Northern traditional rulers often derive their titles from the rulers of independent states or communities that existed before the formation of modern Nigeria. Although they do not have formal political power, in many cases they continue to command respect from their people and have considerable influence.
Though their bearers usually maintain the monarchical styles and titles of their sovereign ancestors, their independent activities and their relations with the central and regional governments of Nigeria are closer in substance to those of the high nobility of old Europe than to those of the actual reigning monarchs.
The Northern traditional rulers however differ from those in the South.
In this article, we will be shedding light on Northern traditional rulers in Nigeria.
1. Sultan Of Sokoto:
Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar, CFR (born 24 August 1956) is the 20th Sultan of Sokoto. As Sultan of Sokoto, he is considered the spiritual leader of Muslims in Nigeria, who constitute a majority of the nation’s population.
Abubakar is heir to the two-century-old throne founded by his ancestor, Sheikh Usman Dan Fodio (1754–1817) leader of the Maliki school of Islam and Qadiri branch of Sufism.
The Sokoto Caliphate leaders are partly Arabs and partly Fulani as stated by Abdullahi dan Fodio, brother of Usman dan Fodio who claimed that their family are part Fulani, and part Arabs, they claimed to descend from the Arabs through Uqba ibn Nafi who was an Arab Muslim of the Umayyad branch of the Quraysh.
2. Emir Of Kano:
Aminu Ado Bayero (born in 1961) is the 15th Fulani Emir of Kano from the Fulani Sullubawa clan. He ascended the throne on 9 March 2020, following the deposition of his nephew Muhammad Sanusi II by Governor Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje. He is the chancellor of the University of Calabar.
Aminu Ado Bayero was born on 1st July 1961. His father, Ado Bayero, was the Emir of Kano from 1963-2014 and the longest-serving emir in the history of Kano. He is the second eldest son of his father. His siblings include his eldest brother Sanusi Ado Bayero, and Nasiru Ado Bayero the Emir of Bichi. His father’s grandnephew, Muhammadu Sanusi II succeeded his father as Emir of Kano from 2014 till 2020 when he was dethroned by the Kano State government.
3. Shehu Of Borno:
Abubakar Ibn Umar Garbai El-Kanemi of Borno (born 1957) is the Shehu, or traditional ruler, of the Borno Emirate in northeast Nigeria.
Shehu Abubakar Ibn Umar Garbai El-Kanemi (son of Shehu Umar Ibn Abubakar Garbai of Borno) has been the Shehu of Borno since 2009. He was born in Damagum, Yobe State on 13th May 1957.
He attended Government College Maiduguri for his secondary education, and in 1975 was admitted to the Staff Training Centre, Potiskum where he obtained the Intermediate Local Government Certificate. He joined the Borno State Government in 1976. Subsequently, he attended Kaduna Polytechnic (1978–1982) and Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria (1986) where he obtained an Advanced Diploma in Local Government Administration. He became Permanent Secretary in the Ministries of Finance (1993), Works and Housing and Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs (2008). El-Kanemi is married to three wives and has 15 children.
4. Lamido Of Adamawa:
Muhammadu Barkindo Aliyu Musdafa (born February 13, 1944) became one of the northern traditional rulers on 18th March 2010, when he was turbaned with the title Lamido of Adamawa in Adamawa State Northeastern Nigeria.
Barkindo was born in Yola in February 1944, the eldest son of Lamido Aliyu Musdafa. He attended Barewa College, Zaria and then Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria where he obtained a Diploma in Law in 1969. Later he attended North London Polytechnic (1973–1975) and St Clements University in the Turks and Caicos Islands (2000–2002). He worked with the Nigeria Customs Service, Nigerian Port Authority and the National Freight Company. Joining the Gongola State civil service, he became a Commissioner for Works and later a Commissioner for Animal Health. Barkindo was a director of the National Engineering and Technical Company (1991–1993), chairman of Stirling Civil Engineering Nigeria Limited (1991–2003) and chairman of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (2003–2005).
5. Gbong-Gwom Of Jos:
Da Jacob Gyang Buba (born October 10, 1951) is a retired Nigerian customs officer and elder statesman. He served as the Comptroller-General of Nigeria Customs Service from 2004 to 2008. On April 1, 2009, he was sworn as the Gbong Gwom Jos, the paramount traditional ruler of the Berom Kingdom becoming the 5th Gbong Gwom Jos after the demise of Da Victor Dung Pam.
