Sokoto State (Hausa: Jihar Sokoto Fula: Leydi Sokoto 𞤤𞤫𞤴𞤣𞤠𞤧𞤮𞥅𞤳𞤮𞥅𞤼𞤮𞥅) is one of the 36
states of Nigeria
Nigeria is a federation of 36 states and 1 federal capital territory. Each of the 36 states is a semi-autonomous political unit that shares powers with the federal government as enumerated under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nig ...
, located in the extreme northwest of the country on the national border with the
Republic of the Niger
)
, official_languages =
, languages_type = National languagescity of Sokoto. Sokoto is located near to the confluence of the
Sokoto River
The Sokoto River (formerly known as Gulbi 'n Kebbi) is a river in north-west Nigeria and a tributary of the River Niger. The river's source is near Funtua in the south of Katsina State, some in a straight line from Sokoto. It flows north-west ...
and the Rima River. As of 2005 it has an estimated population of more than 4.2 million.
Being the seat of the former
Sokoto Caliphate
The Sokoto Caliphate (), also known as the Fulani Empire or the Sultanate of Sokoto, was a Sunni Muslim caliphate in West Africa. It was founded by Usman dan Fodio in 1804 during the Fulani jihads after defeating the Hausa Kingdoms in the F ...
, the city is predominantly Muslim and an important seat of Islamic learning in Nigeria. The
Sultan
Sultan (; ar, سلطان ', ) is a position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun ', meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it c ...
who heads the caliphate is effectively the spiritual leader of Nigerian Muslims.
Etymology
The name ''Sokoto'' (which is the modern/
anglicised
Anglicisation is the process by which a place or person becomes influenced by English culture or British culture, or a process of cultural and/or linguistic change in which something non-English becomes English. It can also refer to the influen ...
version of the local name, ''Sakkwato'') is of
Arabic
Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walter ...
origin, representing suk, "market". It is also known as ''Sakkwato, Birnin Shaihu da Bello'' or "Sokoto, Capital of Shaihu and Bello").
History
Since its creation as a state in 1976 (from the bifurcation of the erstwhile North-Western State ( Map) into Sokoto and Niger States, Sokoto state has been ruled by governors, most ex-military officers, who succeeded each another at short intervals.
Sokoto, as a region, knows a longer history. During the reign of the Fulani Empire in the 19th century Sokoto was an important Fula state, in addition to being a city, of what was then west central Nigeria.
From ca. 1900, with the British take-over, Sokoto, which then encompassed the entire north-west corner of Nigeria, became a province of the British
protectorate
A protectorate, in the context of international relations, is a state that is under protection by another state for defence against aggression and other violations of law. It is a dependent territory that enjoys autonomy over most of its in ...
of Nigeria. Not long after Gando was added as a sub-province. This double province then covered an area of with an estimated population over 500,000. It included the then
Zamfara
Zamfara (Hausa: Jihar Zamfara Fula: Leydi Zamfara 𞤤𞤫𞤴𞤣𞤠𞤶𞤢𞤥𞤬𞤢𞤪𞤢) is a state in northwestern Nigeria. The capital of Zamfara state is Gusau and its current Governor is Bello Matawalle. Until 1996, the area was ...
and Argungun, or Kebbi, kingdoms.
The following excerpt from the 1911 ''Encyclopædia Britannica'' offers some information from the perspective of the occupying British power:
In 1967, not long after Nigeria's independence from the British, the region became known as the Northwestern State. This territory was, in 1976, split into Sokoto State and Niger State. Later on,
Kebbi State
Kebbi state ( ha, Jihar Kebbi; Fulfulde: Leydi Kebbi 𞤤𞤫𞤴𞤣𞤠𞤳𞤫𞤦𞥆ðž¤) is a state in the northwestern Nigeria, Kebbi state is bordered east and north of Sokoto and Zamfara states, and to the south by Niger state while ...
(1991) and
Zamfara State
Zamfara (Hausa: Jihar Zamfara Fula: Leydi Zamfara 𞤤𞤫𞤴𞤣𞤠𞤶𞤢𞤥𞤬𞤢𞤪𞤢) is a state in northwestern Nigeria. The capital of Zamfara state is Gusau and its current Governor is Bello Matawalle. Until 1996, the area was ...
(1996) split off from Sokoto State.
Demographics
Sokoto State is mainly populated by Fulani people. Most Sokoto State residents are
Sunni Muslims
Sunni Islam () is the largest branch of Islam, followed by 85–90% of the world's Muslims. Its name comes from the word '' Sunnah'', referring to the tradition of Muhammad. The differences between Sunni and Shia Muslims arose from a dis ...
