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Jos
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Jos
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Jos /ˈdʒɔːs/ is a city in the North-Central region of Nigeria. The city has a population of about 900,000 residents based on the 2006 census.[2] Popularly called "J-Town",[3] it is the administrative capital and largest city of Plateau State. The city is situated on the Jos plateau which lies within the Guinea Savannah of North-Central Nigeria. It connects most of the North-Eastern capitals to the Federal Capital Territory Abuja, by road. Driving in and out of Jos, traffic encounters very steep and windy bends and mountainous sceneries typical of the plateau, from which the state derives its name.

Key Information

During the period of British colonial rule, Jos became an important centre for tin mining after large deposits of cassiterite, the main ore for the metal, were discovered. It is also the trading hub of Plateau State as commercial activities are steadily increasing.

History

[edit]

The earliest known settlers of the land that would come to be known as Nigeria were the Nok people (c. 1000 BC), skilled artisans from around the Jos area who mysteriously vanished in the late first millennium.[4]

Early British settlement in Jos, 1905

According to the historian Sen Luka Gwom Zangabadt,[5] the area known as Jos today was inhabited by indigenous ethnic groups who were mostly farmers. During the British colonial period, direct rule was introduced for the indigenous ethnic groups on the Jos Plateau since they were not under the Fulani emirates where indirect rule was used.[6] According to the historian Samuel N Nwabara, the Fulani empire controlled most of northern Nigeria, except the Plateau province and the Berom, Ngas, Tiv, Jukun and Idoma ethnic groups.[7] It was the discovery of tin by the British that led to the influx of other ethnic groups such as the Hausa from the north, southeastern Igbo, and Yoruba from the country's southwest. As such, Jos is often recognised as a cosmopolitan Nigerian city.

According to the white paper of the commission of inquiry into the 1894 crisis, Ames, a British colonial administrator, said that the original name for Jos was Gwosh in the Izere language (spoken by the Afusari, the first settlers in the area), which was a village situated at the current site of the city; according to Ames, the Hausa, who arrived there after, wrongly pronounced Gwosh as "Jos" and it stuck.[8] Another version was that "Jos" came from the word "Jasad" meaning body in Arabic. To distinguish it from the hilltops, it was called "Jas", which was mispronounced by the British as "Jos". It grew rapidly after the British discovered vast tin deposits in the vicinity. Both tin and columbite were extensively mined in the area up until the 1960s. They were transported by railway to both Port Harcourt and Lagos on the coast, and then exported from those ports. Jos is still often referred to as "Tin City". It was made capital of Benue-Plateau State in 1967 and became the capital of the new Plateau State in 1975. Jos has become an important national administrative, commercial, and tourist centre. Tin mining led to the influx of migrants (mostly Igbos, Yorubas and Europeans) who constitute more than half of the population of Jos. This "melting pot" of race, ethnicity and religion makes Jos one of the most cosmopolitan cities in Nigeria. For this reason, Plateau State is known in Nigeria as the "home of peace and tourism".

Excellent footage of Jos in 1936 including the tin mines, local people and the colonial population is held by the Cinema Museum in London [ref HM0172].

Political divisions

[edit]
The Nasco corporate headquarters is in Jos

The city is divided into 2 local government areas of Jos North and Jos South. The city proper lies between Jos North and parts of Jos South headquartered in Bukuru.

Jos-North

The Local Government Council administration is headquartered here. Jos North is the commercial nerve centre of the state as it houses the state's branch of Nigeria's Central Bank and the headquarters of the commercial banks are mostly located here as well as the currency exchanges along Ahmadu Bello Way. Moreover, all basic and essential services can be found in Jos North from the Jos Main market (terminus) to the Kabong or Rukuba Road satellite market. Due to recent communal clashes, however, a lot of commercial activities are shifting to Jos South.

The palace and office of the Gbong Gwom Jos (traditional ruler of Jos) are located in an area in Jos North called Jishe in the Berom language. In 1956, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II together with her consort Prince Philip had a weekend stopover to rest at Jishe during her Nigeria tour.[9] Jishe was known at that time as Tudun Wada cottage. Jos North has a significant slum.[10] Jos North is the location of the University of Jos and its teaching hospital at Laminga & the National Commission for Museums and Monuments. The Nigerian Film Institute is also located in Jos-North at the British America junction along Murtala Mohammed way. Both the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) and the Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN) are headquartered in this part of the metropolis.

Jos-South

Jos South is the second most populous Local Government Area in Plateau State and has its Council located along Bukuru expressway. Jos South is the seat of the Governor i.e. the old Government House in Rayfield and the New Government House in Little Rayfield and the industrial centre of Plateau State due to the presence of industries like the NASCO group of companies, Standard Biscuits, Grand Cereals and Oil Mills, Zuma steel west Africa, aluminium roofing industries, Jos International Breweries among others. Jos South also houses prestigious institutions like the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), the highest academic awarding institution in Nigeria, the Police Staff College, the NTA television college, Nigerian Film Corporation and Karl Kumm University. Jos South also houses the prestigious National Centre For Remote Sensing. The city has formed an agglomeration with the town of Bukuru to form the Jos-Bukuru metropolis (JBM). Jos also is the seat of the famous National Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI), situated in Vom.[11] and the Industrial Training Fund (ITF).

Geography and climate

[edit]

Situated almost at the geographical centre of Nigeria and about 179 kilometres (111 miles) from Abuja, the nation's capital, Jos is linked by road, rail and air to the rest of the country. The city is served by Yakubu Gowon Airport, but its rail connections no longer operate as the only currently operational section of Nigeria's rail network is the western line from Lagos to Kano.

