Wase
About
Wase is a town and Local Government Area (LGA) of Plateau State, Nigeria, situated some 200 kilometres south east of Jos, the Plateau State capital. It shares boundaries with Kanam LGA to the north, Taraba State to the south and east, and Langtang North LGA to the west. The population of the LGA was 161,714 people as of 2006, with an urban area of 1750 square kilometres. The area is known for agriculture and mining, with a high concentration of lead, zinc, tin and other minerals. The land around Wase includes conserved wildlife land serving as a bird sanctuary, and the town is known for Wase Rock, a large dome-shaped inselberg visible from a considerable distance. Wase is administratively divided into four districts, namely Wase, Bashar, Lamba and Kadarko, each with its own traditional leadership.
History
Wase was founded by the Fulani around 1813 during the Jihad of Shehu Usman Danfodio, which led to the rise of the Sokoto Caliphate. The town was established as a military outpost supporting the Jihad along the south-eastern flank of the Bauchi territory. Its founder, Giwa, was succeeded by his son Hassan, who became the Madaki of Bauchi and later settled in Wase, where he developed the town into his headquarters and laid the foundations of the Fulani Emirate of Wase. Later, Wase became part of the British Royal Niger Company protectorate, later Northern Nigeria, following the arrival of British troops in 1898, and was part of Plateau Province. In February 2026, a gas leak at a lead and zinc mine in the town killed at least 33 people.
Source: Wikipedia: Wase, Nigeria
Key Facts
State
Plateau State
Chairman
Hamisu Haruna Anani
Established
1976
Area
4306 km²
Population
161,714 (2006)
Website
plateaustate.gov.ng/wase