The state was created on Tuesday, August 27, 1991, when the Federal Military Government under General Ibrahim Babangida announced the creation of nine additional states in Nigeria.

Jigawa State borders the Republic of Niger to the north, the Nigerian states of Yobe to the northeast, Bauchi to the southeast and south, Kano to the southwest, and Katsina to the northwest.

The state is mainly populated by the Hausa, Fulani and the Mangawa, Badawa and Ngizimawa which are dialects of the Kanuri language.

The State has vast fertile arable land to which almost all tropical crops could adapt.

There is only one place in west africa with ancient prehistoric rock paintings dating as far back as the BCs, that place is in Birnin Kudu, Jigawa state.

The Government of Jigawa State relates very well with multilateral agencies in the country particularly the World Bank , UNDP, UNICEF, DFID and other international donor agencies and NGOs. Multilateral agencies have been a veritable source of development funds and technical assistance to State Government.

Agriculture is the major economic activity in Jigawa state.