Kano State (Hausa: Jihar Kano جِهَرْ كَنُوَ; Fula: 𞤤𞤫𞤴𞤣𞤭 𞤳𞤢𞤲𞤮𞥅, romanized: Leydi Kano) is one of the 36 states of Nigeria, located in the northern region of the country.^[5] According to the national census done in 2006, Kano State is the most populous state 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.^[6][7] Created in 1967 out of the former Northern Region, Kano State borders on Katsina State to the northwest for about 210 km (130 miles), Jigawa State to the northeast for 355 km (221 miles), Bauchi State to the southeast for 131 km (82 miles), and Kaduna State to the southwest for 255 km.^[5] The state’s capital and largest city is the city of Kano, the second most populous city in Nigeria after Lagos.^[5] The incumbent governor of the state is Abba Kabir Yusuf. He was sworn in on 29 May 2023.^[8]

Modern day Kano State was the site of a number of prior kingdoms and empires, including the Kingdom of Kano, which was centered in Dala Hill (Dutsen Dala) and existed from prior to 1000 AD to 1349.^[9] In 1349, the Sultanate of Kano was established with Yaji I as its first Sultan.^[10] In the 15th century, Kurmi Market was opened, which helped Kano become a center of commercial activity in Hausaland;^[11] the market remains open in the 21st century and its historic importance is reflected in the state’s nickname, the Centre of Commerce.^[12] During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Sultanate of Kano established itself as the most powerful of the Hausa Kingdoms.^[13] In 1903, the British Empire conquered the Kano Emirate, incorporating it region into the Northern Nigeria Protectorate.^[14] The major ethnic groups in pre-colonial Kano City were the Hausa, Fulani, Barebari (Kanuri), Tuareg, Arab, Nupe and some tribes from the southern Nigeria. Most of the people in Kano city have come to use the Hausa language as a first language and some have accepted Hausa as an ethnic identification.^[15]

Since independence, Kano State has developed a diverse economy, establishing itself as a center for industry,^[16] agriculture,^[17] and Islamic banking.^[18] The Hausa and Fulani make up the majority of Kano State’s population.^[19] The Hausa language is the dominant language in the state, as it is in most of Northern Nigeria.^[20][21] Challenges faced by Kano State in the 21st century include attacks by the Islamist terrorist group Boko Haram,^[22][23][24] inter-religious violence,^[25][26] and extreme poverty.^[27] 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.^[28]