Kanke Local Government Council was created on the 1st day of October 1996, by the then Military Administration of General Sani Abacha. A land area of around 926 km2 was carved out of present day Pankshin Local Government Area. This division, provides boundaries for Kanke LGA with; Kanam, Langtang North, and Pankshin Local Government Areas of Plateau State, and also with Bogoro Local Government Area, of Bauchi State, Nigeria. According to the 2006 National Census, Kanke Local Government Area is inhabited by a population of 121,424. Nevertheless, a more recent unofficial report in 2022, puts the population of the council area at 182,800. 

The Ngas constitute the dominant population in the Local Government Area. They are indigenous to the area and are known for their agrarian lifestyle and strong cultural traditions. The council area is also inhabitat by the Taroh, Bogghom, as natives of the area, and the Igbos; Siyawas, Hausa/Fulanis, etc. Ngas & Hausa languages are the major languages of wider communication in Kanke, spoken largely on the street; markets, worship centers, and other cultural settings. The Ngolong Ngas is the President of the joint Pankshin/Kanke Traditional Council, and the paramount ruler of the Ngas Nation. He is being assisted by the District Heads of Ampang; Amper, Garram, and Kabwir. This traditional leadership structure is central to Ngas identity and influences social and cultural practices in Kanke. The ecosystem of the people is finely blended, to reflect their agrarian activities influencing their festivals, communal labor, and social gatherings.

Agriculture is central to the livelihood of the people of Kanke Local Government Area, supporting the majority of its population. The people produce crops like; Millet, Guinea Corn, Sesame (several varieties), Pumpkin. Animal Husbandry is also one of the mainstays of the people of the area, providing the needed goats, sheep, cows, pigs, for the more cosmopolitan Amper and Dawaki markets. The combined beautiful terraced & flat landscapes of Kanke Local Government Area, has over the years provided the fertile land for the cultivation of the needed crops – The land has evolved to the cultivation of traditionally unlikely agricultural produces of Maize, Tomatoes, Onions, Carrots, Cabbage, Cumber, water-melon, evident in the seasonal “Kasuwan Sabon Hanya”.

List of Wards