Birnin Kebbi is the capital of Kebbi State in northwestern Nigeria and serves as the headquarters of the Gwandu Emirate. The city is a significant cultural and administrative center, predominantly inhabited by the Hausa and Fulani people. Islam is the dominant religion in the region, shaping much of its traditions and way of life. As of 2007, the city's population was estimated at 125,594. Birnin Kebbi plays an essential role in regional trade and agriculture, contributing to the economy through farming and livestock rearing.
Kebbi, state, northwestern Nigeria. It was created in 1991 from the southwestern half of Sokoto state. Kebbi borders the nations of Niger to the west and Benin to the southwest, and it shares boundaries with the Nigerian states of Sokoto and Zamfara to the north and east, and Niger to the south. The state consists of short-grass savanna, drained southwestward by the Niger River and its tributary, the Sokoto (Kebbi) River. A significant portion of the Kainji Reservoir, formed by the Kainji Dam further downstream on the Niger River, lies in the southern part of the state.
Agriculture is the backbone of Kebbi’s economy, with riverine floodplains producing cash crops such as peanuts (groundnuts), cotton, and rice. Subsistence farming is also common, with crops like sorghum, millet, cowpeas, and onions. Large portions of land are dedicated to grazing cattle, goats, and sheep. The major ethnic groups in the state include the Fulani, Hausa, Dakarki (Dakarawa), and Kamberi, with the majority of the population practicing Islam.
Birnin Kebbi, the state capital, serves as an administrative and educational hub, hosting a polytechnic institute established in 1976. The city is well connected by major roads, facilitating trade and transportation within the region.
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