Northern Region, Nigeria

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Northern Nigeria Arewacin Najeriya (Hausa)
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: Aiki da Ibada "Work and Worship"
Anthem: National Anthem of Northern Nigeria
Capital	Lokoja (1897–1903) Zungeru (1903–1923) Kaduna (1923–1966)
Largest city	Kano
Official languages	Hausa language
Major languages	Hausa Fulani Kanuri Yoruba
Government	Constitutional Monarchy (1897–1963) Federation (1963–1966)
• Governors	Sir Kashim Ibrahim
• Premier of Northern Nigeria	Sir Ahmadu Bello
Legislature	Northern Regional Legislature
• Upper house	House of Chiefs[1]
• Lower house	House of Assembly[1]
Establishment
• Proclamation of Protectorate	1897
• Independence	15 March 1953
• Republic declared	1 October 1963
Area
• Total	660,000 km2 (250,000 sq mi)
Population
• Estimate	9,000,000 [citation needed]
• 1950 census census	6,383,682 [citation needed]
Preceded by Succeeded by Northern Nigeria Protectorate Federation of Nigeria
Today part of	Nigeria

Part of a series on the
History of Northern Nigeria
Timeline Prehistory Hausa States Kwararafa Confederacy Sokoto Period Kanem Bornu Pre-colonial Colonial Period Protectorate Period 1953–1960 1963–1966 1966–1979 1979–1983 1983–1993 1993–1999 1999–present
By ethnicity Hausa People Fulani People Kanuri People Nupe People Igbirra People
By topic Pacification of Northern Nigeria Culture Demographics Diplomacy Economics Historiography Medicine Military Women
By state Adamawa Bauchi Benue Borno Gombe Jigawa Kaduna Kano Katsina Kebbi Kogi Kwara Nassarawa Niger Plateau Sokoto Taraba Yobe Zamfara
v t e

Northern Nigeria (or Arewancin Nijeriya) was an autonomous division within Nigeria, distinctly different from the southern part of the country, with independent customs, foreign relations and security structures. In 1962, it acquired the territory of the British Northern Cameroons, which voted to become a province within Northern Nigeria.^[2]

In 1967, Northern Nigeria was divided into the North-Eastern State, North-Western State, Kano State, Kaduna State, Kwara State, and the Benue-Plateau State, each with its own Governor.^[3]