Kaduna State is one of the 36 States of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Kaduna town was the Capital of the former Northern Region (Comprising the present Nineteen Northern States). It retained the position until the creation of new states in 1967. It then became the capital of the former North-Central State which was later changed to Kaduna State as a result of creation of more states in 1975. The State comprised of the Zaria and Katsina provinces, until again, on the 23rd of September 1987, when the Katsina province was curved out to form the present Katsina State.
Kaduna is one of the few cities in Nigeria established as a capital city during the colonial period and has remain so till date. First as the headquarters of the West African Frontier Forces during the conquest of northern Nigeria in 1907 and then the capital of the defunct Northern Nigerian Protectorate 1913-1957. When the Regional government was introduced, Kaduna was maintained as the capital of the Northern Nigerian Regional Government from 1957-1967. Later it remained as the capital of the North-Central State 1967-1975. Following the renaming of the North-Central State by the Late General Murtala Mohammed's regime as Kaduna State (comprising of the defunct Zaria and Katsina Provinces, Kaduna still remained the State's capital between 1775 and 1987. And since the creation of Katsina State out of the then Kaduna State, Kaduna has been the capital city of the new but present Kaduna State. Interestingly, there is no evidence to show that there has been any city created by the British in Nigeria purposely to serve as a capital that still remains as such.

The Establishment of Kaduna as a Capital City
When the Charter granted to the Royal Niger Company (RNC) by the Queen of England was revoked in 1899 and Sir Fredrick Dealdry Lugard was appointed to take up the administration of the area the RNC was administering on behalf of the Government of Her Majesty the Queen. Arriving Lokoja in December 1899 to take over the administration from the RNC, Lugard as High Commissioner of declared Protectorate of Northern Nigeria, on I January 1900 lowered the Company's flag and the Union Jack was hoisted in its place to mark the beginning of the Lugardian Era and British suzerainty over Northern Nigeria. Thus, when the West African Frontier Force WAFF was established, a suitable headquarter was also desirable for Lugard's effective military activity as well as for the expected new colonial administration. Lokoja was first made the capital of both the WAFF and the administration of the Protectorate. Later it was moved to Wushishi and later Zungeru. There were lots of strategic dissatisfactions with these capitals especially in the impending attacks on Kano and then Sokoto the headquarters of the Caliphate and other strategic parts of Northern Nigeria.
Already, by 1902, Lord Fredrick Lugard the British High Commissioner had set up a Committee headed by Captain H. Gyme Howell to find a suitable headquarters for the WAFF. This brought the Committee to Kaduna where it was found to be a neutral settlement suitable for both the WAFF and the administration. Consequently, a survey began for its suitability as a capital for the Protectorate. This it should be noted was being done even before the conquest of the entire northern Nigeria was completed. Thus, when the Howell Committee submitted its report Kaduna was given favourable recommendation as headquarter for the WAFF.

When the Caliphate had finally fallen to the British in March 1903, Kaduna served as a neutral ground in the mobilization and preparation of the military conquest, which further justified its importance to the colonial government. By 1907, following several surveys apart from Howell's and Lugard's favourable disposition and pressure, the British Colonial Government finally agreed to make Kaduna headquarter of the Northern Nigerian Regiment of the WAFF and subsequently directed the immediate movement of troops on permanent relocation to Kaduna. Lugard's military exploit in the conquest of Northern was appreciated and was thus rewarded when he was made the Governor-General of Nigeria in 1913. Immediately therefore, Lugard dusted up Howell's recommendations of the choice of Kaduna as capital for the Northern Protectorate and wrote to the Secretary of State in London, Lord Harcourt, of the choice of a new capital for Northern Nigeria stating thus: "I recommend, therefore, that the capital (for the Northern Protectorate) should now be moved to the point where the railway crosses the Kaduna at mile 572 from Lagos". The movement started in 1913 before the World War I broke out in 1914.

Therefore, the creation of Kaduna primarily to serve as a convenient capital firstly for the WAFF in northern Nigeria and later as the Administrative capital of the Northern Nigerian Protectorate was indeed a turning point in the history of urbanization and metropolitan development in Nigeria. It also marked a great departure from the history of the formation and existence of hitherto traditional cities in northern Nigeria in particular and the country in general. In establishing Kaduna as a capital city therefore, not only that the British colonial administration made virtue out of expediency, but that since then the town has remain as the nerve centre in the political, economic and social history relations and development not only the present 19 Northern States in the Nigeria but the entire country. Again not only that Kaduna is a center of learning, it remains one of the leading industrial centers in the country and in the North in particular.
Further more, Kaduna has continued to serve as one of the most important centers of military organizations, institutions and activities and has continued to attract people from all over Africa and the world so that it is better referred to as a mini-Nigeria. In fact, the town has come to mean different things to different people even as it has remained a home to many Nigerians and foreigners and has consistently been the center where most of the characters and issues determining or directing major issues of national importance reside. Indeed, it is only modest to say that Kaduna is the nerve center of northern Nigeria.