, with a Shia minority; violence between the two groups is uncommon. Over 80% of people living in the state practice agriculture
Kebbe
Kebbe is a Local Government Area in Sokoto State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Kebbe. The LGA shares a border with Zamfara State in the east and Kebbi State in the south and west.
It has an area of and a population of 124,658 a ...
LGA. Minorities speak other languages such as Zarma and
Tuareg
The Tuareg people (; also spelled Twareg or Touareg; endonym: ''Imuhaɣ/Imušaɣ/Imašeɣăn/Imajeɣăn'') are a large Berber ethnic group that principally inhabit the Sahara in a vast area stretching from far southwestern Libya to southern Al ...
.
Climate
Sokoto State is in the dry
Sahel
The Sahel (; ar, ساØÙ„ ' , "coast, shore") is a region in North Africa. It is defined as the ecoclimatic and biogeographic realm of transition between the Sahara to the north and the Sudanian savanna to the south. Having a hot semi-arid cli ...
, surrounded by sandy
savannah
A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach the ground to ...
and isolated hills.
With an annual average temperature of , Sokoto is, on the whole, a very hot area. However, maximum daytime temperatures are for most of the year generally under and the dryness makes the heat bearable. The warmest months are February to April when daytime temperatures can exceed . The rainy season is from June to October during which showers are a daily occurrence. The showers rarely last long and are a far cry from the regular torrential rain known in wet tropical regions. From late October to February, during the ''cold season'', the climate is dominated by the
Harmattan
The Harmattan is a season in West Africa that occurs between the end of November and the middle of March. It is characterized by the dry and dusty northeasterly trade wind, of the same name, which blows from the Sahara over West Africa into the ...
wind blowing
Sahara
, photo = Sahara real color.jpg
, photo_caption = The Sahara taken by Apollo 17 astronauts, 1972
, map =
, map_image =
, location =
, country =
, country1 =
, ...
dust over the land. The dust dims the sunlight thereby lowering temperatures significantly and also leading to the inconvenience of dust everywhere in houses.
The region's lifeline for growing crops is the floodplains of the Sokoto-Rima river system (see
Sokoto River
The Sokoto River (formerly known as Gulbi 'n Kebbi) is a river in north-west Nigeria and a tributary of the River Niger. The river's source is near Funtua in the south of Katsina State, some in a straight line from Sokoto. It flows north-west ...
), which are covered with rich alluvial soil. For the rest, the general dryness of the region allows for few crops,
millet
Millets () are a highly varied group of small-seeded grasses, widely grown around the world as cereal crops or grains for fodder and human food. Most species generally referred to as millets belong to the tribe Paniceae, but some millets a ...
perhaps being the most abundant, complemented by rice, corn, other cereals and beans. Apart from tomatoes few vegetables grow in the region.
Cities and villages
Local Government Areas
Sokoto State consists of twenty-three (23)
Local Government Areas
A local government area (LGA) is an administrative division of a country that a local government is responsible for. The size of an LGA varies by country but it is generally a subdivision of a state, province, division, or territory.
The phra ...
Goronyo
Goronyo is a Local Government Area in Sokoto State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Goronyo, on the Sokoto River. It has an area of 1,704 km and a population of 182,296 at the 2006 census.
The postal code of the area is 842.
...
*
Gudu
Gudu is a Local Government Area in Sokoto State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Balle.
With an area of 3,478 km and a population of 95,544 at the 2006 census, with an estimated population of 139,000 in 2019. Gudu shares a bound ...
Isa
Isa or ISA may refer to:
Places
* Isa, Amur Oblast, Russia
* Isa, Kagoshima, Japan
* Isa, Nigeria
* Isa District, Kagoshima, former district in Japan
* Isa Town, middle class town located in Bahrain
* Mount Isa, Queensland, Australia
* Mount ...
*
Kebbe
Kebbe is a Local Government Area in Sokoto State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Kebbe. The LGA shares a border with Zamfara State in the east and Kebbi State in the south and west.
It has an area of and a population of 124,658 a ...
Tangaza
Tangaza is a Local Government Area in Sokoto State, Nigeria. Its headquarters is in the town of Gidan Madi.
Tangaza shares a border with the Republic of Niger to the north. It has an area of 2,477 km and a population of 113,853 at the 2006 ...
Wurno
Wurno is a Local Government Area in Sokoto State, Nigeria. Its headquarters is in the town of Wurno, near the Gagere River.
It has an area of 685 km and a population of 162,307 at the 2006 census.
The postal code
A postal code (also kn ...