At an altitude of 1,217 m (3,993 ft) above sea level, Jos' climate is closer to temperate than that of the vast majority of Nigeria. Average monthly temperatures range from 21–25 °C (70–77 °F), and from mid-November to late January, night-time temperatures drop as low as 7 °C (45 °F). Hail sometimes falls during the rainy season because of the cooler temperatures at high altitudes.[12] These cooler temperatures have, from colonial times until the present day, made Jos a favourite holiday location for both tourists and expatriates based in Nigeria.[citation needed]

Jos receives about 1,400 millimetres (55 inches) of rainfall annually, the precipitation arising from both convectional and orographic sources, owing to the location of the city on the Jos Plateau.[13]

According to the Köppen climate classification system, Jos has a tropical savanna climate, abbreviated Aw.[14]

Climate data for Jos (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1947–1970, 1991–2020)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 35
(95) 		34.5
(94.1) 		35.6
(96.1) 		36
(97) 		35.3
(95.5) 		32.2
(90.0) 		29.2
(84.6) 		30
(86) 		29.5
(85.1) 		34
(93) 		31.7
(89.1) 		32
(90) 		36.0
(96.8)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 28.3
(82.9) 		30.2
(86.4) 		31.9
(89.4) 		30.8
(87.4) 		28.4
(83.1) 		26.4
(79.5) 		24.6
(76.3) 		24.1
(75.4) 		26.0
(78.8) 		27.5
(81.5) 		28.3
(82.9) 		28.0
(82.4) 		27.9
(82.2)
Daily mean °C (°F) 20.0
(68.0) 		22.1
(71.8) 		24.5
(76.1) 		24.7
(76.5) 		23.4
(74.1) 		21.9
(71.4) 		20.8
(69.4) 		20.5
(68.9) 		21.4
(70.5) 		21.9
(71.4) 		20.8
(69.4) 		19.8
(67.6) 		21.8
(71.2)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 11.8
(53.2) 		14.0
(57.2) 		17.0
(62.6) 		18.6
(65.5) 		18.4
(65.1) 		17.5
(63.5) 		17.0
(62.6) 		16.9
(62.4) 		16.8
(62.2) 		16.4
(61.5) 		13.3
(55.9) 		11.5
(52.7) 		15.8
(60.4)
Record low °C (°F) 1.1
(34.0) 		7.2
(45.0) 		10
(50) 		12.5
(54.5) 		12
(54) 		13
(55) 		11
(52) 		9.5
(49.1) 		10
(50) 		10.0
(50.0) 		8
(46) 		6
(43) 		1.1
(34.0)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 0.4
(0.02) 		5.1
(0.20) 		13.4
(0.53) 		93.2
(3.67) 		176.5
(6.95) 		207.1
(8.15) 		248.7
(9.79) 		255.5
(10.06) 		181.9
(7.16) 		58.7
(2.31) 		1.2
(0.05) 		1.2
(0.05) 		1,242.9
(48.93)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) 0.1 0.3 1.2 6.8 13.3 14.7 19.0 19.6 15.1 5.9 0.1 0.2 96.3
Average relative humidity (%) 21.5 20.6 28.7 52.7 70.3 76.7 81.7 86.1 83.1 73.2 47.0 29.4 55.9
Mean monthly sunshine hours 282.1 254.8 238.7 204.0 204.6 198.0 158.1 139.5 177.0 238.7 285.0 288.3 2,668.8
Percentage possible sunshine 79 78 64 56 53 53 41 37 49 65 82 81 61
Source 1: NOAA (sunshine 1961–1990)[15][16]
Source 2: DWD (extremes)[17]

Education

[edit]

Jos is home to University of Jos one of the largest University in Nigeria. The institution is very prominent in the fields of Agriculture, Science, Finance, Medicine and Law. The school is known for the large number of elites from the region that passed through its academic buildings and counts among its alumni former Nigerian heads of state, Yakubu Gowon.

Jos is also the base for the Nigerian Film Corporation, Federal College of Forestry, NTA TV College, Karl kumm University, Jos University Teaching Hospital, Bingham University Teaching Hospital, Some historic secondary school in the city is the Air force military school.

Features

[edit]
330 Nigerian Air Force station Jos

the 330 Nigerian Air Force station is located in the Jos South Local Government area along the old airport road. The station boasts blocks of barracks for air personnel, an airstrip, a primary school, a military secondary school and a hospital which is arguably one of the best in the state.

Fruit for sale at the Park Market.
Jos Wildlife Park
An elephant at Jos Wildlife Park

Covering roughly 3 square miles (7.8 km2) of savannah bush and established in 1972 under the administration of then Governor of Benue-Plateau Joseph Gomwalk in alliance with a mandate by the then Organisation of African Unity to African heads of state to earmark one-third of their landmass to establish conservation areas in each of their countries, It has since then become a major attraction in the state, attracting tourists from within and outside the country. The park has become a home to various species of wildlife including Lions, Rock pythons, marabou storks, Baboons, Honey Badgers, Camels as well as variant flora.

Ahmadu Bello Way roundabout in central Jos.
Jos Museum

The National Museum in Jos was founded in 1952 by Bernard Fagg,[18] and was recognized as one of the best in the country. It has unfortunately been left to fall to ruin as is the case with most of the cultural establishments in Nigeria. The Pottery Hall is also a part of the museum that has an exceptional collection of finely crafted pottery from all over Nigeria and boasts some fine specimens of Nok terracotta heads and artefacts dating from 500 BCE to 200 CE. It also incorporates the Museum of Traditional Nigerian Architecture with life-size replicas of a variety of buildings, from the walls of Kano and the Mosque at Zaria to a Tiv village. Articles of interest from colonial times relating to the railway and tin mining can also be found on display. A School for Museum Technicians is attached to the museum, established with the help of UNESCO. The Jos Museum is also located beside the zoo.

Jos Polo Club

Situated at the end of Joseph Gomwalk Road, the Jos Polo Club is one of the prominent sports institutions in the state.

Jos Stadium

A 40,000-seat capacity located along Farin-Gada road which has become home to the Plateau United Football Club, Current champions of The Nigerian Professional League. Rwang Pam township stadium Jos.

Jos Golf Course

The golf course located in Rayfield, Jos has hosted many golfing competitions with players coming from both within and outside the state.

Other local enterprises include food processing, beer brewing, and the manufacture of cosmetics, soap, rope, jute bags, and furniture. Heavy industry produces cement and asbestos cement, crushed stone, rolled steel, and tyre retreads. Jos is also a centre for the construction industry and has several printing and publishing firms. The Jos-Bukuru dam and reservoir on the Shen River provide water for the city's industries.

Riyom Rocks

Jos is a base for exploring Plateau State. The Shere Hills, seen to the east of Jos, offer a prime view of the city below. Assop Falls is a small waterfall which makes a picnic spot on a drive from Jos to Abuja. Riyom Rock is a dramatic and photogenic pile of rocks balanced precariously on top of one another, with one resembling a clown's hat, observable from the main Jos-Akwanga road.[19]

The city is home to the University of Jos (founded in 1975), St Luke's Cathedral, an airport and a railway station. Jos is served by several teaching hospitals including Bingham University Teaching Hospital and Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH), a federal government-funded referral hospital.[20] The Nigerian College of Accountancy, with over 3,000 students in 2011, is based in Kwall, Plateau State.[21]

Three men dressed as evil spirits
The Jos Ceremony. Horsemen with spears and sticks, 1970–1973.

