Origin and Meaning of Maiduguri

Abstract

Origin and Meaning of Maiduguri
Introduction:
Geographically Maiduguri is location @ Coordinates: 11°50′N 13°09′E. It occupies an area of 50,778 square kilometers. It remains center of trade, learning, culture, Durbar and home of tourism and history.
The name Maiduguri is from the name Maiduwuri, the name Maiduwuri is referring to the present day Old Maiduguri in Jere local government Area of Borno state. The name Maiduguri is a combination of two Kanuri language words namely “Mai” and “Duwuri”. Mai is a word in Kanuri referring to a King or a leader and Duwuri is from the word Duwu which means a thousand; hence Duwuri is referring to the plural of a thousand which is thousands, ordinarily it’s like saying something is in the category of thousands (a thousand in ancient time is the peak of counting because counting in millions was not known then). So literally Maiduguri (Mai+Duwuri) means “Thousand Kings” thus Maiduguri is a land of a “Thousand-Kings”.
Why Maiduguri is called the Land of the Thousand Kings; During the colonial and pre-colonial eras the African societies and even the global community is not as rich as it is today due to the effects of industrial revolution, development in transportation, agriculture, improvement in food preservation as well as accelerated level in development of science and technology and stability in global governance/politics. In those days ordinary citizens apart from the King /ruler and his children or siblings all other people in a kingdom hardly owns more than One Gown cloth (a set of complete ceremonial clothing) in the sub-Saharan African region including the Hausa lands/Danfodio caliphate and the great Songhai empires . This Gown is known locally as Babban riga/Kuluwu or Malum-Malum in the Hausa language and “Kuluwu” in the Kanuri Language because they are expensive; thus they are not used as regular wears but rather ceremonial one by the members of the public outside the royal families who were then the richest families in almost all the kingdoms in the ancient precolonial African Kingdoms.
However contrary to this practices in the neighboring kingdoms to Kanem-Borno of wearing Gowns only on special occasions here in Borno (Old Maiduguri) which was a town with booming economy and having Islamic scholars as its leaders (the Shehu’s/Sheikh) who pays less attentions on their subjects on issues of who wears what made almost all the indigenes of Maiduguri then to be wearing the traditional Gowns for their daily activities.
So for visitors visiting Maiduguri for the first time as at that time normally gets surprise seeing everybody in the city dressed like a King. Therefor they feel that they are in a Land of a thousand Kings, Simply because there are thousands of people with everybody looking like a King. So this is the reason why old Maiduguri is called Maiduguri. To prove this claim just have a look at the Maiduguri society and city of today where people are still wearing one of the most expensive traditional clothing /dressings in the country when compared to their neighboring counterparts or states. Just imagine how an ordinary man who is not a big time business man, a governor, a minister ,an ambassador or even known to the society next to him wearing a Zanna cap along costing N 50,000 (fifty thousand naira) equivalent to $ 350 Dollars USD or even above plus expensive Swiss Filtex materials.
It is also important to note that the present day Maiduguri is also called Yerwa because that was its original name before the name Maiduguri.
Why Maiduguri is called Yerwa? That was because Yerwa is a name derived from the Kanuri word “HERWA” or "Herrah "which means a promising or a blessed Land. Experts said it is called Herwa in the first place because of its close proximity to the seasonal Ngadda River that still passes through it while considering the blessings coming with a river flowing through a desert or semi-desert environment where water is considered to be a highly prestige resource. Remember most of the Kanem Borno capitals like the cities of Ngazargamu, Kukawa, Monguno and others were either desert or semi desert cities , so water has a prestige in the kingdom in fact it is even a determining factor in creating new settlements (towns & villages).
Maiduguri, is still called Yerwa by its locals. It is the present day capital and the largest city of Borno State in the north-eastern Nigeria and the Fourth largest city in Nigeria. The city as stated above seats along the seasonal Ngadda River which annually disappears into the Firki swamps in the areas around Lake Chad. Maiduguri was founded in 1907 as a military outpost by the British and has since grown rapidly in to millions in terms of its population.

