Sokoto State

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.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.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 Mahdi inspired to drive the white man out of the country.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.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.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.The state is one of the poorest in Nigeria and has one of the highest incidences of extreme poverty (around 80% of the population) according to World Bank data from 2018.