Sokoto

Sokoto State

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.

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.

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.

The 23 Local Government Areas of Sokoto are:

  1. Binji
  2. Bodinga
  3. Dange-shuni
  4. Gada
  5. Goronyo
  6. Gudu
  7. Gwadabawa
  8. Illela
  9. Isa
 10. Kebbe
 11. Kware
 12. Rabah
 13. Sabon-Birni
 14. Shagari
 15. Silame
 16. Sokoto-North
 17. Sokoto-South
 18. Tambuwal
 19. Tangaza
 20. Tureta
 21. Wamako
 22. Wurno
 23. Yabo

Source: [1]