Gusau
About
Gusau is a city in northwestern Nigeria and the capital of Zamfara State. It also gives its name to the Local Government Area of Gusau, which covers an area of 3,364 km² and had a population of 383,162 at the 2006 census. The Gusau Local Government Area is led by an elected local government chairman, currently Yahaya Garba.
History
Gusau district emerged from the nineteenth-century jihad movement in Hausa land led by Sheikh Usman dan Fodio. It was founded around 1799 by Mallam Muhammadu Sambo Dan Ashafa, a disciple of dan Fodio, and became prominent after the fall of Yandoto in 1806. As part of the Sokoto Caliphate, Gusau developed into an important agricultural and commercial centre, with agriculture as the backbone of its economy before the colonial period. The coming of colonialism brought tarred roads, railways, modern stores, businesses, schools and a hospital, which aided the town's expansion and modernization. Colonial policies also changed the system of political administration, and in 1907 the colonial administration introduced a cattle tax (Jangali). Agriculture remained the main economic activity during the colonial period.
Source: Wikipedia: Gusau
Key Facts
State
Zamfara State
Chairman
Yahaya Garba
Established
c. 1799
Area
3,364 km²
Population
383,162 (2006 census)