Sokoto

Understand

The city had a population of 426,000 in 2006.

Sokoto is sparsely settled and is mainly populated by Hausa and Fulani people. Other minority groups include the Zabarmawa and Tuareg who also speak Hausa as a common language. Majority of the residents in Sokoto are Sunni Muslims, with a Shia minority. It is the site of the Usmanu Danfodio University which was founded in 1975. The city of Sokoto has a cement factory, tanneries, and a modern abattoir and refrigeration plant, commercial and industrial centre, modern textile industry, a seed-oil mill, and a soybean-processing plant.

Minerals resources such as kaolin, gypsum, limestone, laterite, red mills, phosphate both yellow and green, shade clay, sand etc., are available in commercial quantities.

Get in

You can get into Sokoto by plane or by bus depending on where you are coming from and the means of transportation you prefer

Get around

Sokoto lacks a public transport system. Transport within the city (when not by foot) is mainly by mopeds which operate as one-person taxis and sometimes tricycles transport persons from one place to the other; this allows for carriage of more than one person at a time (still at a cheap price as mopeds). Buses and taxis are infrequent and are generally used only for transport between cities.

See

Tomb of the Islamic scholar Shehu Kangiwa Square located at Princess Alexandra Road, Mabera, Sokoto. It used to be known as Ginginya, it was the site of the battle between British troops and the forces of Sokoto led by Sultan Attahiru in 1903. The area used to be an open square outside the city wall, and on the northern side there used to be a Gingiya tree-palm tree Sokoto Museum is a national museum that houses artifacts and monuments of the old Sokoto caliphate. The museum is dedicated to Usman Dan Fodio and many of his personal items such as thrones, scriptures, maps and copies of his Koran are on display. Heritage Museum is located at the Department of Fine, Shehu Shagari College of Education in Sokoto, the museum showcases the rich cultural artifacts of the Sokoto kingdom. Gilbadi Rocks is located in Gada LGA, these rocks contains ancient fossil remains that are said might provide clue to the origin of life in general. Goronyo Dam located in Goronyo is one of the largest in the West African sub-region and was built in 1981 along River Rima to boost the irrigation in the area.

Do

Sharo-/Shadi festival is also known as flogging competition. It is a traditional rite of passage for Jafun Fulani. This festival is carried out annually. During the festival, young bachelors are being whipped so as to determine whether they are eligible for marriage. It is also an avenue to test their endurance when they are faced hard times. The youths, escorted by girls, are led into the ring of spectators bare chested and armed with whips. As the noise of singing, drumming and cheering rises to its peak, each young man must stoically endure a flogging to demonstrate his manhood. The young man only qualifies to marry if he passes the test. The flogging is administered by another youth of about the same age and size. Most do pass, but carry scars from the ordeal for the rest of their life. The sharo festival is usually take place during the dry-season guinea corn harvest, and again during the festival of Id-el-kabir. Usually, it lasts for a week and is held in a marketplace. Other types of entertainment during the festival include dances, musical performances and tricksters. Halbi festival is a hunting expedition that is being carried out annually by men in Sokoto. During this festival, they embark their hunting with dogs, guns and drums. Usually, it last for more than one week. Aikin Gawa festival is a community annual farming exercise undertaken mainly by the youths to cultivate the farmland of the village head, hamlet head or an Imam of the community. During the farming e…

Eat

Sokoto has a number of spots where visitors and tourists can sample a taste of the city’s amazing cuisines plus other foreign dishes.The city’s popular foods are Dawo and mostly sold by Fulani hawkers and roadside food vendors. Howbeit, these plus other meals can also be gotten from the conventional restaurants within the town of Sokoto.

Some of the prominent eating spots are:

Beebee Fast Food Restaurant & Catering Services Breakfast, Launch & Dinner; including cakes for all occasion; Snacks, Shawama,Ice-cream. Ilorin Rd, Off Kano Rd, Behind Zenith Bank, Sokoto South, Sokoto. It opens from Monday to Saturday  8AM-11PM, website: beebee.com, customer care line: 08037137478 Shhukura Carol Hotel, No. 1 Kano Road, Sokoto, Customer care line: +234 816157059 Gidan kanawa, Atiku Road Sokoto, G/1363, Gidan Kanawa, Atiku Road, Sokoto South LGA. Dandanon Kowa Cafe, No. 29, Abdullahi Fodiyo Road, Sokoto, 08043214563. Cuisine Restaurant & Fast Food, Sultan Abubakar Road, Opposite NYSC Secretariat Diplomat Area, Sokoto, 08133671880. Davkem Restaurant and Snacks located at No. 1, Maiduguri Road, By Aliu Fly Over, Behind CBN, Sokoto, 08035739797 or 08091393989. Haiya Saamai Saa Restaurant, No.3, Kamba Road, Sokoto South, 07068334626. Humaira Restaurant Sokoto, Bye Pass, Mabera Mujaya, Sokoto, 08068144603. Mr Biggs at Maiduguri Road, Sokoto 07043050439. Royal Dish Restaurant, No.16, Ibrahim Dasuki Road, Sokoto, 07043050439. Tasty Treat Fast Food, Restaurant and Cold Store, Abdullahi Fodiyo…

Drink

There are a number of places where visitors can go and drink in Sokoto

Shhukura Carol Hotel Pinnacle guest Inn Nd Resort Sokoto. Hotel  bar and Restaurant.