Notable people

[edit]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Jos

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia

Jos is the capital city of Plateau State in central Nigeria, situated on the Jos Plateau at an elevation of approximately 1,200 meters above sea level, which endows it with a cooler, more temperate climate than surrounding lowland areas.
Established in the early 20th century as a hub for tin mining under British colonial administration, following the discovery of rich cassiterite deposits around 1904, Jos rapidly grew into a multicultural center attracting laborers from across Nigeria and beyond, including Hausa-Fulani, Yoruba, Igbo, and international migrants.
The city's economy historically revolved around mineral extraction, peaking in the 1940s with tens of thousands of workers, though mining has declined, leaving environmental legacies such as scarred landscapes and abandoned sites.
Today, Jos functions as an administrative, educational, and tourism destination, hosting institutions like the University of Jos and attractions including the Jos Wildlife Park and natural rock formations, amid a diverse ethnic composition that includes indigenous Berom and Afizere alongside settler communities.
However, it has been defined by recurrent ethno-religious violence since the early 2000s, often pitting Christian indigenous groups against Muslim Hausa-Fulani settlers over issues of land, political representation, and identity, resulting in significant casualties and displacement.

History

Pre-colonial and indigenous settlement

The region, encompassing the area that would become Jos, exhibits evidence of dating to the , with archaeological findings associating early inhabitants with the , active from roughly 1500 BCE to 500 CE in central . The Berom, Afizere (also known as Jarawa), and Anaguta peoples emerged as the predominant indigenous groups, establishing clan-based villages amid the plateau's hilly terrain for defensive purposes against intermittent raids. Oral histories and linguistic analyses indicate Berom migrations across the plateau from sites like Jengre to areas near modern Jos, with continuous occupation evidenced by hilltop settlements and artifact scatters predating external influences. These groups sustained themselves through subsistence agriculture, cultivating crops such as yams, millet, and sorghum on the fertile volcanic soils, supplemented by hunting and early metallurgical practices. Tin exploitation, integral to tool-making, traces to at least the early 18th century, when local farmers smelted cassiterite deposits into stronger implements, leaving visible artificial puddles and slag heaps as archaeological markers of pre-industrial activity. Afizere communities, in particular, organized labor around familial land holdings, fostering dispersed settlements that prioritized clan autonomy over centralized authority. Prior to 19th-century migrations, the plateau's indigenous polities operated independently, resisting incorporation into Hausa-Fulani emirates through geographic isolation and martial traditions, with no records of large-scale Hausa-Fulani settlement or administrative control in the core Jos area. This preserved distinct ethnic identities centered on animist practices and kinship governance, unencumbered by jihadist expansions that subjugated lowland regions elsewhere in northern .

Colonial development and tin mining boom

British colonial interest in the Jos Plateau intensified in the early 1900s following the discovery of extensive tin deposits, with commercial mining operations commencing around 1903 after the suppression of local resistance. By 1906, tin production had begun in earnest, attracting European mining companies that capitalized on the region's rich alluvial and lode deposits, extracting thousands of tons annually and establishing Jos as a pivotal economic node in the Northern Protectorate. This boom spurred rapid labor migration, drawing thousands of workers, predominantly Hausa-Fulani from northern emirates such as Bauchi, Kano, and Zaria, who supplied manual labor for open-cast mining and formed transient communities around the camps. Under the policy of formalized by Frederick Lugard, British administrators outsourced governance in the Jos area to Hausa-Fulani intermediaries, appointing district heads from northern emirates to oversee indigenous Berom and Afizere groups despite their pre-existing non-Islamic polities. This hierarchical imposition, which privileged Muslim Hausa-Fulani elites linked to the system, subsumed local chiefly structures and fostered early indigene-settler distinctions by granting administrative authority and land access to migrants over native populations. Such arrangements, rationalized as efficient administration but rooted in colonial expediency, sowed seeds of by altering traditional and power dynamics without regard for ethnic or cultural incompatibilities. Infrastructure development accelerated with the extension of the Bauchi Light Railway from to Jos, completed in 1927, facilitating the transport of tin ore to coastal ports and boosting economic integration. The Plateau's temperate climate, with average temperatures of 21–25°C and cooler nights, enabled European officials and miners to establish permanent settlements, including administrative offices and a , positioning Jos as a preferred and regional headquarters distinct from the sweltering lowlands. This confluence of mining prosperity and climatic suitability transformed a sparsely populated highland area into a burgeoning colonial hub by the 1930s, though overreliance on extractive industry masked underlying social frictions.

Post-independence growth and urbanization

In 1967, the military government of General Yakubu Gowon created Benue-Plateau State by merging Benue and Plateau Provinces from the Northern Region, designating Jos as its capital. This administrative shift spurred initial population growth, with estimates placing Jos's metro area population at approximately 152,000 by 1970. On February 3, 1976, Benue-Plateau State was divided under General Murtala Mohammed's reforms, forming Plateau State with Jos retaining its role as capital, which accelerated rural-to-urban migration as residents sought opportunities in the expanding administrative center. The designation of Jos as state capital from onward intensified , driven by influxes from surrounding rural areas attracted to government jobs, improved , and services. This migration contributed to rapid spatial expansion, transforming Jos from a mining outpost into a burgeoning urban hub, with settlement areas growing significantly amid pressures on land and housing. By the late , the city's population had swelled, reflecting broader Nigerian trends where urban centers like Jos absorbed rural migrants post-independence. Economically, Jos diversified beyond declining —production of which peaked pre-independence and fell sharply after 1972 due to the —toward , , and tertiary services as the state capital. Government institutions and related employment became central, fostering growth in retail, education, and hospitality, though mining's legacy persisted in limited form. Early strains emerged in the through over , including land access and , pitting indigenous groups against Hausa-Fulani settlers drawn by economic prospects; these indigene-settler divides prefigured later escalations but were initially managed through local . Contestation centered on equitable distribution of urban benefits amid rapid demographic changes, with fears of domination exacerbating electoral and economic competitions.

