| Sokoto State | |
| Flag Alt: | Flag of Sokoto State |
| Seal Alt: | Seal of Sokoto State |
| Nickname: | Seat of the Caliphate |
| Coordinates: | 13.0833°N 20°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: |  Nigeria |
| Established Title: | Date created |
| Established Date: | 3 February 1976 |
| Seat Type: | Capital |
| Seat: | Sokoto |
| Governing Body: | Government of Sokoto State |
| Leader Party: | APC |
| Leader Title: | Governor (List) |
| Leader Name: | Ahmad Aliyu |
| Leader Name1: | Idris Muhammad Gobir (APC) |
| Leader Title2: | Legislature |
| Leader Name2: | Sokoto State House of Assembly |
| Leader Title3: | Senators |
| Leader Name3: | |
| Leader Title4: | Representatives |
| Leader Name4: | List |
| Unit Pref: | Metric |
| Area Total Km2: | 25,973 |
| Area Rank: | 16th of 36 |
| Population Total: | 3,702,676[1] |
| Population As Of: | 2006 census |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Population Rank: | 11th of 36 |
| Population Est: | 6,391,000[2] |
| Pop Est As Of: | 2022 |
| Demographics Type1: | GDP (PPP) |
| Demographics1 Title1: | Year |
| Timezone1: | WAT |
| Utc Offset1: | +01 |
| Postal Code Type: | postal code |
| Postal Code: | 840001 |
| Iso Code: | NG-SO |
| Blank Name Sec1: | HDI (2021) |
| Blank Info Sec1: | 0.336[3] · 36th of 37 |
| Type: | State |
| Demographics1 Info1: | 2021 |
| Demographics1 Title2: | Total |
| Demographics1 Info2: | $18.44 billion[4] 20th of 36 |
| Demographics1 Title3: | Per capita |
| Demographics1 Info3: | $3,174 22nd of 36 |
| Native Name: | |
Sokoto State (Hausa: Hausa: Jihar Sokoto; Fula: Fulah: , Leydi Sokoto) is one of the 36 states of Nigeria, located in the extreme northwest of the country. Bounded by Republic of the Niger to the north and west for 363 km (226 miles), and the states of Zamfara to the east, and Kebbi to the south and west, partly across the Ka River. Its capital and largest city is the city of Sokoto. Sokoto is located near to the confluence of the Sokoto River and the Rima River. As of 2022 it has an estimated population of more than 6.3 million.
Being the seat of the former Sokoto Caliphate, the city is predominantly Muslim and an important seat of Islamic learning in Nigeria. The Sultan who heads the caliphate is effectively the spiritual leader of Nigerian Muslims.
The name Sokoto (which is the modern/anglicised version of the local name, Sakkwato) is of Arabic origin, representing suk, "market". It is also known as Sakkwato, Birnin Shaihu da Bello or "Sokoto, Capital of Shaihu and Bello".
Since its creation as a state in 1976 (from the bifurcation of the erstwhile North-Western State (Map) into Sokoto and Niger States, 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 Nigeria.[5]
From ca. 1900, with 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 with an estimated population over 500,000. It included the then Zamfara and Argungun, or Kebbi, kingdoms.
The following excerpt from the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica offers some information from the perspective of the occupying British power:
In 1967, not long after Nigeria's 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.
Sokoto State is mainly populated by Fulani people. with Gobirawa found in Gobir and Isa LGA.[6] Most Sokoto State residents are Sunni Muslims, with a Shia minority; violence between the two groups is uncommon. Over 80% of people living in the state practice agriculture.
Hausa and Fulfulde are dominant. The Kainji language Ut-Ma'in is also spoken in Kebbe LGA and the Kainji language Kamuku is also spoken in Sokoto LGA. Minorities speak other languages such as Zarma and Tuareg.
Languages of Sokoto State listed by LGA:
| LGA | Languages | |
| Gada | Zarma; Tuareg | |
| Gudu | Zarma; Tuareg | |
| Illela | Zarma; Tuareg | |
| Kebbe | Ut-Ma'in | |
| Sabon Birni | Zarma; Tuareg | |
| Sokoto | Kamuku; Zarma; Tuareg | |
| Tangaza | Zarma; Tuareg |
Sokoto State is in the dry Sahel, surrounded by sandy savannah and isolated hills.
With an annual average temperature of 28.3°C, Sokoto is, on the whole, a very hot area. However, maximum daytime temperatures are for most of the year generally under 40°C and the dryness makes the heat bearable. The warmest months are February to April when daytime temperatures can exceed 45°C. 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.
See also: List of villages in Sokoto State.
Sokoto State consists of twenty-three (23)[7] Local Government Areas. They are:
Tertiary institutions in Sokoto State include:
Agriculture is the most important economic sector. It employs a majority percent of the state's working population. 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.[15]
Sadiq Abubakar III International near Sokoto.
The state government is led by a democratically elected governor who works closely with members of the state's house of assembly. The capital city of the state is Sokoto.
The governor of the state is selected using a modified two-round system. To be elected in the first round, a candidate must receive the plurality of votes and over 25% of the vote in at least two-third of the state local government areas. If no candidate passes threshold, a second round will be held between the top candidate and the next candidate to have received a plurality of votes in the highest number of local government areas.