Gwandu

Gwandu is a historic town in Kebbi State and the seat of the Gwandu Emirate, one of the two capitals to emerge from the Fulani jihad led by Usman dan Fodio. The site was originally settled by the Kebbawa, a Hausa subgroup, and takes its name from the surrounding gandu (royal farmlands) that once belonged to Muhammadu Kanta, founder of the 16th-century Kebbi kingdom. In 1805, Usman dan Fodio moved his jihad headquarters to Gwandu, and after the Fulani victory over the Gobirawa in 1808 he divided his territory in two, appointing his brother Abdullahi dan Fodio as emir of Gwandu and overlord of the empire's western and southern emirates. From 1815, Gwandu functioned as one of the twin capitals of the Fulani empire (alongside Sokoto), receiving tribute from vassal emirates including Nupe, Ilorin, Yauri, Agaie, and Lafiagi until the British arrived in 1903. The Emir of Gwandu remains one of Nigeria's most senior traditional Muslim rulers, ranking behind only the Sultan of Sokoto and the Shehu of Borno.