20 THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT BAUCHI BEFORE MOVING THERE

Bauchi is the capital city of Bauchi state in the North
Eastern part of Nigeria. The city was earlier known as Yakoba before it was
later renamed to Bauchi after a traditional hunter named Baushe. It is the
capital of the Bauchi Emirate. Bauchi is one of the 23 Local Government Area in
the state with over 500 thousand inhabitants.  The Local government area covers about 3,687
km2 landmass and it is located at the Northern edge of the Jos plateau.
Bauchi is a nice place you can stay even with your family.
If you have the intention of moving to Bauchi, here are 20 things you need to
know before moving there.

1. History

The city of Bauchi is said to be founded by
Yaqub ibn Dadi who was the only flag-bearer of the Sokoto Empire that was not a
Fulani. He was advised by a hunter named Bauche to build the city west of the
Warinje Mountain. To return the favour of Bauche for advising him, he decided
to name the city after the hunter.
Bauchi became the state capital in 1996
after the state was separated from Gombe state. The present Governor of the
state is Mohammed Abdullahi  Abubakar while
his deputy is Nuhu Gidado.

 2. Climate

Bauchi can be said to have a tropical
climate because there is a great deal of rainfall during the raining seasons
and the level of harmattan is relatively high during the dry season. The
average temperature in the city is 25.3 0C, while the average amount
of rainfall annually is at 1009mm. the coldest month in Bauchi is December,
with April as the hottest month and August as the month with the highest amount
of rainfall.
Just like many other Nigerian cities,
Bauchi is a city that many languages are spoken. The official language apart
from English language used in the city is the Hausa language. Most people from
other parts of the country believe that the only language spoken in Bauchi is
Hausa but there are other languages spoken in the cities which include Rubu,
Samburu, Shana, Undu, Waya (Wayam) and Shikiri.

3.  Religion

The main religion practiced in Bauchi is
Islam which started as early as 14th century. Sharia law is valid
not only in the city of Bauchi but in the entire state. Christianity is the
second most practiced religion in the city with the Roman Catholic Diocese of
Bauchi having its seat in the city.

4. Bauchi is not too safe yet

Due to the recent activities of the Boko
haram insurgents in the North Eastern part of the country, Bauchi cannot be
said to be too safe yet because it shares boundary with Borno state, the
headquarters of the insurgent’s activities. The government is doing their best
to curtail and address the issue but you just have to be very careful too.

5. Means of Transport

There are quite a number of means of
transportation used within the city and outside the city. The use of motorcycle
is very popular like most of the Nigerian cities. There are also commercial
vehicles used for conveying persons, goods and services to their various
destinations. Transport companies like G.U. Okeke Transport Company are
responsible for transporting people from the city to other part of Bauchi state
and other states.

6. Bauchi has numerous tourist Attractions

The popular Yankari games reserve is
located in Bauchi. The tourist center has rich wildlife resources with over 50
species of mammals. Other places of interest located in Bauchi include the
Bauchi stadium, indoor sport hall, Emir’s palace, etc.

7. Low cost of living

Cost of living in Bauchi cannot be said to
be ultra- expensive. Like most Northern cities, the cost of food is very cheap
because you can use as low as one (1) thousand naira to cook reasonable pot of
soup with some pieces of meats. You can rent any house of your choice at an affordable
amount.

8.  Infrastructures in Bauchi

Most roads in the city are tarred, especially
the ones leading to major parts of the city. This is as a result of the city
being the capital of the state. There are markets scattered around the city to
make business transactions easy, they have good hospitals too. Electricity is
not constant there but still they enjoy a reasonable amount of power supply.

9. Bauchi is a home of  different varieties of food

Bauchi is a place where you can get
different Northern delicacies that you can enjoy.  Pate is a very popular dish in Bauchi, it is
prepared with grounded corn and cooked with vegetables, onions, pepper, garden
egg with assorted meat parts. This is one meal you would enjoy in Bauchi. Other
meals eaten in the city are Tuwo and MiyanKuka, TuwonChikafa, etc.

10. Festivals in Bauchi

There are lots of festival activities that
are witness in Bauchi annually. The Durbar festival is the most popular
festival in the city. The festival features the use of specially adorned horses.
The horse-riders are also specially dressed in their cultural attires. They use
the horses to pay homage to the Emir before using the horses for race.

11. The traditional Wrestling

Wrestling and boxing is a very popular
event in the city that attracts a lot of people from within and outside the
city. You will also find people from neighboring African countries like Chad,
Cameroun and Niger coming to participate in the annual event. The boxing is
known traditionally as Dambe and the Wrestling known as Kokowa.

12. Music in Bauchi

Bauchi also have a very rich cultural dance
steps. There are different groups with their different dance steps. Among the numerous
music and dancing steps in Bauchi are the Afizere dance, a traditional dance of
the Jarawa people, Kyaro war dance by the Warji ethnic group, The Lawurba dance
and Gere masquerade dance.

13.  Fashion in Bauchi

The mode of dressing they say is a way of
identifying a person. So also it is for Bauchi as a place where the use of the
popular Babanriga originated from. The babanriga worn in Bauchi is famed with
pretty embroidered gowns and then accompanied with a cap. They also have
interior design industries that have great leather works which are used to make
nice footwear. You can buy some of the items there rather than going for the
ones on showrooms  which will be more
expensive.

14. Education in Bauchi is not expensive

The Education system in Bauchi is quite
flexible as there are lots of Primary and secondary schools in the city aimed
at bringing the best out of their students. Private schools are very cheap and
affordable and public schools are almost free in the city. There are even some
public schools that are free so as to encourage the indigenes of the city to
send their kids to school. Primary schools in Bauchi include Army Children
School, Tanshi primary school, Shadawaka primary school etc. Secondary schools
include FGGC Bauchi, Government College Toro, Bahad International Academy etc.
They also have Tertiary institutions which
include Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi and Federal Polytechnic,
Bauchi.

15. Opportunities are readily available in Bauchi

There are lots of opportunities in Bauchi. There
is no need being idle in the city as there are companies and industries that
require the services of workers on a daily basis. Rezalu Workers Company is an
example of Construction Company in Bauchi that always requires the services of individuals
on a daily basis.

16. Bauchi
has an International Airport

You can enter and go out of the city by air
by making use of the Bauchi International Airport located along the Abubakar Tafawa
Balewa road, Bauchi. Both local and foreign airline fly to Bauchi. Foreign
airlines that fly to Bauchi include Air France, Emirate, and Turkish Airline
among others. The reception in the Airport is nice and friendly.

17. Bauchi Residents are Hospitable

There is tension in Bauchi as it is in all
cities in the North East because of the activities of Boko Haram. Because of
this the people of Bauchi try to help others especially strangers so that they
can feel secured despite the security threats. Don’t feel shy or scared to ask
for direction from a person in Bauchi as he will only be glad to help.

18. Bauchi is home to some of the region’s best hotels

Accommodation can be difficult to get when
you go to a city for the first time. You can lodge in some hotels for
affordable price in a secured environment when you enter Bauchi as a first
timer. Examples of hotels you can lodge in Bauchi include Jamil Guest Palace, Executive
Nest, Yamari Guest Lodge, Larema International Hotel & Suites, Focus Guest
Inn, etc.

19. Bauchi is a nice place to stay

With much said already about Bauchi, you can
see that Bauchi is a nice place to stay and make a decent living. The only
problem with the place is the issue of security threat that results from the
Boko Haram Insurgents.

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