A brief history:
The city was actually home to the Kanem-Bornu Empire for centuries. Maiduguri consists of two cities: Yerwa to the West and Old Maiduwuri to the east. Old Maiduguri was selected by the British as their military headquarters while Yerwa was selected at approximately the same time by Shehu Abubakar Garbai of Borno to replace Kukawa as the new traditional capital of the Kanuri people.
Maiduguri is estimated to have a population of 2,607,497 as at 2014 and presently 3.7 Million due to the recent past unrest that pushed the rural population to Maiduguri. Its residents are mostly Muslims and the main tribes in Maiaduguri includes the Kanuri, Shuwa Arabs, Hausa Bura, Marghi, and Fulani ethnic groups.
It serves as the capital of Borno states and it once served as the capital of the entire Northeastern Nigeria region including the present day states like Bauchi, Yobe,Adamawa, Taraba and Gombe states.
Climate:
The average temperature in Maiduguri is 25.8 °C. The highest record temperature was 47 °C (117 °F) on 28 May 1983, while the lowest record temperature was 5 °C (41 °F) on 26 December 1979.
The average annual rainfall is 613 mm.
Socio Cultural Nature of Maiduguri:
The indigents of Maiduguri are 100% Muslims though as a cosmopolitan city Maiduguri also has in it followers of many other faiths.
Maiduguri is the Sub-Saharan city of Africa with the largest number of Mosques. As at 2017 it has well over 11,000 Mosques in it with an average of 4 Mosques per street in Maiduguri central.
Maiduguri has many social facilities for both the indigents and tourists some of which are as listed below:
1. Maiduguri Ramat square: This is a large space of area within the CBD of Maiduguri city developed to host Durbar, Horse racings, Eid Prayers and other unforeseen future events needing large space area. On normal days it also serves as a Football ground for many Footballing clubs in Maiduguri.
2. The Open Air Theater: This is a Theater constructed to hold cultural events both public and private events. In 1988 this theater hosted the international renowned Federlos Circus from Switzerland.
3. Stadium and Sport Complexes: Maiduguri has an Olympic size stadium under construction and it also has the El-Kanemi Warriors Sport center for playing Football, Handball, Basketball etc.
4. Hotels and accommodations: Maiduguri has many hotels ranging from 5 stars down to 2 stars and other unrated hostels for visitors and sometimes for pilgrims departing through Maiduguri international airport for hajj coming from other parts of the country.
5. Sanda Kyarimi Park: Maiduguri Zoo is known as the Sanda Kyarimi Park. It has collections of many different animals including the Big-Five apart from Giraffe and it also has a museum containing some historical artifacts of the Kanem-bornu Empire.
6. The Ngadda River: The Ngadda River bisected Maiduguri into two equal parts. The locals call it “Kumodu Gwangeye” it serves as an attraction to Maiduguri youths and children .Many swimming beginners starts here. Most people in Maiduguri take their first Canoe ride or Canoe paddling in this seasonal flowing river.
The Shehu palace:

The Shehu Palace was built in 1907 by the British. The original settlers who were relocated to build the Shehu’s Palace were the descendants of the former Mais (Kings) of the Borno Empire before the coming of the Elkanemi dynasty in the year 1809 including the great -great grandchildren of Mai Idris Alauma (1580–1617) (Internationally the most historic and most popular Kanuri Empire King), some of them were initially moved to the Shehuri North (Located at the Northern part of the present day Shehu palace) to enable the British create space to build the Shehu Palace which still stands at the place today. Construction work of the Palace began in the early 1900’s immediately after the defeat of Rabih az-Zubayr in the year 1900 and completed in 1907.
Though the palace was built by the British and has resemblance to a British super house with its Chimneys, but yet it also has more Kanuri style elements in it in terms of its central location and neighborhood arrangement patterns around it; with traditionally bounded by the courtier's residences including the; Waziriri, Shettimari, Abbari, Limanti, Kalari,Talbari, Yerimari, Kaigamari Moramti and Galtimari among others with Shehuri (the Shehu Palace) standing at the center .
Economy:
Maiduguri has an ultra-modern market known as the “Monday market" that has a spectacular satellite or Umbrella like image view 4rom the above. It has an ancient museum and is served by the Maiduguri International Airport. The city has one of the best layouts in Nigeria. It is connected by road to the republics of Cameroon , Chad and Niger and from Maiduguri goods and services are transported to as far as Sudan , Bangui in the Central African Republic and Gabon . There were existing historical records of trade with the North African nations of Libya, Morrocco, Egypt, Saudi Arabia,Yemen and Lebanon. A survey of property markets in Nigeria (2009) positioned Maiduguri as the third most expensive for buying and renting in the country next to Abuja and Lagos. Maiduguri is the principal trading hub for the northeastern Nigeria. Its economy is largely based on services and trade with a small share of manufacturing.
Maiduguri manufactures locally and traditionally the best Horse Saddles known as “S3RD3” or “SIRTTI” to that end there is a street in Maiduguri named after the making of the Horses Saddles referred to as S3RD3MARI or SIRTIMARI (within Fezzan ward of Maiduguri) meaning where the local Horse Saddles are made. Horse Saddles and horse dresses /decoration from Maiduguri are considered to be one of the best in the in the World.
The city lies at the end of a railway line in Nigeria connecting the cities of Port Harcourt, Enugu, Kafanchan, Kuru, Bauchi, and finally Maiduguri. This rail lines were originally intended by the British to convey Groundnuts (Peanuts) as well as Hides and Skin to the coast of the Atlantic Ocean in Southern Nigeria for upward transportation to Europe. Even though the Borno state town of Nguru in the present day Yobe state had its rail system functioning as far back as in the 1930s, but Maiduguri got its own rail lines or railway system in the 1960s due to the fact that the elders of ancient Maiduguri prevented the rail lines from reaching Maiduguri deliberately through prayers . Because people here are good in determining the faith of future events through the Islamic religious practices known as the “ISTIHARA” (prayers). This is a type of prayer usually helps to give inside or serve as a guide regarding blessings or displeasing situations associated with future events. The religion of Islam also encourages this prayers, but with guidance. After this ISTIHARA on the coming of the rail lines (which is something never known here before) to Maiduguri it was said that the elders of Maiduguri then saw associated problems /troubles coming with this intended rail lines coming to the city ;meaning that it might bring with it associated troubles/problems/evils to the City . So their efforts in praying against the coming of this rail line to the city actually prevented the rail lines from reaching the city of Maiduguri in the 1930s, 1940s and the 1950s until the 1960s when the original elders where mostly no more or stopped this prayer. So in this modern era of today we can now say with confidence that their guess is true or is now proved to be true, because the unrest in Maiduguri that started on the 14th July 2009 that seriously affected the city actually started from the “Railway compound” behind the State-Low-cost Housing-Estate of Maiduguri “. At this point I would like to point out that I am not an anti-rail line person, but I was amazed with the level of this Sophisticated forecast in to the future without using science and or technology by our Grandfathers as far back as some 70 years ago; that manifested now and is directly correlating to their guess. Even with our present day sophisticated modern science gadgets/equipment which has the ability to forecast in to future weather patterns, coming storms and droughts ahead of time using sophisticated gadgets like the satellite navigation systems , but yet this science and technology could not see the faith of events decades away. So this is actually amazing.
Maiduguri is blessed with various communities which offers differing expertise and professions helping in economically, educationally and socially building in developing the city since inception ; that’s why some places (wards, streets or boulevards ) are still named and called after the original profession that exist or the most popular profession still existing within them for example Arinmari – dyers , Mundulmarai (Hyde and Skin business), Mundulmari – tanners, Kaalmari – blacksmiths,S3rtemari (Sirrtimari)-Horse saddle makers , Kumozomari -calabash decorators and Aritamari-Trumpeters .