Onset and escalation of ethno-religious conflicts

The ethno-religious conflicts in Jos originated with widespread riots in September 2001, triggered by the appointment of Alhaji Aminu Mato, a Muslim of Hausa-Fulani origin, as chairman of Jos North , which indigenous Christian groups viewed as an imposition favoring Hausa-Fulani settlers over local Berom, Afizere, and Anaguta communities. The clashes, erupting on and persisting for nearly two weeks until , pitted Christians against Muslims, resulting in over 1,000 deaths and the displacement of tens of thousands, with violence spreading to surrounding areas through retaliatory attacks on places of worship and neighborhoods. Escalation continued in November 2008 amid disputes over results, where Christian candidates alleged rigging by Muslim opponents, leading to riots on November 28-29 that killed more than 200 people, primarily through attacks and arson targeting ethnic enclaves. These events intertwined political grievances with religious targeting, as electoral losses for indigenous fueled perceptions of marginalization by Hausa-Fulani Muslim groups. In 2010, the pattern intensified with bombings on in Christian villages near Jos, killing at least 32 people and wounding over 70, followed by reprisal clashes that highlighted targeted assaults on Christian indigenes using explosives and . By early , post-national violence blended similar triggers, with riots after Jonathan's victory resulting in over 200 additional deaths in Jos, often involving sectarian killings of Christian residents in Muslim-majority areas and vice versa. Throughout these episodes from 2001 to , empirical patterns showed disproportionate attacks on Christian indigenes, including bombings of churches and villages, amid cycles of retaliation that claimed thousands overall, though official underreporting obscured precise figures.

Geography

Topography and location

Jos is situated in central Nigeria's , serving as the capital of , at coordinates approximately 9°56′ N, 8°53′ E. The city occupies the , a highland characterized by volcanic , including domes, vents, and cone clusters aligned predominantly northwest-southeast. The topography features elevations of about 1,238 meters above , with the broader plateau averaging 1,250 to 1,280 meters and rising to peaks like the Shere Hills at 1,829 meters. This elevated, undulating includes chains of highlands interspersed with flatter areas, shaped by younger granite ring complexes and overlying volcanic deposits. Geological features such as cassiterite-bearing tin deposits within the plateau's granitic formations have influenced early settlement by providing exploitable mineral resources. Jos lies roughly 180 kilometers northeast of via air distance, enhancing its connectivity as a regional .

Climate and environmental features

Jos, situated on the at an elevation of approximately 1,200 to 1,300 meters above , exhibits a temperate highland that starkly contrasts with the predominantly tropical conditions across much of . This elevation moderates temperatures, resulting in an annual average of about 21.8°C, with daytime highs generally between 25°C and 28°C and nighttime lows ranging from 15°C to 18°C, though dry-season minima can occasionally descend to near 7°C. The region follows a unimodal rainfall , with a spanning to delivering around 1,315 mm annually, primarily through afternoon thunderstorms that pose risks on the plateau's undulating terrain and steep slopes. The subsequent dry season, from November to March, brings winds—dust-laden northeasterly gusts originating from the —that lower humidity, exacerbate , and contribute to hazy skies and respiratory challenges. Ecologically, the surrounding supports a forest-grassland , classified as the Jos Plateau forest-grassland , which harbors notable including endemic small mammals such as the Nigerian mole rat and various bird species adapted to montane grasslands and inselbergs. However, historical has driven significant , reducing vegetative cover and fragmenting habitats, with studies indicating accelerated tree loss rates—Nigeria's among the world's highest at over 3% annually in affected areas—and consequent declines in species abundance. These pressures, compounded by seasonal during heavy rains, threaten the plateau's fragile stability and grassland integrity.

Demographics

The 2006 Nigerian census recorded a population of 429,300 in Jos North Local Government Area (LGA), the densest urban core of Jos, with Jos South LGA at approximately 237,000, contributing to a combined figure of around 666,000 for these key areas central to the city's metropolitan growth. Broader estimates for the Jos metropolitan area placed the 2006 population at 679,000. Subsequent projections indicate the metropolitan population exceeded 900,000 by and reached 1,001,000 in 2024, reflecting sustained expansion. Annual growth rates have averaged 3-3.4% in recent years, surpassing Nigeria's national rate of about 2.1%, primarily fueled by high , rural-urban migration for economic opportunities, and inflows from internal displacement caused by conflicts in surrounding rural areas. Population density remains heavily concentrated in Jos North and Jos South LGAs, with Jos North projected at 2,489 persons per square kilometer in 2022, underscoring pressures on infrastructure and land use in these zones. Rural-urban migration patterns have accelerated sprawl, with migrants adapting to life amid challenges like shortages, though natural increase continues to dominate overall demographic shifts.

Ethnic composition and indigene-settler dynamics

The indigenous ethnic groups of Jos comprise the Berom, Afizere, and Anaguta, who maintain historical claims to the based on pre-colonial settlement patterns as farmers and highland dwellers. Among these, the Berom represent the largest group, with concentrations in Jos North, Jos South, and surrounding local government areas of , where they form the core of native Plateau identity. The Afizere, also known as Jarawa, and Anaguta occupy adjacent territories, including high-ground ancestral lands in Jos East and North, asserting continuous occupancy predating external migrations. Settler populations, primarily Hausa-Fulani communities, emerged in Jos from the early 1900s onward, drawn by British colonial tin mining operations that attracted labor migrants from northern and beyond. Fulani groups specifically settled around 1910 for pastoral opportunities amid the plateau's grasslands and lower disease prevalence, while Hausa traders and workers—encompassing assimilated groups like Nupe, Kanuri, and Beriberi—established urban enclaves, particularly in Jos North, through economic integration during the mining era. These communities, often self-identifying as Jasawa, have grown into significant demographic blocs via generational residence and intermarriage, yet face classification as non-indigenous by Plateau natives. Indigene-settler dynamics revolve around competing claims to rights, particularly indigene certificates that confer preferences in land allocation, hiring, university admissions, and elective offices under Nigeria's federal character principle. Indigenous groups prioritize certificates for those demonstrating ancestral ties, viewing influxes as diluting native entitlements, while Hausa-Fulani advocates press for inclusion after decades or centuries of contribution to local development, citing residency since the mining boom. This framework has enabled gains in , such as Hausa-Fulani control of Jos North chairmanship from colonial times through the 1990s, prompting indigenous pushes for , including 1990 restrictions on certificate issuance in Plateau jurisdictions to curb perceived overreach.

