Suleja
About
Suleja is a city and Local Government Area in Niger State, Nigeria, located just north of Abuja, the national capital. It is sometimes confused with Abuja because of its proximity and because it was originally named Abuja before the federal government adopted that name for the new federal capital in 1976. The area is known for the Ladi Kwali Pottery Centre, established by Michael Cardew in 1950, and for its farming, pottery and local trade. The local government area covers about 114.6 square kilometres and had an estimated population of 368,900 in 2022. Its emirate includes the Emir of Suleja, and the local government chairman heads the council. The town also hosts a government secondary school, a hospital and a campus of the Dorben Polytechnic.
History
Suleja was established in the early 19th century by Mohammed Makau, the last Hausa emir of Zaria, and his followers, who fled the Fulani jihadists conquering northern Nigeria. Zaria, or Zazzau, was one of the Hausa city-states conquered by the Fulani jihadists led by Usman dan Fodio. The emirate's area originally included four small Koro chiefdoms that paid tribute to the Hausa kingdom of Zazzau. After the Fulani jihad captured Zaria about 1804, Muhamman Makau led many Hausa nobles to the Koro town of Zuba. His brother and successor, Abu Ja, later founded Abuja town in 1828. In 2011 Suleja was hit by several bomb attacks, and in January 2025 a fuel tanker explosion near the Dikko junction killed over 100 people.
Source: Wikipedia: Suleja
Key Facts
State
Niger State
Chairman
Isyaku Bawa Na’ibi
Established
early 19th century
Area
114.6 km²
Population
368900