Education:
Maiduguri is known to be a center of Islamic and Quran studies for the past 100 years since its founding. In fact it is very impossible for great Islamic scholars that remain popular in the Islamic history of Sub-Saharan African region or even in the modern days to find an Islamic scholar from the Sokoto Caliphat including Sokoto, Gwandu, Kano, Zaria, Katsina, Hadejia and many others that have never came and acquire Islamic knowledge and the Quran in Maiduguri . Some neighboring students and Scholars from other part of Africa still feels that their studies is somehow incomplete without coming to study in Maiduguri during the course of their studies.
So it is not a surprise that Maiduguri based Scholars like late Sheikh El-Miskin,Sheikh AbulFathi,Sheikh Abba Aji, Sayinna Alhaji Bashir, Imam Upchama (Ba Liman),Sheikh Ibrahim Saleh,Sheikh Sherriff Tijjani and Mallam Usman Bida still remained popular across Nigeria,Niger,Chad, Cameroon and within Africa and parts of the Middle East and “Magerib” (Morocco/Algeria) as a whole . In fact this is one of the reasons that made one late Sheikh Mahmud Ja'afar from the city of Kano in Nigeria and a graduate of the University of Madina Saudi Arabia , keep acknowledging that during his life time he was greatly inspired by the teachings of Sheikh Abba Aji which was one of the reasons he read to become an Islamic scholar and at the same time saying that after visiting Sheikh El-Miskin's library in El-Miskin house Maiduguri he acknowledged that he has never seen a library that has so much unique collections of books with some of its books not even available in the market or in the other libraries that he has known ; in fact he concluded by saying that some of the books looks new to him.
In terms of modern education Maiduguri has one of the best-equipped university and hospitals in Nigeria. The University of Maiduguri attracts foreign students from neighboring countries especially Cameroun, Chad, Sudan and Niger Republics as well as some commonwealth students from Malaysia, Kenya, Ghana, Belize, Jamaica and Gambia among others. The College of medical sciences is among the top 5 best medical schools in Nigeria. Other higher institutions include Ramat polytechnic, Elkanemi college of Islamic Theology, Muhammad Goni college of Arabic and Islamic studies, the Lake Chad Research Institute, College of agriculture and College of education among others.
Attractions of Maiduguri: Kyarimi Park,University of Maiduguri,Maiduguri Maiduguri Monday Market, Deribe Mosque, Deribe Palace ,the Maiduguri Museum, Shehu’s Palace, Imam Malik Islamic Center, Indimi Mosque, Maiduguri International Airport, Maiduguri Sports Center, Ramat square, Lake Chad hotel, University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital and the Maiduguri International Hotel.
The Deribe Palace which is considered as the most expensive House in Africa and one of the best in the World is in Maiduguri. Remember this house hosted King Carlos of Spain, Prince Charles and Lady Diana of the United Kingdom as well as the American President.
Maiduguri serves as a home and remains a home to many great business men, scholars, military generals, academicians, technocrats and diplomats; Some of the popular names under this category are Alhaji Mai Deribe ,Sheikh Elmiskin, Babagana Kingibe, Sir Kashim Ibrahim, Waziri Ibrahim, Sheikh Aabba Aji, Professor Umaru Shehu, Shehu Mustafa Elkanemi,Alhaji Bukar Mandara,Alhaji Bukar Bolori,General Abba Kyari, General Mamman Shuwa,Major General Yusuf Brutai, Kashim Ibrahim Imam, Mala Kachalah, Sheikh Ibrahim Saleh, Mukaddam Bukhari, Alhaji Zanna Deribe, Muhammad Indimi, Alhaji Zanna Dipcharima, Imam Ibrahim Ahmed (The chief imam of Borno),Dr. Shetima Ali Monguno, and Babagna Monguno among many other great personalities not mentioned here that are either residence or indigents of the city.
MAIDUGURI COLLECRTIONS:
The Maiduguri museum,the Maiduguri main islamic library,the Maiduguri University libraries ,private libraries like that of Sheikh Elmiskin,Chief Imam Ibrahim Ahmed, Sheikh Abulfathi, Sheikh Ibrahim Saleh as well as the Deribe collections in Maiduguri altogether holds a lot of unique historical artifacts,thousand years old books,letters as well as customised collections of items and objects that remain rare or in very limited editions that among the few places on Earth to reach such items or objects includes Maiduguri. This Makes Maiduguri a unique city and one of the Worlds capital of artifacts ,special customised and unique collections .
Conclusion:
Though Maiduguri is a young city with most part just 100 years old,but its strategic location,climate,history, nature and quality of its inhabitants made it popular to rank with cities of thousand years history. Its inhabitants are historically mostly experts and established professionals in diversity cutting across craft making,education,international trading and its leaders are wise gentlemen that made all aspects work together in developing the city to an extend that today Maiduguri serves as not only the capital of Borno state in Nigeria, but has the economic and social powers and prestige that made it only major city in the Su-Saharan African region connecting the West,North and the Central African region as such that if social or economic earthquake affect it makes nations like Chad, Niger, Cameroon, Sudan, Central Afrique, Gabon and beyond feels the impacts of its after shock or shock-waves.

