Traditional Authority and Governance in Nigeria: A Comparative Study of Sokoto & Kano and Oyo & Ile-Ife — Adedara Oduguwa, Ph.D

Adedara Oduguwa, Ph.D: SOKOTO VS KANO

Kano served as the commercial powerhouse of Northern Nigeria. Its bustling Kurmi Market and craftsmanship made it a vital trans-Saharan trade hub, firmly anchoring its economic strength (Dawodu, 2004) . Militarily, it was one of the most formidable emirates, equipped with a walled city and cavalry forces, which partly explains why the British targeted it during the 1903 conquest (Gimbiyanews, 2025). Spiritually and religiously, however, Kano’s emir, while influential, remained subordinate to the Sultan of Sokoto, who held the ultimate spiritual authority across the Sokoto Caliphate (Dawodu, 2004).

In contrast, Sokoto was the spiritual and political heart of the Sokoto Caliphate. As the seat of the Sultan, it stood as the apex religious authority and wielded supreme spiritual power (Gimbiyanews, 2025). Its commercial importance, while present, did not match Kano’s scale; similarly, Sokoto’s military role was supervisory, overseeing the Caliphate’s vast emirates, rather than front-line (Dawodu, 2004). The British conquest in 1903 toppled Sokoto’s sovereignty, but the city’s spiritual prestige endured under colonial rule.

The Colonial & Post-Colonial Era

Commercially, Kano continues to reign supreme in the North, anchored in industry and trade, while Sokoto remains modest in its commercial output, largely serving as a regional center (Gimbiyanews, 2025). Both emirates saw their armies dissolved under British Indirect Rule, stripping them of military power. However, Kano retained significant cultural and political influence, whereas Sokoto kept its spiritual authority via the Sultanate (Gimbiyanews, 2025).

Population data offers a stark contrast. According to the 2006 census, Kano State had about 9.4 million people (projected at 15.46 million in 2022), making it the second-most populous Nigerian state (Statista, 2022). Sokoto State’s population was approximately 3.7 million in 2006, with a 2022 estimate of about 6.39 million. In city terms, Kano’s metro area (2006) had around 2.83 million people (est. 4.65 million by 2022), while Sokoto city hovered around 0.6 million residents.

GDP figures align with this disparity. In 2021, Kano State’s GDP was estimated at US$27.17 billion (per capita $1,761), placing it 13th among Nigerian states (NBS, 2021). Sokoto State’s GDP was around US$18.44 billion (per capita $3,174), ranking 20th. Interestingly, Sokoto’s higher per-capita figure suggests a smaller population but reflects still lower overall economic output.

Meanwhile, under British Indirect Rule, both emirates were respected for their traditional influence, Kano as a foremost emirate and Sokoto for its spiritual legacy (Britannica, 2025) Despite formal political authority being transferred to colonial institutions, both emirates were retained as key traditional authorities.

This is where modern fiscal dynamics reveal a dramatic difference. Kano State has pursued aggressive tax reforms, particularly a digital system tied to Nigeria’s National Identification Number (NIN). It now boasts 10.2 million NIN enrollees, second only to Lagos and is targeting ₦200 billion in annual IGR by equating the system to two million taxpayers each contributing ₦100,000. Its government projects monthly IGR of ₦6.3 billion in 2025 (NBS, 2024).

On the other hand, Sokoto State’s IGR has grown more modestly. From roughly ₦2 billion per month previously, it rose to ₦3.8 billion per month under recent reforms, targeting ₦37 billion annually in 2024 (NBS, 2024). Historical data shows steady growth from ₦9 billion in 2017 to ₦19 billion by 2019, totaling about ₦41 billion over the three-year span. However, concerns about spending priorities have surfaced, 72% of its IGR in the first half of 2024 was reportedly spent on vehicles for political appointees, raising critical questions about allocation practices.

OYO VS ILE-IFE

The Oyo Empire (c. 15th–19th centuries) was the commercial and political powerhouse of the Yoruba world. It controlled trade routes from the savannah to the coast, taxing goods like kola nuts, salt, and slaves (Oduguwa, 2025). Oyo leveraged its cavalry and central markets to dominate regional commerce. Meanwhile, Ife was not a commercial hub in the same sense; it was more of a spiritual and cultural centre ( It produced some local trade and art (notably terracotta and bronze works), but it was overshadowed by Oyo and other Yoruba towns in commerce.

Militarily, Oyo was the undisputed giant. Its cavalry (Aso Ofi horsemen), drawn from the savannah regions, enabled it to dominate large swaths of Yorubaland, Dahomey (Benin Republic), and even beyond (Oduguwa, 2017). At its peak, Oyo commanded tribute-paying towns as far as present-day Togo. Conversely, Ife had little military clout. Its influence was rooted in tradition, myth, and religion, not battlefield power (Johnson, 1921).

The Ooni of Ife was (and remains) the spiritual head of the Yoruba people (Adeleke University Journal, 2023). Ife is regarded as the cradle of the Yoruba race and the mythical birthplace of Oduduwa, the progenitor of the Yoruba (Oduguwa, 2025). The Ooni’s role was to preserve religious traditions, culture, and identity. Moreover, the Alaafin wielded some religious authority, tied to the Shango cult and royal rituals, but was primarily political and military in power. Spiritually, he deferred to Ife (Johnson, 1921).