Religious demographics

Christians form the majority of Jos's population, predominantly among indigenous groups such as the Berom, Afizere, and Anaguta, while , chiefly Hausa-Fulani settlers, constitute a significant minority. In , encompassing Jos, are estimated at around 30% of the population, implying a Christian majority of approximately 70%, though urban areas like Jos exhibit somewhat more balanced distributions due to settler influxes from colonial-era and subsequent . Official census data on religion is unavailable, rendering precise city-level figures reliant on surveys and academic estimates that vary amid ongoing migrations. Jos displays pronounced in its residential layout, with Muslim-majority neighborhoods clustered in the northern districts and Christian-dominated areas prevailing in the south and east. This pattern, accentuated since early 2000s conflicts, has produced "no-go" zones, limiting interfaith interactions and fostering enclave-based living. Such spatial divides align with ethno-religious identities, where indigene control southern peripheries and Muslims anchor northern commercial hubs like markets.

Government and Politics

Administrative structure and local government areas

Jos, the capital of Plateau State, Nigeria, is administratively fragmented across multiple local government areas (LGAs) rather than constituting a unified municipal entity. The city's metropolitan area primarily spans Jos North LGA, Jos South LGA, and portions of Jos East LGA, reflecting its evolution from colonial-era divisions where urban expansion outpaced rigid boundaries. These LGAs handle grassroots administration, including primary education, health services, and local infrastructure maintenance, under Nigeria's three-tier federal system established by the 1999 Constitution. Plateau State encompasses 17 LGAs in total, with Jos North, Jos South, and Jos East forming the core urban cluster around the state capital. Each LGA is governed by an elected chairman and , responsible for implementing state policies at the community level and collecting limited local revenues such as market fees. State oversight is provided by the , currently Manasseh Mutfwang of the Peoples Democratic Party, who assumed office on May 29, 2023, following elections amid legal challenges. The coordinates LGA activities through the Ministry of and Chieftaincy Affairs, ensuring alignment with state development plans. Federal involvement in Jos's administration manifests primarily through security deployments, as policing falls under national jurisdiction via the and units stationed in the due to its strategic resources. LGAs receive monthly allocations from the State Joint Local Government Account, funded by federal statutory transfers (approximately 20-25% of state inflows) and state internally generated revenue, including portions derived from consents and royalties on tin and other minerals extracted in the Jos area—though primary licensing resides with the federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development. In 2024, the state approved operations for 159 firms, underscoring the sector's role in bolstering local budgets despite federal dominance. This structure supports decentralized service delivery but has faced critiques for inefficiencies in revenue remittance and overlapping jurisdictions.

Political representation and indigene rights disputes

The Nigerian Constitution of 1999 grants indigenes—defined under Section 25 as citizens whose parents or grandparents were members of a community indigenous to a state—preferential access to quotas in employment, scholarships, and political appointments, such as the requirement in Section 147 for at least one ministerial nominee per state to be an indigene. In , this framework designates ethnic groups like the Berom, Afizere, and Anaguta as indigenes of Jos, while classifying long-resident Hausa-Fulani communities as settlers, thereby excluding them from these privileges despite their historical presence dating back to the early era. Settlers argue that such distinctions violate constitutional guarantees of equality and free movement under Sections 41 and 42, demanding recognition of rights over protracted residency, including equal eligibility for chairmanships and state assembly seats in Jos North . Political representation disputes intensified in Jos following the return to civilian rule in 1999, as indigene quotas fueled s over control of Jos North, a ethnically mixed area created in 1991 that serves as a flashpoint for allocating federal and state resources. Hausa-Fulani groups, who form a significant portion of the urban population, have pressed for to elections without indigene , citing their contributions to Jos's and demographics, while indigenes maintain that yielding representation would erode and traditional authority structures. A pivotal incident occurred in September 2001 when the appointment of Alhaji Aminu Mato, a Hausa-Fulani , as coordinator of the National Poverty Eradication Programme in Jos North—perceived as bypassing indigene preferences—led to legal challenges and widespread protests, highlighting how administrative posts tied to indigene status exacerbate representation imbalances. Electoral disputes have recurrently invoked indigene criteria, with courts nullifying outcomes in Jos North polls where candidates lacked verified indigene status, as seen in multiple reruns since the that reinforced settler grievances over unequal access to ballots and victories. Indigenes counter that these measures safeguard minority ethnic identities against demographic shifts from northern migration, preserving political leverage in a where state-level indigene policies often override national citizenship norms. Hausa-Fulani advocates, including community leaders, have pursued constitutional litigation, such as the 2011 challenge by the Consultative Forum questioning Plateau's indigene policies, though resolutions remain pending, underscoring ongoing tensions between federal equality principles and subnational heritage protections.

Economy

Mining and resource extraction

Tin mining on the Jos Plateau commenced commercially in the early 1900s, following the discovery of deposits around 1902, with initial production reaching 1.36 tons in 1904 and escalating to 5,573 tons within a decade. Output peaked in 1943 at 15,842 tons, supported by over 80,000 African laborers engaged in extraction and processing activities. This era positioned the Jos region as Nigeria's primary tin hub, fueling colonial economic interests through alluvial and primary vein deposits. Post-World War II, the sector experienced sharp contraction due to synthetic substitutes, fluctuating international prices, and a national pivot toward exports by the . ranked as the world's sixth-largest tin producer during the , yet output dwindled further in the 1980s amid resource exhaustion and market saturation. By the late , large-scale operations had largely ceased, leaving behind environmental legacies such as derelict pits and . Contemporary mining in Jos relies predominantly on artisanal and small-scale methods targeting tin () and associated minerals like , concentrated in the Plateau's weathered granites and alluvial plains. These operations, often informal or illicit, sustain livelihoods for thousands of local participants amid limited formal oversight. The Jos Plateau continues to host Nigeria's most productive tin deposits, with recent upticks in output linked to global demand for electronics components, though regulatory gaps persist.

Agriculture, trade, and other sectors

The agriculture of Jos and the surrounding Plateau region leverages the area's elevated terrain and cooler climate, facilitating the production of temperate crops uncommon in lowland . Irish potatoes, a staple crop, are cultivated extensively at altitudes of 1,220 to 1,370 meters above , positioning the as the primary production zone for this commodity nationwide. is intercropped with potatoes, alongside vegetables such as , carrots, , tomatoes, and peas, often on smallholder farms that dominate the sector. Fruits including temperate varieties thrive due to the temperate conditions, supporting security and surplus for trade. Trade in Jos centers on markets that facilitate the exchange of agricultural outputs and consumer goods from across northern and central . The Terminus Market, historically an ultra-modern facility, functioned as a key commercial node, enabling inter-group economic interactions and the distribution of produce like potatoes and to regional buyers. This marketplace underscored Jos's role as a preeminent trading hub, drawing merchants for bulk transactions in farm goods and fostering socioeconomic expansion through diverse trader networks. Other economic sectors in Jos include services, , and limited tied to local resources. draws on natural attractions such as the Jos Wildlife Park and rock formations, generating in and guiding services. Small-scale encompasses , exemplified by NASCO's operations in biscuits and , which utilize agricultural inputs like grains. and communications also contribute to a , with expanding opportunities in these areas supporting urban livelihoods.

