Minna, the state capital of Niger, got its name from the Gbagyi (Gwari) words “Min” and “na.” Spray is referred to as “min,” and fire is referred to as “na.” Walls (Ganuwa) were built around the settlement, which was originally located on a hill in Sayako. Around the location of the modern Minna, there were Gbagyi towns and villages as well.
Back in the day, when the New Year’s fire was traditionally brought from Minna town, all of the villages on the hills near and far from the town used to put out their fires at the appropriate time of year. The settlement atop the hill was given its name, M’ina, with a single ‘n’ due to the annual extinguishing or sprinkling of fire. The additional ‘n’ in the word ‘Minna’ was added by the colonial authorities to suit their pronunciation.
Gbangbapi, Gbadnai, Shango, Bosso, Ebbi (Maikunele), and Gbaiko were the settlements that made up Minna at the time. Except for Gbangbapi and Gbadnai, most of these settlements are now governed by the Bosso Local Government. One of the reasons it was chosen to serve as the administrative center of the former Niger province was the building of the railway line through Minna in 1911, which connected Baro and Minna.
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This made it possible for outsiders to move into the community, some of whom stayed permanently while others limited their employment to government jobs and substantial trading. These outsiders erected their huts beneath it since they could not naturally coexist with the locals in the nearby villages or on the hills.
It should be emphasized that Minna’s strategic location, relative ease of accessibility from every region of Niger State and the rest of the nation via railway line, and possibly its proximity to Abuja, the federal capital, exposed it to more of the outside world, made it an appropriate location for a state capital.
Minna still serves as the administrative center for the Minna Municipal Council despite being designated as the Chanchaga Local Government’s first headquarters since Niger State was established in 1976.