He is the Chairman, of the Jos Traditional Council of Chiefs and president of the Jos Joint Traditional Council. He currently serves as the 3rd Chancellor of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University since March 2016 at the 10th convocation of the institution.
6. Emir Of Katsina:
Abdulmumini Kabir Usman was born on the 9th of January, 1952 he is a Fulani from the Sullubawa Clan and the Emir of Katsina, Nigeria, and he is the Chancellor of the University of Ilorin (He was former Chancellor of Obafemi Awolowo University). He is the 50th emir of Katsina chronologically and the 4th from the Sullubawa dynasty succeeding his father Muhammadu Kabir Usman.
7. Emir Of Zazzau:
The Emir of Zazzau, known as Sarkin Zazzau in Hausa, is the traditional ruler based in Zaria, which was also known as Zazzau in the past. Although in centuries past, the emirs ruled as absolute monarchs, in the 20th and 21st centuries Nigerian traditional rulers hold little constitutional power, but wield considerable behind-the-scenes influence on the government. The emir’s residence is in the historic palace in the town of Zaria.
The Kaduna State Government appointed Alhaji Ahmed Nuhu Bamalli as the 19th Emir of Zazzau on 7th October 2020.
He became the first emir from the Mallawa ruling house in 100 years, following the demise in 1920 of his grandfather, Emir Dan Sidi.
The Zazzau emirate is located in Zaria Local Government of Kaduna State. The emirate is an old emirate that probably started in the 15th century with the main tribes of the Hausa and Fulani people.
8. Etsu Nupe:
Another one of the Northern traditional rulers, Alhaji (Dr) (Brig. Gen) Yahaya Abubakar rtd GCFR was born to the family of Late Alhaji Abubakar Saganuwa Nakordi Nupe, brother to the 11th Etsu Nupe Late Malam Musa Bello and his mother Late Hajiya Habiba Bantigi Ndayako daughter of the 9th Etsu Nupe and Sister to late Alhaji Umaru Sanda Ndayako the 12th Etsu Nupe Nupe Kingdom.
Yahaya was born on 12 September 1952 at Bida in Niger State and hails from one of the ruling houses of the Bida Emirate (Usman Zaki). He attended Government College, Sokoto and later Commercial College, Kano (1967–1971), then enrolled in the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna (1973–1975) in preparation for joining the Nigerian Army.
Before his appointment as the Etsu Nupe, he was the Kusodu Nupe, last military posting was to the Defence Headquarters Abuja, where he was a director of foreign operations, before retiring as a Brigadier General in September 2003.
9. Emir Of Bauchi:
His Royal Highness, Dr Rilwan Sulaiman Adamu, an engineer, is the eleventh of the 16 children of the late Emir, Dr Sulaiman Adamu. He was born on October 14th in 1970. He studied Building Technology at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University between 1996 and 2001 and worked with the Nigerian Port Authority for years.
The current Emir is the longest Amirul Hajj in Bauchi who oversaw the activities of the pilgrimage committee for years. Dr. Rilwanu is an advocate of the importance of getting voter cards which is key for electing good leaders.
10. Emir Of Ilorin:
Ibrahim Kolapo Sulu Gambari CFR (born 1940) is a Nigerian lawyer and monarch appointed in 1995 being the 11th Emir of the Ilorin Emirate in Kwara State from the Fulani ruling house and chairman of Kwara State Traditional Councils.
He started his early school at Native Authority School in 1953 finishing in 1956 then he moved to Offa Grammar School and finished in 1960 later in 1961 to 1962 he studied in Oakham Schools England and City Westminster College finished In 1963 and he moved to Middle Temple School from 1964 to 1967 and in 1966 he attended the University of London to 1969 then Nigerian Law School in 1969 to 1971.
He worked as permanent secretary and solicitor-general in then Gongola and became a judge at Bauchi High Court in 1976 later in 1978 he was Justice in the Court of Appeal. He is a nephew of the Chief of Staff to the President of Nigeria Muhammadu Buhari Ibrahim Gambari.
