THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT YOLA

Yola is the capital city of Adamawa state in the North
Eastern part of Nigeria. The city
serves a growing
function of being both the educational and administrative centre of the state as well as a centre of
commercial activities in the state making it one of the most visited cities in
the north east region of the country.
Yola is divided into two parts, the old town of Yola which
serves as the traditional headquarters of the state as well as
the home of the Lamido, the traditional ruler of Adamawa state and the new town
of Yola also called Jimeta, which serves as the administrative centre.
If you have it in your mind to move to Yola, below are 15
things you need to know about the city before moving there.

1. History of Yola

The name Yola was
derived from Yolde, a Fulani word that means settlement on rising ground. Yola
was founded by Modibbo Adama in 1841, where he made it the political centre of
Adamawa Emirate. Modibbo Adama used yola as his base in his jihad against the
indigenous people of Bata and Vere.
Yola was the capital of a Fulani state until
when it was taken by the British soldiers in 1901. Heinrich Barth is the first
European to visit the area in 1951. He traveled from Lake Chad which was at
that time the capital of the Borno Empire, coming through Kukawa using the
Sahara route.

2. Climate of Yola

The
climate of Yola is tropical. It has a good deal of rainfall in the summer while
rainfall is very little during winter. The average rainfall in a year is 933mm
while the average temperature in a year is 28.0
0C in Yola.
January is the driest month with 0mm of rain
in that month. Most of the rainfall in yola falls in August with an average
temperature of 211mm. April is the warmest month with an average of 32.1 0C,
while December is the coldest month with an average temperature of 25.9 0C.

3. Infrastructures in Yola:

Although
not every road in Yola is tarred but the roads leading to major parts of the
city is well tarred and still new. Yola has an International Airport which have
direct flight to Saudi Arabia and some other countries around the world. As the
state capital, it is a major transport hub with plenty of buses and taxis to
transport humans, goods and services to their various destinations. It is a
centre of business activities as the city has a very big market in the town of
Jimeta where businesses of any kind are carried out. The people of Yola enjoy a
good amount of electricity supply.

4. Education is not haram
in Yola

Yola is a home of many reputable educational institutions in the
state. Ranging from centres for basic education to tertiary institutions.
If you have the intention of starting your
education or enroll your kids in Yola, then these are list of schools that are
cheap and affordable. For primary education, they have Command Children School,
Bosco Nursery and Primary, Alkalawa. Best secondary schools include Concordia
College, Col. Issa Academy, Nuhu Ribadu College, FGGC Yola etc. They also have
Modibbo Adama University of Technology, formally, Federal university of
Technology Yola, Adamawa state Polytechnic Yola. All these schools are up to
standard and they go for affordable amount.

5. Yola loves to keep things
affordable

Yola is one of the cheapest cities to live in Nigeria. Renting
an apartment in the city of Yola can go for a very cheap and affordable amount
despite the city being the capital; of the state. Transportation which plays an
important role in the cost of living of an individual is relatively cheap in
Yola. They charge between the range of #50 to #100 per drop when using their
public bus, while using taxis can go for the range of #100 to #500 depending on
the distance.
 Education too is cheap in
the city as you can find good school at affordable amount.

6. Yola has a lot of food: 

Yola is a place where you can eat good food on a low budget since farming is
the major occupation of the people there. Yola major food crops include Maize,
yam, cassava, millet, rice and guinea corn while their cash crops include
groundnut and cotton. The people of Yola are also known for rearing of cattle
which makes the sales of meat cheap in the area. So with less than #1500, you
can make good food that will be enough for a family of six.

7. Yola loves to unwind: 

If you are in Yola and you wish to find a place to relax yourself, there are a
number of places you can go to for site seeing, relaxation and fun. Yola serves
as accesspoint to shebshi peak which is the second highest peak in Nigeria
after Chappal Waddi. Yola has one of the largest national parks in Nigeria,
which is the Gashaka Nature reserve. The Yadin Waterfalls and Kiri Dam which is
on the Gongola River are both located in Yola.

8. Yola has a lot of interesting places:

There are many tourist
centres in Yola that serves as a centre of attraction from both Nigerians from
other parts of the country and foreigners.
 
Tourist sites include the Madara mountains, Koma hills, Lamurde hot
spring, the three sisters hills in Song which consist of three scenic rock
formation that stands side by side at different height with biggest one (known
as the big sister) at the middle etc . It is also blessed with historical
places like the Lamido’s palace which has the seat of the Emir of Adamawa
State.

9. Yola loves to celebrate

Yearly, the people of Yola and neighboring towns of Adamawa play hosts to about
32 or more festivals. The Kilba people of Hong are known for their Tiwe festival.
It is a funerary ritual which features sacrifices to ancestors and
incantations. The festival runs for 120 days. Other festivals include Yinagu
Fishing festival at michika, three-day Zhita in Bazza and Dukwa in Madagali.

10. Yola is a city of many tribes: 

Most people from other parts of Nigeria especially the
eastern and western people think that people from the Northern part of the
country are Hausa language speaking people. But this is not correct as there
are over 50 ethnic groups in the state. Some of the languages spoken in yola
include Bachama by the Numan people, Chamba from Ganye, Fulani from Gombi, Kilba
from Michika, etc. Your journey to Yola can also be an opportunity for you to
learn a new language.

11. Yola is a city of many religions

Contrary to the popular opinion that northern states are Muslim dominated states
or that the only religion practiced in the north is the Islamic religion. Yola
is a city that accommodates people of different religion. Yola is a city for
the Christians, Muslims and even traditional worships. Even people of other
religions that are not popular are allowed to practice their religion without
any form of interference from the government or from any other members of the
community. There is a Big Cathedral in the hearth of the city where Christians
worship and a Central Mosque close to the Main market where the Muslim worship
every Fridays.

12.   Yola is relatively peaceful: 

Yola is actually a peaceful place to stay despite the activities of the Boko
Haram insurgents in the Northern part of Nigeria. The people of the city are
peace loving people, who like looking out for each other. Before Boko Haram
became popular in Nigeria, Yola had been voted as one of the most peaceful city
to stay in Nigeria. It is also very important to be conscience of your
environment when you are in the city of Yola.

13.   You will always have something to do
in Yola

Yola is really a land of many opportunities because of the
presence of some industries and companies in the state. Though the Industries
may not be at the centre of the city, but you can just use any public transport
to go there. Adama plast Beverages is a company in yola that produces the
popular Faro Water and they are always in need of daily workers. As far as you
are not lazy, you will always get yourself busy in the city.

14.   You will hardly be mugged in Yola: 

The level of crime rate in
Yola is not as high as many cities in Nigeria. So you may not be afraid of
asking people for direction or help someone in need. But personal security is
very important so you just need to be careful when dealing with anybody there,
especially if they are strangers.

15.   You’re welcome to Yola:

Despite the threats from insurgents
in the area, the people of Yola are hospitable. Most of the people are always
willing to help anyone in need especially strangers. Many people think every
city in the Northern part of Nigeria is not safe for people to live in because
of the rate of Insurgents operation in the region. But Yola and some other
cities have people who are indigenes that really care about others and their
well-being.

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