Economic impacts of insecurity

The 2001 Jos riots precipitated a prolonged stagnation in Plateau State's , with growth metrics plateauing at levels seen prior to the violence and showing limited recovery in subsequent decades. Local businesses reported sustained disruptions, including property destruction and relocation of operations, which hindered reinvestment and expansion in trading hubs central to the city's economy. This event exacerbated underlying vulnerabilities, contributing to a broader decline in regional GDP contributions relative to national averages. Recurrent insecurity, such as the 2021 Christmas Eve attacks in surrounding areas of that killed dozens and displaced communities, has enforced repeated halts in commercial activities, with markets and supply chains suspending operations for days or weeks to avoid risks. These interruptions compound losses from damaged and deterred mobility, directly curtailing revenue from informal and agriculture-dependent enterprises that form the backbone of Jos's local . Violence-induced displacement has eroded the labor pool, with over 29,000 individuals residing in internally displaced persons camps in as of early 2025, leading to reduced participation and heightened in affected urban and rural zones. Empirical analyses of similar conflicts in indicate that such insecurity correlates with 10-20% reductions in local productivity metrics, as measured by output in and small-scale , due to absenteeism and abandoned farmlands. Investor exodus has followed, with reports of from Plateau amid perceptions of heightened risk, diminishing prospects for industrial revival in and sectors.

Conflicts and Security

Major violent incidents and timelines

The first major outbreak of violence in Jos occurred on September 7, 2001, triggered by disputes over the appointment of a Muslim coordinator for a federal alleviation program, leading to ethno-religious riots between Christian and Muslim groups that resulted in at least 1,000 deaths and widespread destruction of churches and mosques. Further clashes in October 2001 in nearby areas contributed to the overall toll, with estimates of over 4,000 deaths across recurrent violence in since that period, though precise figures for the initial Jos riots vary between 165 confirmed fatalities and higher unofficial counts. In November 2008, riots erupted following a disputed local government election, pitting Muslim and Christian communities against each other and killing more than 300 people in systematic attacks involving arson and gunfire across Jos. On January 17, 2010, sectarian clashes in Jos neighborhoods left hundreds dead, primarily from gunfire exchanges between Muslim and Christian gangs, exacerbating divisions in the city's mixed areas. Later that year, on Christmas Eve December 24, 2010, Boko Haram-claimed bombings targeted Christian areas near Jos, detonating at least five explosives during evening celebrations and killing 32 to 38 people, with additional church attacks in the northeast contributing to the regional toll. From 2018 onward, farmer-herder clashes intensified in Jos and surrounding Plateau districts, often involving armed raids on villages with targeted killings and retaliatory cycles, resulting in hundreds of deaths; for instance, between 2019 and 2021, over 177 fatalities were recorded in such incidents across the state. In April 2022, bandits linked to herder groups attacked multiple communities in Plateau, killing more than 150 people in coordinated assaults. Attacks persisted into 2024, with at least 30 killed in January raids on farming villages near Jos, blamed on herder militias. In December 2024, 15 farmers died in assaults on Bokkos communities, while early 2025 saw continued violence, including five killed in separate ambushes in Mangu and Barkin Ladi on October 8, 2025. These events frequently involved gunmen on motorcycles attacking at night, with patterns of church and mosque targeting in earlier riots giving way to broader rural ambushes in recent years.

Causal factors: indigene-settler tensions, land, and religion

The indigene-settler in Jos constitutes a primary driver of recurrent tensions, rooted in Hausa-Fulani migration to the area during the early 20th-century colonial era, which swelled settler populations to rival indigenous groups like the Berom, Afizere, and Anaguta. Indigenes, granted preferential access to positions, allocations, and educational quotas under Nigeria's constitutional framework, view such policies as essential to preserving cultural dominance in their ancestral territory, while settlers demand equivalent rights based on long-term residency and economic contributions, often without reciprocal or acceptance of indigenous primacy. This impasse manifests in zero-sum competitions for political appointments and control, where settler advocacy for power-sharing is perceived by indigenes as an existential threat to , exacerbating mutual distrust amid demographic pressures from unchecked . Empirical patterns indicate that these disputes transcend mere resource scarcity, as Jos's mineral wealth historically attracted settlers, underscoring instrumentalist mobilization of identity for rather than uniform impoverishment. Land disputes amplify these ethnic frictions through farmer-herder clashes, primarily pitting indigenous Christian crop cultivators against Fulani pastoralists whose southward migrations have intensified due to Sahelian eroding northern grazing reserves since the 1970s. Traditional routes, once respected, are now contested as and encroach on rangelands, leading to retaliatory incursions that destroy harvests and provoke vigilante responses; by , such conflicts had displaced over 800,000 Nigerians nationwide, with recording heightened incidents due to blocked migratory corridors. Climate-induced , affecting up to 60% of Nigeria's territory through prolonged droughts and soil degradation, causally propels herder incursions into middle-belt farmlands like those around Jos, where weak and ethnic favoritism in perpetuate cycles of encroachment and over water points and pastures. Governance failures, including northern-dominated federal neglect of ranching alternatives, further entrench this dynamic, rejecting oversimplified attributions in favor of institutional biases enabling herder . Religious cleavages overlay and intensify these tensions, with Fulani assailant patterns in rural Jos environs exhibiting hallmarks of asymmetric aggression—systematic village razings, church desecrations, and selective targeting of Christian indigenes—evoking jihadist precedents from the 19th-century Usman dan Fodio-led Fulani conquests that subjugated non-Muslim polities across northern Nigeria. Data from Plateau conflicts reveal disproportionate victimization of Christian communities, including over 2,000 deaths and widespread displacement in 2010-2011 alone, contrasting with defensive or retaliatory indigenous responses lacking comparable expansionist ideology. While not all herder violence stems from Islamist motives—resource predation remains a core trigger—jihadist affiliations among some Fulani militants, bolstered by cross-border ties to groups like Boko Haram, introduce ideological escalation, as evidenced by tactical similarities in ambushes and propaganda invoking religious purification. This asymmetry challenges narratives minimizing faith as epiphenomenal, as empirical attack profiles prioritize non-Muslim settlements, fueled by historical theocratic legacies under northern-led regimes that have arguably tilted security responses toward settler accommodation.

