Maiduguri is a local government area as well as the capital city of Borno state found in the Northeast geopolitical zone of Nigeria. Maiduguri is home to a number of ethnic groups which include the Hausa, Fulani, Kanuri, Shuwa and the Bura. The city of Maiduguri has an estimated population of 1,288, 056 inhabitants spread over the districts that make up the city which include Bolori, Bulabulin, Gamboru, Molai GRA, New GRA, Pompamari Housing Estate, NNPC depot, Lamisula, Mafoni,and Gwange. Tertiary institutions found in Maiduguri include the University of Miduguri, Kashim Ibrahim College of Education, Ramat Polytechnic, and the School of Health Technology.
The majority of the City’s population are Muslims with the Hausa and English languages as the predominant means of communication. The city of Maiduguri is home to a number of tasty indigenous dishes which include Denderu and Burabisco. Popular landmarks in Maiduguri include the University of Maiduguri, the Maiduguri international Airport, Sanda Kyarimi Park, West end Roundabout, Borno state Museum, Shehu of Borno Palace, Dujima international hotel, and the Maiduguri sports stadium which is the home of El-kanemi football club of Borno. Hospitals in Maiduguri town include the Kanem hospital and Maternity, Atal Medical Center, Borno Medical Center, University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, State specialist hospital, Royal Hospital, Umaru Shehu hospital, Neuropsychiatric hospital, and the Maiduguri General Hospital.
In recent times however, the city of Maiduguri has been plagued by a series of extreme violence precipitated by the activities of the terrorist Boko Haram sect which have claimed thousands of lives of the city’s dwellers since 2010 leading to the declaration of a state of emergency in the entire city and state by the government of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan in 2013 at the height of the Islamic sect’s nefarious activities.
The city of Maiduguri falls under the semi-arid climate with temperatures being usually hot and dry. Maiduguri has a total area of 9,086 km squared with a 320 meters elevation. Average humidity is at 18 percent while the average annual temperature of the city is estimated at 35 degrees centigrade.
Maiduguri which lies along the Ngadde River has two prominent seasons which are the dry and rainy seasons with the dry season lasting much longer while the rains are intermittent and generally light bringing total estimated annual rainfall at 800 mm.
Maiduguri as the capital city of Borno state is home to all of the state’s ministries, departments and Agencies and subsequently has a sizeable portion of the city’s population as civil servants. Also, the city of Maiduguri has a favourable Agricultural output with Crops such as millet, sorghum, and beans produced in substantial quantities.
Animal rearing is also a key feature of the economic life of Maiduguri city while commerce is also a popular economic venture with markets such as the Moru-Moru market, Maiduguri cattle market, Shanu cattle market, Jagwal market and the Monday Market attracting both buyers and sellers on a daily basis.
The place now known as Maiduguri was formerly known as Yerwa and was home to the centuries- old Kanem-Bornu empire. The city was divided into two parts; Yerwa which was later chosen by Shehu Abubakar Gabai of Borno to replace Kukawa as the traditional capital of the Kanuri people and the old Maiduguri which became the military headquarters of the British administration in the region.
The modern city of Maiduguri was founded by the British as a military outpost and has been the capital city of Borno state since 1976 following the state’s creation from the defunct Northeastern State.
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