Provinces of Nigeria


The Provinces of Nigeria are a former administrative division in Nigeria, which were in use in Colonial Nigeria and shortly after independence; from 1900 to 1967. 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:
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
AbeokutaWesternEgbaAbeokuta
AbeokutaWesternEgbado5
AdamawaNorthernAdamawaAdamawa
AdamawaNorthernMuriMuri
AdamawaNorthernNumanNuman, Shellen
BauchiNorthernBauchiBauchi, Dass, Ningi
BauchiNorthernGombe
BauchiNorthernKatagum
BeninWesternAsaba23
BeninWesternBeninBenin
BeninWesternIshan11
BeninWesternKukuruku, later Afenmai36
BenueNorthernIdoma21
BenueNorthernLafiaAwe, Lafia
BenueNorthernNasarawaKeffi, Nasarawa
BenueNorthernTiv55
BenueNorthernWukari6
BornuNorthernBeddeBedde
BornuNorthernBiu3
BornuNorthernBornuBornu
BornuNorthernDikwaDikwa
BornuNorthernPotiskumFika
CalabarEasternAbak8
CalabarEasternCalabar3
CalabarEasternEket7
CalabarEasternEnyong Aro5
CalabarEasternEnyong Itu5
CalabarEasternIkot Ekpene4
CalabarEasternOpobo4
CalabarEasternUyo9
CameroonsEasternBamenda23
CameroonsEasternKumba12
CameroonsEasternMamfe7
CameroonsEasternVictoria3
IjebuWesternIjebu-OdeIjebu-Ode, Ijebu-Remo
IlorinNorthernBorguBussa, Kaiama
IlorinNorthernIlorinIlorin
IlorinNorthernPategi-LafiagiLafiagi, Pategi
KabbaNorthernIgala5
KabbaNorthernIgbirraIgbirra
KabbaNorthernKabba5
KabbaNorthernKoton Karifi4
KanoNorthernKanoKanu,
KanoNorthernHadejiaGumel, HadejiaKazaure
KatsinaNorthernKatsinaDaura, Katsina
NigerNorthernAbujaAbuja, Lapai
NigerNorthernBidaAgaie, Bida
NigerNorthernKontagoraKontagora, Wushishi, Zuru
NigerNorthernMinnaGwari, Kamuku
OgojaEasternAbakaliki6
OgojaEasternAfikpo11
OgojaEasternIkom9
OgojaEasternObobra9
OgojaEasternOgoja12
OndoWesternEkiti16
OndoWesternOkitipupa5
OndoWesternOndo3
OndoWesternOwo6
OnitshaEasternAwka9
OnitshaEasternAwgu3
OnitshaEasternOnitsha20
OnitshaEasternNsukka8
OnitshaEasternUdi3
OwerriEasternAba3
OwerriEasternBende1
OwerriEasternOkigwi2
OwerriEasternOrlu5
OwerriEasternOwerri22
OyoWesternIbadanIbadan
OyoWesternIfe-IleshaIfe, Ilesha
OyoWesternOyoOyo
PlateauNorthernJema'aJema'a
PlateauNorthernJos5
PlateauNorthernPankshin22
PlateauNorthernShendamWase, 6 others
PlateauNorthernSouthernEggon, Nunku, Wamba
RiversEasternAhoada7
RiversEasternBrass3
RiversEasternDegema4
RiversEasternOgoni1
SokotoNorthernArgunguArgungu
SokotoNorthernGwanduGwandu, Yauri
SokotoNorthernSokotoSokoto
WarriWesternAboh3
WarriWesternWarri3
WarriWesternUrhobo28
WarriWesternWestern Ijaw13
ZariaNorthernZariaZaria, 4 others

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