Map - Kano State (Kano State)

Kano State (Hausa: Jihar Kanoجىِهَر كَنوُ) (Fula: Leydi Kano ????? ????? ) is one of the 36 states of Nigeria, located in the northern region of the country. According to the national census done in 2006, Kano State is the most populous in Nigeria. The recent official estimates taken in 2016 by the National Bureau of Statistics found that Kano State was still the largest state by population in Nigeria. Created in 1967 from the former Northern Region, Kano State borders Katsina State to the northwest, Jigawa State to the northeast, Bauchi State to the southeast, and Kaduna State to the southwest. The state's capital and largest city is the city of Kano, the second most populous city in Nigeria after Lagos. The incumbent governor of the state is Abdullahi Umar Ganduje. He was sworn in on May 29, 2015.

Modern day Kano State was the site of numerous kingdoms and empires, including the Kingdom of Kano, which was centered in Dalla Hill and existed from prior to 1000 AD to 1349. In 1349, the Sultanate of Kano would be established with Yaji I as its first Sultan. In the 15th century, Kurmi Market was opened, which helped Kano become a center of commercial activity in Hausaland; the market remains open in the 21st century and its historic importance is reflected in the state's nickname, the Centre of Commerce. During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Sultanate of Kano would establish itself as the most powerful of the Hausa Kingdoms. In 1903, the British Empire conquer the Kano Emirate, incorporating the region into the Northern Nigeria Protectorate. The major ethnic groups in pre-colonial Kano City were the Hausa, Fulani, Beriberi (Kanuri), Tuareg, Arab, Nupe, and some tribes from the southern Nigeria. Most people in Kano city have come to use the Hausa language as a first language and some have accepted Hausa as an ethnic identification.

Since independence, Kano State has developed a diverse economy, establishing itself as a center for industry, agriculture, and Islamic banking. The Hausa and Fulani make up a majority of Kano State's population. The Hausa language is the dominant language in the state, as it is in most of Northern Nigeria. Challenges faced by Kano State in the 21st century include attacks by Islamist terrorist group Boko Haram, inter-religious violence, and extreme poverty. A Muslim-majority state, Kano State is one of the twelve states in Nigeria to operate under Sharia law within the legal framework of the Nigerian Constitution.

An important early center of commerce in the region was Kurmi Market, founded by the Emir of Kano Muhammadu Rumfa in 1463 CE. Subsequent leaders made contributions to the emergence of Kano as a leading commercial centre in Sudanic Africa. During the time of the Kano Emirate, Emir Ibrahim Dabo made a number of administrative reforms, seeking to increase commerce in the region.

Leaders during this time encouraged traders to move from Katsina, capitalising on raids from the Hausa Sultanate of Maradi. The Jihad leaders of the Caliphate encouraged Kola nut trade, and Kano was the greatest beneficiary with an annual turnover of about $30 million. Craft industries also evolved in the pre-colonial period contributing to the prosperity of the province.

After a British occupation of the region, culminating in the Battle of Kano in February 1903, the region became a part of the Northern Nigeria Protectorate. Kano later became a part of the Northern Region of Nigeria. Kano state was created on May 27, 1967. In 1991, part of Kano State was separated to form Jigawa State.