Jema'a (also written Ajemaa and Jama'a) is a Local Government Area in southern Kaduna State, Nigeria with headquarters at Kafanchan. The Local Government Council is chaired by Yunana Barde. It has an area of 1,384 km2 and a population of 278,202 at the 2006 census. The postal code of the area is 801.
Geography
Landscape
Jema'a Local Government Area lies on a broad low - lying topography with gently rolling plains on either side. it is flanked by two rivers. To the northwestern side of the area is the Amere or Mada river popularly referred to as River Wonderful by the people because it has claimed many lives including those of some of the colonial engineers during the rail bridge construction at Aduwan (another bridge build on the same river during the British colonial era exists near Kogum River Station). The second river to the southeast is the Sanga (or the Kogum River) sourced from the plateau. Both rivers merge close to the Kogum River Station. There lie in addition, numerous hills, valleys streams. The undulating lands also provide fertile grounds for agricultural activities.
Government and politics
Boundaries
Jema'a Local Government Area (LGA) shares boundaries with Zangon Kataf LGA to the north, Jaba LGA to the west, Sanga LGA to the east, Kaura LGA to the northeast; Riyom LGA of Plateau State to the east and Karu LGA of Nasarawa State to the south respectively.
Administrative subdivisions
Jema'a Local Government Area consists of 12 subdivisions (second-order administrative divisions) namely: Asso Atuku Barde Gidan Waya (formerly Jema'a) Godogodo Jagindi Kafanchan A Kafanchan B Kagoma (Gwong) Kaninkon (Nikyob) Maigizo (Kadajya) Takau
Demographics
People
Jema'a Local Government Area consist of a number of related ethnic groups and subgroups as well as a migrant population from other parts of the country, especially in the Local Government Area headquarters of Kafanchan (Fantswam) and the towns of Jema'a, Dangoma and Jagindi where the migrating Fulani population from Kajuru were accepted by the locals and settled in the early 19th century.
The ethnic groups and subgroups in Jema'a LGA include: Atyuku (Atuku), Fantswam, Gwong, Nikyob, Nindem and Nyankpa. Others are: Atyap, Bajju, Berom, Fulani, Hausa, Ham, Igbo and Yoruba.
Population
According to the March 21, 2006 national population census, Jema'a (Ajemaa) had a population of 278,202. Its population was projected by the National Population Commission of Nigeriahttps://nationalpopulation.gov.ng/ and National Bureau of Statistics to be 375,500 by March 21, 2016.
Economy
The people of the local government are predominantly farmers, cultivating cash crops such as cotton, peanuts and ginger; and food crops such as corn, millet and sorghum in subsistent qualities. There is also an old tin mining tunnel site in the town of Godogodo.