British Recognition

By the 19th century, Oyo’s empire had already collapsed internally (civil wars, Fulani jihads). Still, the Alaafin retained significant recognition under colonial Indirect Rule, and the Alaafin’s stool remained politically weighty in Western Nigeria (Oduguwa, 2025). While the British acknowledged the Ooni’s symbolic supremacy as the spiritual father of all Yoruba. Colonial administrators frequently turned to the Ooni to settle inter-Yoruba disputes.

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During the colonial period, Ife experienced significant changes in its commercial structure. The traditional artisanal and agricultural trades continued but were increasingly influenced by British policies that favored cash crops and imported goods (Oduguwa, 2017). The introduction of Western education and the establishment of institutions later encouraged a shift toward small-scale industries, crafts for export, and education -related commerce. Ife retained some of its cultural significance, which also drew commerce linked to tourism and cultural heritage.

Oyo was a dominant commercial and military hub, faced a decline in its pre-colonial trade power under colonial rule. Control over trade routes diminished as the British redirected commerce toward coastal export systems, focusing on cash crops like cocoa (Dawodu, 2004). Local markets persisted, but long-distance trade and tribute-based economic structures collapsed. Colonial administration also introduced taxes and cash-based economies, which transformed Oyo’s commercial patterns from its previous empire-centered dominance to a more localised, agriculture-dependent economy.

While both the Ooni of Ife and the Alaafin of Oyo hold prominent positions within Yoruba society, the Ooni clearly maintains a superior spiritual role, serving as the apex religious authority and a unifying figure for Yoruba tradition worldwide, often consulted on matters of culture and diaspora relations. In contrast, the Alaafin, though still highly respected, functions mainly as a political and cultural leader, lacking the same spiritual supremacy, which underscores the Ooni’s enduring centrality in the religious and cultural life of the Yoruba people.

Today in 2025

Ife (Ile-Ife) in Osun State had a city population of 501,000 in 2022, while Osun State’s total population was about 5.2 million, and its GDP was estimated at approximately US$7.3 billion in 2017 (Statista, 2017). In contrast, Oyo town in Oyo State had a population of 428,000, with Oyo State’s total population at 8.7 million and a 2017 GDP of US$16.1 billion, reflecting Oyo State’s roughly double economic size due to Ibadan’s economic influence.

Similarly, Osun State generated ₦19.6 billion in internally generated revenue (IGR) in 2021, ranking mid-tier among Nigerian states and driven mainly by PAYE from civil servants and the university sector, tourism, and small-scale commerce, whereas Oyo State’s IGR was ₦52 billion in the same year (NBS, 2022), placing it among the top five states, supported by Ibadan’s economy, agriculture, markets, and taxation.

In conclusion, Oyo State today may boast a larger GDP, higher IGR, and historically stood as the undisputed military and commercial headquarters of Yorubaland. By contrast, Ife has remained culturally central but less commercially dominant, with little military tradition. Yet, just as in the North where Kano commands greater population, commerce, and revenue while Sokoto, though smaller in GDP and IGR, remains the unquestioned spiritual headquarters, the same distinction holds between Oyo and Ife.

Those who still doubt the true seat of power between Oyo and Ife must therefore grasp this simple truth: leadership in Yoruba civilisation is not defined solely by economic weight or military conquest, but by spiritual supremacy. A son, no matter how prosperous, powerful, or ambitious he becomes, can never replace the father who gave him life.

Today, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, serves as the Co-Chairman of Nigeria’s National Council of Traditional Rulers, alongside the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III. While the Emir of Kano, Dr. Muhammadu Sanusi II, and the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade I, continue to uphold their esteemed positions as significant traditional rulers in their respective regions.

Adedara Oduguwa is a social commentator, cultural researcher and enthusiast, who writes from Sagamu, Ogun State, Nigeria.

References

Adeleke University Journal (2023). View of Ile-Ife and Supremacy of Ooni in Traditional Governance of the Yoruba. Available at: https://aujbss.adelekeuniversity.edu.ng/index.php/aujbss/article/view/12/12 [Accessed 25 August 2025].

Britannica (2025). Oyo Empire | History, Definition, Map, & Facts. Available at: https://www.britannica.com/place/Oyo-empire [Accessed 25 August 2025].

Gimbiyanews (2025). Historical Leadership of Kano from the 5th Century to 2025. Available at: https://www.facebook.com/Gimbiyanews/photos/historical-leadership-of-kano-from-the-5th-century-to-2025-1600-years-of-rulersh/781066287600258 [Accessed 25 August 2025].

Johnson, S. (1921). The History of the Yorubas: From the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the British Protectorate. Edited by O. Johnson. Lagos: C.M.S. (Nigeria) Bookshops. Available at: https://archive.org/details/historyofyorubas00john [Accessed 25 August 2025].

Oduguwa, A.S (2017). His Imperial Majesty, Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II. Exclusive Biographer, Ibadan.

Oduguwa, A.S (2025). Yoruba Asa ati Ise: Yoruba Culture and Traditions. Lagos: [Exclusive Biographer]. Available at: https://www.amazon.com/Yoruba-Asa-ati-Ise-Traditions-ebook/dp/B0F1BX633J [Accessed 25 August 2025].

ResearchGate, (2021). Oyo History, Tradition and Royalty. Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/353548464_Oyo_History_Tradition_and_Royalty [Accessed 25 August 2025].