There are a list of some of the major tribes in Kano State which we are going to reveal to you in this content. But first, a quick peep into the descriptive history of the state itself. Kano State is the most populous in Nigeria. The recent official estimates taken in 2016 by the National Bureau of Statistics found that Kano State was still the largest state by population in Nigeria. The state’s capital and largest city is the city of Kano, the second most populous city in Nigeria after Lagos.
It was created in 1967 from the former Northern Region, Kano State borders Katsina State to the northwest, Jigawa State to the northeast, Bauchi State to the southeast, and Kaduna State to the southwest.
Modern day Kano State was the site of numerous kingdoms and empires, including the Kingdom of Kano, which was centered in Dalla Hill and existed from prior to 1000 AD to 1349. In 1349, the Sultanate of Kano would be established with Yaji I as its first Sultan. In the 15th century, Kurmi Market was opened, which helped Kano become a center of commercial activity in Hausaland.
Being under Sharia Law, the challenges faced by Kano State in the 21st century include attacks by Islamist terrorist group Boko Haram, inter-religious violence, and extreme poverty.
The Major Tribes in Kano State
Nigeria is a composite of major tribes; reason being that it has a historical backgrounds of diverse ethnical entities such as Ibo, Yoruba, Hausa, and all. From these entities come the different tribes. Subsequently, we will be discussing the major tribes in Kano state just as you need to know.
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Hausa Tribe
The Hausa tribe is one of the two major tribes in Kano state. This people do not differ in any way from the Hausas of other Norther states. Their men put on flowing gowns and their women tie wrapper on blouse. Hausa women also cover their heads as their custom demands.
The Hausas are Muslims and farmers. Millet, maize and sorghum are staples of this people.
Kanuri Tribe
The Kanuri people (Kanouri, Kanowri, also Yerwa, Baribari and several subgroup names) are an African ethnic group living largely in the lands of the former Kanem and Bornu Empires in Niger, Nigeria, Sudan, Libya and Cameroon. The head of Kanuri community in Kano state, the Mai Kanuribe, Mai Mustapha Lawan, has said that there are over two million Kanuris in Kano state, making them the second largest tribe after the indigenous Hausa.
The Kanuri are a commercial people with well-developed internal trade; they trade with the Fulani and Shuwa Arab herders for dairy products. Cowhide and goatskin are exported in quantity. Kanuri society is stratified into several distinct classes.
Fulani Tribe
The Fulanis are easily identified because of their nomadic nature and their occupation of cattle rearing. They speak Fulfude and also have a very large population in this state.
The Fulanis are responsible for the spread of Islam in Nigeria. This was made possible by the jihad movement. This people have the same cultures with the Hausas. They dress alike and eat the same foods.
Shira Tribe
This too is a tribe in the State of Kano. According to the oral tradition of the Sira or Punu 9 clans they migrated from the North via Egypt to Nubia where they settled in Merowé near the junctures of the Sira and Nile river between -500 BC and 100 AD. There by the Sira river was the place where they got that name from.
From the 6th to the 18th century they migrated from Nubia via Uganda and DRC into their actual area, after wars with other groups. Mulenda of the Kamba clan was the most important of the chiefs; he owned 300–400 slaves, and died of smallpox in 1885.
Teshena Tribe
No doubt, this tribe is a minor tribe in Kano state. They speak a language called the teshenawa. Teshenawa is an extinct Afro-Asiatic language formerly spoken in Teshena town of Kafin Hausa LGA, Jigawa State, Nigeria.
