Map of Yobe

History

Yobe State came into being on 27 August 1991. It was carved out of the old Borno State by the Babangida administration. Yobe State was created because the old Borno State was one of Nigeria's largest states in terms of land area and was therefore considered to be too large for easy administration and meaningful development. Ethnic rivalries within the old Borno State also contributed to the decision.

On 3 September 2024, Islamic State militants attacked a village in Yobe State, killing at least 130 villagers accused of collaborating with the Nigerian military.

Geography

The state borders four states: Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, and Jigawa. Yobe State shares borders with Borno State to the east for about 421 km, Gombe State to the south for 140 km (in the vicinity of Gongola River), Bauchi State for 188 km (117 miles) and Jigawa State for 193 km (120 miles) to the west and the Republic of Niger to the north for about 352 km. It borders to the north the Diffa and Zinder Regions of Niger. Because the state lies mainly in the dry savanna belt, conditions are hot and dry for most of the year, except in the southern part of the state which has more annual rainfall.

The climate condition of Yobe is warm with daily temperature of 37 °C (98.6 °F). November being the sunniest month and rainy day is between August and December.

Economy

While Yobe state is an agricultural state, it also has rich mineral deposits, including gypsum in Fika and kaolin in Fune local government and very rich agricultural resources as well. The State's agricultural produce include gum arabic, groundnuts, beans, and cotton. The State also has one of the largest cattle markets in West Africa, located in Potiskum.