17/02/2026
HAUSA POLITICAL SYSTEM PRE-FULANI/PRECOLONIAL.
The Hausa People
The Hausa is the largest ethnic group in Africa and the second largest language after Arabic in Afroasiatic family of languages. The Hausa are a diverse but culturally homogeneous people based primarily in the Sahelian and the sparse savanna areas of southern Niger and northern Nigeria respectively, numbering over 100 million people with significant indegenized populations in Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Chad, Togo, Ghana, Sudan, Eritrea, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Senegal and the Gambia
Predominantly Hausa-speaking communities are scattered throughout West Africa and on the traditional Hajj route north and east traversing the Sahara, with an especially large population in and around the town of Agadez. Other Hausa have also moved to large coastal cities in the region such as Lagos, Port Harcourt, Accra, Abidjan, Banjul and Cotonou as well as to parts of North Africa such as Libya over the course of the last 500 years.
The Hausa, traditionally live in small villages as well as in precolonial towns and cities where they grow crops, raise livestock including cattle as well as engage in trade, both local and long distance across Africa. They speak the Hausa language, an Afro-Asiatic language of the Chadic group. The Hausa aristocracy had historically developed an equestrian based culture. Still a status symbol of the traditional nobility in Hausa society, the horse still features in the Eid day celebrations, known as Ranar Sallah (in English: the Day of the Prayer). Daura city is the cultural centre of the Hausa people. The town predates all the other major Hausa towns in tradition and culture.
Hausa Pre-Colonial Political Administration
Ever before the commencement of colonialism, the people of what later became known as Nigeria were living under different administration or political arrangements. However, the pre-colonial Nigeria symbolises the methods or ways by which Nigerians govern themselves before the advent of colonialism. It means traditional systems preceded the era of colonialism.
From the same position, the pre-colonial Nigeria varies from one region to the other because the ethnic and ethno-linguistic differences. For instance, while some political systems are centralized or chiefly society (e.g Yoruba pre-colonial system and Hausa), others were decentralized or chiefless society (like the Igbo clan system which was acephalous in nature). Interestingly, indirect rule would not have been possible without the already established pre-colonial system
Sarki is the highest position in Hausa land and he posseses the power of running the people of his kingdom, apart from Sarki (King) there's another position that the king use to appoints in order to help him in Ruling his people
in each one of Hausa Kingdom the King was assisted by some officials who were assigned to certain duties. These officials included:
Below is a list of some traditional titles in Hausa land and their equivalent in democratic system of government.
1- Sarki =. president
2- Waziri = prime minister
3- Sarkin yaki = Chief of Army staff
4- Sarkin dogarai = Inspector General of Police
5- Madawaki = Minister of defence
6- Sarkin fada =. Chief of staff
7- Galadima = Minister of interior
8- Ma'aji. = Minister of finance
9- Jakadiya = Minister of women affairs
10- Sarkin Noma = Minister of Agriculture
11- Sanƙira = Minister of communication
12- Majidaɗi = Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management
13- Magatakarda = Secretary
14- Hakimi = Governor
15- Dakaci = Chairman
16- Mai anguwa = Councilor.
17 Sarkin Ruwa = minister of water Resources
18 sallama. Personal Assistant
19 the ‘Sarkin Fawa‘, the head of all butchers.
20 Sarkin matasa = Youth and sports minister
21 Sarkin kasuwa =minister of commerce and Exchange
22 Sarkin Mafarauta. = Minister of Forests/chief of hunters
Apart from those official offices there's a lot that helps in running the government in Hausa Land
All these officials, who were appointed by the King, were consulted in running the affairs of the KINGDOM This can be said to be a similarity to the Yoruba political administration. But unlike a Yoruba king, power was centralised in the hands of the king who had absolute control over these officials and could depose any of them at his will.
SHARI'A DEPARTMENT (JUDICIARY)
The judicial administration of Hausaland was based on Sharia law which covered a wide range of issues like marriage, divorce, theft, murder, debt and so on. These laws were interpreted by the Alkali judges in the Alkali courts. Each emirate could have more than one Alkali court depending on its size.
However, issues not covered by the Sharia law were transferred to the King court where the king could preside over such issues. The King must be careful in making his laws or judgments as they must not go against the will of Islam religion which was the main practise of the people in Hausaland, for example, the King could not legalise the drinking of alcohol in the emirate. Therefore, the legislative powers of the land can be said to be solely wielded by the King in accordance to the religion of Islam.
The Hausa pre-colonial political system was a highly centralised one, with the King possessing almost all the powers. This was one of the main reasons why the Indirect Rule System was very successful in the Northern part of Nigeria 🇳🇬
Write us the positions that we didn't mention in comments section and tell us the role of the positions.
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Rabee'u Garba Ruwan Godia
