Kwara state was created in may 1967, as one of the first of 12 states to supplant the country’s four areas. Initially the state was known as west central state however the name was later changed to kwara, which is a nearby name for the niger river.

The extent of the state has been lessened throughout the years, as new states have been made inside the league. The aggregate landmass of kwara state today is around 32 500 square kilometers.