Government responses, security failures, and alternative viewpoints

The Nigerian federal government has deployed Operation Safe Haven (OPSH), a multi-agency task force including military, police, and paramilitary units, to Plateau State since 2010 to curb ethno-religious violence in Jos and surrounding areas. Despite periodic reinforcements, such as additional Special Forces authorized in 2018, OPSH has faced widespread criticism for operational failures, including delayed responses to attacks and inability to prevent recurrent assaults by armed herder militias on farming communities. Local residents and analysts have accused security forces of complicity or bias, citing instances where troops allegedly stood by during Fulani militia raids or even requested permission from attackers to recover bodies, as reported in 2025 investigations near Jos. Under the Buhari administration (2015–2023), federal responses drew particular scrutiny for perceived partiality toward Fulani herders, given Buhari's own Fulani heritage, with critics pointing to minimal prosecutions of perpetrators despite thousands of deaths in clashes. Public outrage intensified after events like the Plateau attacks killing over 200, where government inaction eroded trust, prompting calls for Buhari's resignation from groups including the Academic Staff Union of Universities. In response to these gaps, communities in Jos formed vigilante groups such as the Vigilante Group of Nigeria and neighborhood watches, which provide local patrols and early warnings but operate without official sanction, leading to tensions with OPSH over unauthorized activities. Indigenous groups, primarily Berom Christians, have consistently decried the impunity afforded to attackers, arguing that security lapses enable systematic land grabs and reprisal-free violence against their communities. Some analysts and media portray the conflicts as mutual intolerance between indigenes and Hausa-Fulani settlers, but empirical patterns contradict this equivalence: rural herder raids have disproportionately targeted indigenous farming villages, resulting in hundreds of civilian deaths—such as 54 Christians killed in a single 2025 Palm Sunday aftermath—while urban riots show more balanced casualties due to proximity. Sources framing parity often overlook these asymmetries, potentially influenced by institutional reluctance to highlight ethnic dimensions in violence.

Infrastructure and Urban Development

Transportation networks

Yakubu Gowon Airport (IATA: JOS), located about 45 kilometers west of central Jos, serves as the city's main aviation gateway, handling domestic flights primarily to and via airlines such as ValueJet. The facility supports regional connectivity for passengers and is slated for upgrades by the Plateau State government and to enhance cargo handling for perishable agricultural exports, aiming to reduce post-harvest losses. Jos connects to Nigeria's national road network via the A3 federal highway, which links the city northward to —approximately 244 kilometers away—passing through Keffi and Akwanga, facilitating the transport of agricultural goods and commuters. Further southward travel to , exceeding 1,000 kilometers, typically follows this route onward through Abuja along interconnected federal highways. The railway infrastructure traces to the colonial Bauchi Light Railway, extended to Jos in 1927 to serve operations from , spurring early economic growth. In recent developments, the resumed passenger train services in Jos on July 14, 2025, revitalizing the narrow-gauge line amid broader efforts to restore operations. Intra-city public transport in Jos relies on buses and informal operators, with most drivers under 41 years old earning between ₦1,000 and ₦80,000 monthly, operating amid on poorly maintained colonial-era . measures, including frequent checkpoints on major routes due to ongoing and conflicts, impose delays, risks, and elevated operational costs on users, exacerbating travel disruptions in the region.

Utilities, housing, and urban challenges

Jos faces persistent shortages in and , which strain daily urban life and hinder development. The Jos Water Services Corporation has identified erratic to treatment plants as a key factor in potable , disrupting production and distribution across the city since at least 2022. Inconsistent has similarly affected and overall reliability, with residents in areas like Tudun Wada reporting frequent outages that compound service failures. Historical underinvestment in infrastructure, tied to an agrarian , has perpetuated these vulnerabilities, limiting industrial and residential access. Housing shortages have intensified due to rapid and influxes of internally displaced persons (IDPs) from conflicts, driving and informal settlements. In neighborhoods such as Gada-Biyu, Alheri, and Utan, IDP arrivals have led to households accommodating over eight adults per dwelling, exacerbating space constraints. Lack of proper further impedes IDP reintegration, while surging demand has spurred unregulated in suburbs, often bypassing standards. Urban challenges manifest in proliferating slums, particularly in low-lying areas, where high occupancy—averaging 6-7 people per room—coexists with deficient , shared latrines, and minimal . Regulatory gaps and inadequate amplify these issues, fostering environmental deterioration including unmanaged on hillsides, which intensified with heavier rainfall patterns. Slum expansion in sites like Bulbula contributes to broader decay, with poor and flooding risks unaddressed by local authorities.

Education and Healthcare

Key educational institutions

The University of Jos, established in 1975 after gaining autonomy from its origins as a satellite campus of the in 1971, serves as the primary federal university in Jos and a central hub for higher education and in . It enrolls over 52,000 students across faculties including sciences, medicine, engineering, and social sciences, with recent rankings placing it among Nigeria's top 10 universities by in 2025. The institution emphasizes in areas like environmental sciences and , contributing to through studies on local mineral resources and . The Polytechnic, with its main campus in Barkin Ladi and a in Bukuru near Jos, offers national and degree programs in fields such as , , and since its establishment in the 1970s. It focuses on technical and vocational training, producing mid-level professionals who support Jos's economy in and services, though enrollment figures remain lower than at Unijos, reflecting broader challenges in polytechnic funding and infrastructure in state-owned institutions. Historical mission schools, including Hillcrest School founded in 1942 by the Church of the Brethren Mission, laid foundational legacies in basic and , initially for missionary children but expanding to local students with a blending Christian values and Western standards. These institutions pioneered access to formal in Jos amid colonial-era , yet persistent gaps in enrollment—such as lower participation rates in compared to national averages—highlight ongoing disparities influenced by insecurity and resource limitations, with public secondary enrollment in the region lagging behind urban centers like . Graduates from these and higher institutions bolster the local economy by filling roles in , , and , though among youth underscores mismatches between training outputs and job opportunities.

