Lau () is a town and Local Government Area in Taraba State, Nigeria. The area is dominated by Hausa Fulani people and has a border with Ardo Kola, Jalingo, Yorro and Zing local governments of Taraba state. It also shares a border with Numan, Adamawa State.
Etymology The name of the town literally means ‘mud’ in the local Lau language.
Geography It has an area of 1,660 km and a population of 149,700 at the 2022 census.
The postal code of the area is 662.
Climate The wet season is oppressive, with temperature ranging from to year round, rarely dropping below or above . With an average daily high temperature of exceeding , the hot season spans 2.3 months, from February 6 to April 15. With an average high temperature of and low temperature of , March is the hottest month of the year in Lau. The 3.5-month chilly season, which runs from June 25 to October 10th, has daily highs that are typically lower than . December is the coldest month of the year in Lau, with an average high temperature of and low temperature of .
Cloud Throughout the year, there is a noticeable seasonal change in the average percentage of cloud cover in Lau. In Lau, the clearer portion of the year starts about October 30 and lasts for 4.2 months, concluding around March 4. In Lau, January is the clearest month of the year with 53% of the sky being clear, fairly clear, or partly overcast on average. The cloudier portion of the year starts about March 4 and lasts for 7.8 months, finishing about October 30. In Lau, May is the cloudiest month of the year, with 81% of the sky being overcast or mostly overcast on average.
Languages Local languages spoken in Lau LGA are:Idiatov, Dmitry, Mark Van de Velde, Tope Olagunju and Bitrus Andrew. 2017. Results of the first AdaGram survey in Adamawa and Taraba States, Nigeria. 47th Colloquium on African Languages and Linguistics (CALL) (Leiden, Netherlands).
Fulani language Hausa language Lau Laka language, a Central Sudanic language Lau language, a Jukunoid language
References