Sokoto State
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| Sokoto State State nickname: Seat of the Caliphate |
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| Location | ||
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| Statistics | ||
| Governor (List) |
Attahiru Bafarawa (ANPP) | |
| Date Created | 3 February 1976 | |
| Capital | Sokoto | |
| Area | 25,973 km² Ranked 16th |
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| Population 1991 Census 2005 est. |
Ranked 14th 4,392,391 4,244,399 |
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| ISO 3166-2 | NG-SO | |
Sokoto State (formed in 1976) is a state in north-western Nigeria. The state is named after its capital Sokoto, a city with a long history and the seat of the Sokoto Caliphate.
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[edit] History
Since its creation as a state in 1976, 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 Sudan.
From ca. 1900, with the the British take-over, Sokoto, which then encompassed the entire north-west corner of Nigeria, became a province of the British protectorate of Nigeria. Not long after Gando was added as a sub-province. This double province then covered an area of 35,000 square miles (90,000 km²) with an estimated population over 500,000. It included the then Zamfara and Argunga, or Kebbi, kingdoms.
The following excerpt from the 1911 Encyclopaedia Britannica offers some information from the perspective of the occupying British power:
- The province has been organized on the same principle as the other provinces of Northern Nigeria. A British resident of the first class has been placed at Sokoto and assistant residents at other centres. British courts of justice have been established and British governors are quartered in the province. Detachments of civil police are also placed at the principal stations. The country has been assessed under the new system for taxes and is being opened as rapidly as possible for trade. After the establishment of British rule farmers and herdsmen reoccupied districts and the inhabitants of cities flocked back to the land, rebuilding villages which had been deserted for fifty years. Horse breeding and cattle raising form the chief source of wealth in the province. There is some ostrich farming. Except in the sandy areas there is extensive agriculture, including rice and cotton. Special crops are grown in the valleys by irrigation. Weaving, dyeing and tanning are the principal native industries. Fair roads are in process of construction through the province. Trade is increasing and cash currency has been introduced.
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- In 1906 a rising attributed to religious fanaticism occurred near Sokoto in which unfortunately three white officers lost their lives. The emir heartily repudiated the leader of the rising, who claimed to be a Mandi inspired to drive the white man out of the country. A British force marched against the rebels, who were overthrown with great loss in March 1906. The leader was condemned to death in the emir's court and executed in the market place of Sokoto, and the incident was chiefly interesting for the display of loyalty to the British administration which it evoked on all sides from the native rulers.
In 1967, not long after after Nigerian 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 (1991) and Zamfara State (1996) split off from Sokoto State.
[edit] Climate
Sokoto State is in the dry Sahel, surrounded by sandy savannah and isolated hills.
With an annual average temperature of 28.3 degrees Celsius, Sokoto is, on the whole, a very hot area. However, maximum daytime temperatures are for most of the year generally under 40 degrees and the dryness makes the heat bearable. The warmest months are February to April when daytime temperatures can exceed 45 degrees. 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 wind blowing Sahara 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), which are covered with rich alluvial soil. For the rest, the general dryness of the region allows for few crops, millet perhaps being the most abundant, complemented by rice, corn, other cereals and beans. Apart from tomatoes few vegetables grow in the region. The low variety of foodstuffs available has resulted in the relatively dull local cuisine.
[edit] Cities and villages of Sokoto State
See article: List of cities and towns in Sokoto State.
[edit] Local Government Areas
The 23 Local Government Areas of Sokoto are:
- Binji
- Bodinga
- Dange-shuni
- Gada
- Goronyo
- Gudu
- Gwadabawa
- Illela
- Isa
- Kebbe
- Kware
- Rabah
- Sabon-Birni
- Shagari
- Silame
- Sokoto-North
- Sokoto-South
- Tambuwal
- Tangaza
- Tureta
- Wamako
- Wurno
- Yabo
[edit] References
- Nigeria [map]. Collins Bartholomew Ltd. 2005. Published by Spectrum books Ltd.
- Sokoto entry in 1911 Encyclopaedia Britannica.
[edit] External links
- www.sokoto-state.com Sokoto State Government Web Site
- www.fallingrain.com Directory of Cities and Towns in Sokoto State
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