History is not fiction. It is an actual event that occurred and has implications. African nations were, for a long time in darkness until the light of life began to show up as a result of the works of missionaries from Europe.
By the time Christianity entered a nation like Nigeria, several occultic events had happened and these events had given the land a culture. Several men have accessed demonic portals that gave them great influence over the land. Territories were named after several things that were possessed by demons like rivers, mountains, bushes and men.
A good understanding of these origins give us a better stance in warfare. I got these information about two years ago, but I believe this is the right time to share it. Go through this list with an open heart and pray as led by the Spirit of God.
Name signifies nature. The name of a person, place or thing determines the nature. So, when a state is named after a river, you can expect that river to have influence in the culture and experiences of the people in that territory
Abia: 4 TRIBES
Abia is an acronym derived from the name of the four main groups of the people in the state as at the time it was formed in 1991: Aba, Bende, Isuikwuato & Afikpo.
Adamawa: A MAN
This state was named after a warrior that conquered the region in the beginning of the 19th century. His name was Modibbo Adama Bin Ardo Hassan.
Akwa-Ibom: A RIVER
Akwa Ibom is named after a river, the Qua Iboe (or Kwa Iboe) River.
Anambra: A RIVER
It was derived from the name of the Oma Mbala
(Omambala) River (in Igbo, the native name of the river is Ànyịm Ọma Mbala).
Bauchi: A TRIBE; A MAN
There are 3 versions of how Bauchi got its name. One version says ‘Bauchi’ is Hausa word meaning the southern flanks of Hausaland. Tribes living in the southern parts of the Hausaland were referred to as "kasashen bauchi".
Bauchi. According to the second version, the state was named after Baushe, a famous hunter who settled there before the 19th century while the third states that ‘bauchi’ is Hausa word for slavery since it was a center for slave traders.
Bayelsa:3 RIVERS
Bayelsa was formed as a result of the clamour from the three LGAs in old Rivers (Brass LGA known as BALGA, Yenagoa LGA known as YELGA and Sagbama LGA – SALGA). The name came about from the combination of their acronymns.
BA + YEL + SA = BAYELSA.
Benue: RIVER
It is a word from the Batta language ‘Binuwe’ which means ‘Mother of Waters’.
Borno: A TRIBE
The name was derived from ‘Borno’, an alternative name of the Kanuris who form the predominant ethnic group in the state.
Cross River: A RIVER
The state took its name from a River called Oyono or Cross River.
Delta: A RIVER
It was named after the delta of the River Niger formed as it enters the Atlantic Ocean.
Ebonyi: A RIVER
The state was named after the Aboine River that cuts through Abakaliki, the state capital.
Edo: A TRIBE
Named after the Bini people who had always referred to themselves as Edo or Iduu
Ekiti: MOUNTAINS
‘Ekiti’ is a term that is said to denote a settlement of many hills.
Enugu: TOP OF THE HILL
Enugu derived its name from two local words "enu" & "ugwu" which means ‘top of the hill’.
Gombe: TRIBE
Named after the dialect of Fulani language (Fulfulde) spoken in the area ‘Gombe’.
Imo: RIVER
This state is named after the Imo River (Mmiri Imo).
Jigawa: THE SOIL
The state was named after its distinctively golden-coloured soil, Jigawa.
Kaduna: RIVER
The state after the crocodiles in Kaduna River. "Kadduna" is Hausa plural word for crocodiles.
Kano: A MAN
The state was named after a blacksmith of the Gaya tribe who settled in the area while sourcing for ironstone. His name was Kano.
Katsina: A WOMAN
Katsina was named after the wife of the local ruler known as Janzama. Her name was Katsina.
Kebbi: KABBA IN MECCA
Legend has it that Kebbi was named after the Ka’abba in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
Kogi: RIVER
The name Kogi was said to have been derived from ‘kogi’, (hausa word for river). This is to represent the fact that the two biggest Rivers in Nigeria, River Niger and River Benue form a confluence in the state.
Kwara: RIVER
This was named after the River Niger which forms the Northern border of the state. The Nupes used to call the river, Kwara.
Lagos: RIVER
The name is a Portuguese word for lakes. The Portuguese were the first settlers from Europe to reach Lagos in 1472. The name was inspired by the lagoons and rivers in Lagos.
Nasarawa: A MAN
It was so named by the founder of Nasarawa kingdom, Makama Dogo. Nasarawa means Victorious.
Niger: RIVER
Niger Named after the popular River Niger.
Ogun: RIVER
Named after the Ogun River.
Ondo: SETTLERS/ A TRIBE
This was named after the settlers of the old Ondo Kingdom. Ondo is a word for settlers.
Osun: A RIVER
Like a number of other Nigerian states, it was also named after a river; River Osun.
Oyo: A TRIBE
It was named after the Old Oyo empire.
Plateau: A MOUNTAIN
The state was named for the Jos Plateau.
Rivers: A RIVER
A state with many water bodies, Rivers State was named for many of the rivers present in the area.
Sokoto: MARKET
Named after the defunct Sokoto Caliphate. Sokoto is the anglicized version of the Arabic word ‘suk’ which means ‘market’ or ‘place of commerce’.
Taraba: RIVER
The state was named after the Taraba River.
Yobe:RIVER
The state was named after Komadugu Yobe (Waube or Ouobe) or River Yobe (or River of Yo).
Zamfara: A LAND
Zamfarawa the land of Jambarawa.
Comments
Thanks for sharing.