Healthcare facilities and access issues

The primary public healthcare facilities in Jos include the Plateau State Specialist Hospital, a tertiary institution offering specialized medical services, professional training, and referral care for complex cases across . The Jos University Teaching Hospital, established in 1975 as a federal tertiary center, functions as a major hub for advanced diagnostics, , and interventions, handling high patient volumes from the region. Additionally, the National Orthopaedic Hospital Jos specializes in treatments for bone, joint, and musculoskeletal conditions, serving as a national referral site for trauma and rehabilitation needs. Private clinics and hospitals, such as Our Lady of Apostles' Hospital and Kauna Specialist Hospital, supplement public services by providing services like laboratories, physiotherapy, and under-five clinics, often with upgraded equipment to address gaps in public capacity. However, access remains constrained by insecurity, which disrupts transportation, deters health workers, and limits rural outreach, particularly in conflict-affected peripheries where facilities are understaffed and supply chains falter. Ongoing indigene-settler violence exacerbates strain through increased trauma cases and displacement, overwhelming urban hospitals like JUTH with injuries while displacing populations from preventive care. Despite Jos's cooler highland climate reducing mosquito breeding compared to lowland , malaria remains highly endemic, with national prevalence rates exceeding 20% in surveys applicable to , driven by incomplete and co-infections complicating diagnosis. Tuberculosis prevalence is notable, with Jos reporting smear-positive rates around 11.9% in historical data, often intertwined with and in vulnerable groups, straining diagnostic and treatment resources amid limited drug availability. Non-governmental organizations help mitigate rural gaps, with the Christian Health Association of Nigeria, headquartered in , coordinating faith-based clinics for and emergency responses in underserved areas. Groups like HANDS target poor communities with programs, including vaccinations and maternal services, compensating for government shortfalls in insecure zones where state facilities struggle with staffing and funding.

Culture and Tourism

Cultural landmarks and heritage sites

The National Museum Jos, founded in 1952 by British archaeologist Bernard Fagg, stands as Nigeria's first major institution dedicated to antiquities and ethnography. It houses significant collections of terracotta figurines, dating from approximately 500 BCE to 200 CE, which represent some of the earliest known sculptural traditions in , characterized by stylized human forms and evidence of advanced ironworking. These artifacts, unearthed during tin mining operations on the , provide insights into prehistoric societies in central . Jos Wildlife Park, established in 1972 under the administration of military head of state , functions as a key conservation area spanning over 8 square kilometers and featuring habitats. The park protects indigenous including antelopes, baboons, pythons, and , with programs aimed at breeding endangered animals and reintroduction to the wild. It contributes to ecological preservation amid regional threats like and habitat loss, though maintenance challenges have periodically affected animal populations. The Jos Plateau's volcanic rock formations, such as those in the Shere Hills and Riyom regions, form features resulting from processes over millennia. These inselbergs and outcrops, some exceeding 30 meters in height, hold geological significance and local cultural value, often integrated into indigenous narratives despite lacking extensive archaeological inscriptions. Preservation efforts face pressures from urban expansion, with initiatives focusing on site documentation to counter and encroachment. Colonial-era structures, including remnants of early 20th-century administrative buildings tied to operations, persist as historical markers of British influence in the area.

Festivals, traditions, and tourism potential

The Nzem Berom Festival serves as the principal annual cultural event for the , indigenous to Jos and surrounding areas in , typically occurring between April and May to invoke rainfall for the planting season and seek bountiful harvests. This celebration features traditional music, dances, attire, and communal prayers, emphasizing unity and heritage, with the 2025 edition held on May 2 highlighting women's roles through vibrant displays. Preceding localized festivals like Mandyeng, Nshok, and Worom Chun, which marked agricultural transitions, Nzem Berom consolidates these into a unified platform for cultural preservation amid modern influences. Other ethnic groups contribute distinct traditions, such as the Anaguta's Tukunku festival during the rainy season, which invokes divine favor for crop yields and family welfare through rituals and performances. Christian traditions dominate seasonal observances in Jos, reflected in elaborate celebrations that contrast with subdued Muslim events in the region's mixed demographics. The Jos Family Festival, an annual highlight from to 27, draws locals with festive unveilings, music, and family-oriented activities at venues like Usuju World Event Centre, amplifying the city's role as a Christian hub. Complementing this, the Jos Carnival in integrates cultural parades with holiday cheer, showcasing ethnic dances and attire during the for optimal participation. Plateau State's official slogan, "Home of Peace and Tourism," promotes Jos's festivals and temperate climate—averaging 20-25°C year-round—as draws for and cultural immersion, yet persistent ethno-religious undermines this narrative. Insecurity has led to sharp declines in visitor numbers, foreign investments, and , with studies documenting widespread deterring both domestic and despite untapped potential in event-based attractions. Local perceptions highlight lost economic opportunities from reduced patronage at resorts and sites, exacerbated by recurrent crises that contradict the branding and stifle growth in sectors.

Notable Individuals

Ahmed Musa, a professional footballer born on October 1, 1992, in Jos, has represented the national team at multiple World Cups, including 2014 and 2018, and played for clubs such as Leicester City in the English , where he scored twice on debut in 2016. Emmanuel Idakula, known professionally as Bez, born in 1989 in Jos, is a and producer blending with soul; he gained prominence with his 2013 album African Dreams and has collaborated with artists like . MI Abaga, born Jude Abaga in 1981 in Jos, is a rapper and producer instrumental in establishing Jos as "J-Town," a Nigerian hip-hop hub; his 2008 debut Talk About It topped charts, and he founded Chocolate City label. , born Jesse Abaga in Jos, is a rapper, singer, and producer whose 2008 mixtape Say Something and albums like Jagz Nation Vol. 1 (2010) influenced the genre; he is 's brother and co-founded Loopy Records. Olanrewaju Fasasi, known as , born October 30, 1986, in Jos, rose with his 2011 hit "Oleku" and album Everybody Loves Ice Prince, winning multiple awards; he co-founded Chocolate City. Innocent Ujah Idibia, professionally , born September 18, 1977, in Jos, is a singer with over 20 years in ; his 2004 album Face2Face sold millions, earning multiple Album of the Year awards at . Segun Odegbami, born August 27, 1952, in Jos, is a former footballer who captained to the 1980 Africa Cup of Nations victory and scored 23 goals in 46 international appearances. Abubakar Adam Ibrahim, born 1979 in Jos, is an author whose novel Season of Crimson Blossoms (2016) won the Nigeria Prize for Literature in 2019; his works explore Nigerian social issues.

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