 Adamawa and Plateau became new provinces. The provinces and divisions in 1945, with the names or number of Native Authorities in each division:

ProvinceRegionDivisionNative Authorities AbeokutaWestern Egba AbeokutaAbeokutaWestern Egbado 5AdamawaNorthernAdamawa AdamawaAdamawaNorthernMuri MuriAdamawaNorthernNuman Numan, ShellenBauchiNorthernBauchi Bauchi, Dass, NingiBauchiNorthernGombe BauchiNorthernKatagum BeninWestern Asaba 23BeninWestern Benin BeninBeninWestern Ishan 11BeninWestern Kukuruku, later Afenmai 36BenueNorthern Idoma 21BenueNorthern Lafia Awe, LafiaBenueNorthern Nasarawa Keffi, NasarawaBenueNorthern Tiv 55BenueNorthern Wukari 6BornuNorthern Bedde BeddeBornuNorthern Biu 3BornuNorthern Bornu Bornu BornuNorthern Dikwa DikwaBornuNorthern Potiskum FikaCalabarEastern Abak 8CalabarEastern Calabar 3CalabarEastern Eket 7CalabarEastern Enyong Aro 5CalabarEastern Enyong Itu 5CalabarEastern Ikot Ekpene 4CalabarEastern Opobo 4CalabarEastern Uyo 9CameroonsEastern Bamenda 23CameroonsEastern Kumba 12CameroonsEastern Mamfe 7CameroonsEastern Victoria 3IjebuWestern Ijebu-Ode Ijebu-Ode, Ijebu-RemoIlorinNorthern Borgu Bussa, KaiamaIlorinNorthern Ilorin IlorinIlorinNorthern Pategi-Lafiagi Lafiagi, PategiKabbaNorthern Igala 5KabbaNorthern Igbirra IgbirraKabbaNorthern Kabba 5KabbaNorthern Koton Karifi 4KanoNorthern Kano Kanu, KanoNorthern Hadejia Gumel, HadejiaKazaureKatsinaNorthern Katsina Daura, KatsinaNigerNorthern Abuja Abuja, LapaiNigerNorthern Bida Agaie, BidaNigerNorthern Kontagora Kontagora, Wushishi, ZuruNigerNorthern Minna Gwari, KamukuOgojaEastern Abakaliki 6OgojaEastern Afikpo 11OgojaEastern Ikom 9OgojaEastern Obobra 9OgojaEastern Ogoja 12OndoWestern Ekiti 16OndoWestern Okitipupa 5OndoWestern Ondo 3OndoWestern Owo 6OnitshaEastern Awka 9OnitshaEastern Awgu 3OnitshaEastern Onitsha 20OnitshaEastern Nsukka 8OnitshaEastern Udi 3OwerriEastern Aba 3OwerriEastern Bende 1OwerriEastern Okigwi 2OwerriEastern Orlu 5OwerriEastern Owerri 22OyoWestern Ibadan IbadanOyoWestern Ife-Ilesha Ife, IleshaOyoWestern Oyo OyoPlateauNorthern Jema'a Jema'aPlateauNorthern Jos 5PlateauNorthern Pankshin 22PlateauNorthern Shendam Wase, 6 othersPlateauNorthern Southern Eggon, Nunku, WambaRiversEastern Ahoada 7RiversEastern Brass 3RiversEastern Degema 4RiversEastern Ogoni 1SokotoNorthern Argungu ArgunguSokotoNorthern Gwandu Gwandu, YauriSokotoNorthern Sokoto SokotoWarriWestern Aboh 3WarriWestern Warri 3WarriWestern Urhobo 28WarriWestern Western Ijaw 13ZariaNorthern Zaria Zaria, 4 others

There were thirteen provinces in Northern Nigeria in 1966 which were abolished in May 1967:

Bauchi Benue Borno Ilorin Kano Katsina Plateau Zaria Niger Adamawa Kabba Sokoto Sardauna

References Nigerian archives Statoids, Nigeria Northern Nigeria Eastern Nigeria Western Nigeria