Borno State
Discover Borno State
Borno State is a state in North East Nigeria. It is the second-largest state in the area of the 36 states in the country, only behind Niger State which is the largest. In 2016, its population was estimated to be about 5.86 million. Geographically, the state is divided between the semi-desert Sahelian savanna in the north and the West Sudanian savanna in the centre and south with a part of the montane Mandara Plateau in the southeast. In the far northeast of the state is the Nigerian portion of Lake Chad and the Lake Chad flooded savanna ecoregion; the lake is fed by the Yobe River which forms the state's border with Niger until it reaches the lakebed. In the centre of the state is part of the Chad Basin National Park, a large national park that contains populations of black crowned crane, spotted hyena, patas monkey, and roan antelope along with transient herds of some of Nigeria's last remaining African bush elephants.
What to Experience in Borno State
Taste of Borno State...
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Climate
The climate of Borno state is characteristic of rainfall variability, with a strong latitudinal zone, which is drier in this northeastern state. The commencement of the rainy season in this northeast state is around June/July of every year, which is far behind the southeastern states. The trade wind, also regarded as the harmattan season is often experienced in the state between the months of December and February. There is a reduction in rainfall from 3,800 mm to below 650 mm in the state, hence it rains in the state between the range of 4 and 5 months annually.The state experiences high relative humidity annually. The hottest period in the state is in the month of May, with an average of 34 °C while the month of January is the coldest with an annual average of 23 °C. The wettest month is August with an average of 118.6 mm while the windiest month is December with an average of 11 km/h.
Essential Information
Getting There
Multiple OptionsBuses are the main form of land transport and ABC Transport amongst others offers overnight from Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and daytime buses from Kano and Jos. And of course, you can get into Borno State by coming in your personal car. You can drive from any state into Borno State by journeying through the national roads A3, which continues towards N'Djamena, and A4 passes by here. Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State, offers a variety of local markets where visitors can purchase traditional items. The Monday Market is the largest and most popular, offering everything from fresh produce to handmade crafts, traditional textiles, leather goods, and local spices. Shoppers can also find Kanuri hats, woven baskets, and locally made jewelry. There is a lot of unrest in Borno State due to the widespread terrorism activity, kidnapping, and general unrest in the state....
Getting Around & Staying
Getting Around
Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State, offers a variety of local markets where visitors can purchase traditional items. The Monday Market is the largest and most popular, offering everything from fresh produce to handmade crafts, traditional textiles, leather goods, and local spices. Shoppers can also find Kanuri hats, woven baskets, and locally made jewelry. There is a lot of unrest in Borno State due to the widespread terrorism activity, kidnapping, and general unrest in the state. It is not very advisable to travel to Borno State now (updated, December 2021) as you are not sure when unrest would start, and if you must travel, at least for now (December 2021) ensure you go by plane and confirm if there is no Curfew ongoing in the state at the time to prevent you getting into the state when there is insurgency or problem of any kind. There are several FM stations across Borno State, offering a mix of music, news, and talk shows.
Money & Budget
Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State, offers a variety of local markets where visitors can purchase traditional items. The Monday Market is the largest and most popular, offering everything from fresh produce to handmade crafts, traditional textiles, leather goods, and local spices. Shoppers can also find Kanuri hats, woven baskets, and locally made jewelry. There is a lot of unrest in Borno State due to the widespread terrorism activity, kidnapping, and general unrest in the state.
Safety Information
Safety Overview
There is a lot of unrest in Borno State due to the widespread terrorism activity, kidnapping, and general unrest in the state. It is not very advisable to travel to Borno State now (updated, December 2021) as you are not sure when unrest would start, and if you must travel, at least for now (December 2021) ensure you go by plane and confirm if there is no Curfew ongoing in the state at the time to prevent you getting into the state when there is insurgency or problem of any kind. There are several FM stations across Borno State, offering a mix of music, news, and talk shows. Outside the capital, Radio Borno (BRC) can be received in many parts of the state, while the BBC World Service provides English-language broadcasts in major towns. Numerous smaller community radio stations also serve rural areas and local communities. A relatively new addition, Al’Ansar Radio (Lifetime Music Radio), broadcasts in English on 96.1 FM in Maiduguri.