Gusau

Gusau is a town in the western Hausa country, near the rocky height of Kwatarkwashi. Its foundation is attributed to Mallam Muhammadu Sambo dan Ashafa, a follower of the Islamic scholar Usman dan Fodio, around 1799. The town gained importance after the fall of nearby Yandoto in 1806, during the wars that gave rise to the Sokoto Caliphate. Gusau became a centre of a district within the caliphate, surrounded by farming communities and cattle keepers. Agriculture and trade supported the growing settlement.