Sokoto

Sokoto State exists because Usman dan Fodio created Africa's largest pre-colonial state. In 1804, this Fulani scholar launched a jihad against what he saw as the corrupt and impure Islam of Hausa rulers. By 1815, his armies had conquered most of what is now northern Nigeria, northern Cameroon, and parts of Niger. The Sokoto Caliphate became the most populous empire in West Africa, a confederation of 31+ emirates recognizing the Sultan as Amir al-Mu'minin (Commander of the Faithful). The British conquered the caliphate in 1903, but Frederick Lugard retained the Sultan as a symbolic position. Today the Sultan of Sokoto remains the spiritual leader of Nigerian Muslims - Muhammad Sa'adu Abubakar assumed the role in 2006. Over 80% of residents practice agriculture in one of Nigeria's poorest states (80% extreme poverty rate per World Bank 2018). Horse breeding, cattle raising, rice, and cotton define the economy. The state is predominantly Muslim, an important seat of Islamic learning, and celebrates Eid-el-Fitr and Eid-el-Kabir as major festivals. Sokoto is where Nigerian Islam found its political expression and where traditional authority persists despite colonial and democratic transitions. By 2026, agricultural development and educational investment will determine whether poverty reduction accompanies spiritual authority.