Thanks for your time in reading this piece.

Full text

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Author: Babagana Abubakar
E-mail: babaganabubakar2002@yahoo.com
PERMANENT ADDRESS: OPPOSTE ABUROS MOSQUE, FEZZAN WARD, MAIDUGURI, BORNO STATE, NIGERIA.
Tel: +2348062220179 Skype: babagana.abubakar
Origin and Meaning of Maiduguri
Introduction:
Geographically Maiduguri is location @ Coordinates: 11°50′N 13°09′E. It occupies an area of
50,778 square kilometers. It remains center of trade, learning, culture, Durbar and home of
tourism and history.
Fig.1: A map of Africa indicating the location of Maiduguri (A) and the Maiduguri Shehus Palace (B):
A. B.
The name Maiduguri is from the name Maiduwuri, the name Maiduwuri itself is referring to the
present day Old Maiduguri in Jere local government Area of Borno state in Nigeria.
The name Maiduguri is coined from the combination of two Kanuri language words namely
“Mai” and “Duwuri”. Mai is a word in Kanuri referring to a King or a leader and Duwuri is from
the word Duwu which means a thousand; hence Duwuri is referring to the plural of a thousand
which is thousands, ordinarily it’s like saying something is in the category of thousands (a
thousand in ancient time is the peak of counting because counting in millions was not known
then). So literally Maiduguri (Mai+Duwuri) means “Thousand Kings” thus Maiduguri is a land
of the “Thousand-Kings”.

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Why Maiduguri is called the Land of the Thousand Kings: During the colonial and pre-
colonial eras the African societies and even the entire global economy is not as rich as it is today
due to the effects of industrial revolution, development in transportation, agriculture,
improvement in food preservation techniques as well as accelerated level in development of
science and technology and stability in global governance/politics in general. In the ancient era
of Africa (Pre-colonial Africa) ordinary citizens apart from the King /ruler and his children or
siblings all other people in a kingdom hardly owns more than One Gown cloth (a set of complete
ceremonial clothing) in the sub-Saharan African region including the Hausa lands/Danfodio
caliphate and the great Songhai empires amongst others. This Gown is known locally as the
Kuluwu in the Kanuri language and Babban riga or Malum-Malum in the Hausa language, this is
because are expensive to be used as daily wears; thus making people using them only used them
on special ceremonies and festive seasons like marriage, sallah festive, turbaning ceremonies,
Quranic school graduations and other special occasions. But the royal families who were then
the richest families in almost all the kingdoms of this African ancient time wears them on regular
basis.
Fig.2: A photo of a typical Kanuri Kuluwu/Babban Riga Gown (A) and a Kanuri Man dressed in Kanuri/Maiduguri Gown(B):
A. B.
However contrary to this practices in the neighboring kingdoms to the Kanuri’s Kanem-Borno
Empire here in Maiduguri (Old Maiduguri) which was then a town with booming economy and
having Islamic scholars as its leaders (the Shehu’s/Sheikh) who pays less attentions on their
subjects on issues of who wears what made almost all the indigenes of Maiduguri then to be
wearing the traditional Gowns for their daily activities and as daily wears. This aspect of the
Kanuri society culture created a situation that looks very colorful in one hand and keeps making
visitors visiting Maiduguri for the first time to get surprise and somehow confuse seeing

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everybody in the city dressing like a King. Therefor the visitors generally feel that they are in a
Land of a thousand Kings, Simply because there are thousands of people with everybody looking
like a King. So this is the reason why old Maiduguri is called Maiduguri in the first place.
Fig.3: A photo of Kanuri cultural Dancers & Horse riders in Maiduguri during a Festival:
To prove this claim of ordinary Maiduguri citizen of wearing ceremonial clothing materials as
regular wears; just have a look at the Maiduguri society /people of today where its inhabitants
are still wearing one of the most expensive traditional clothing /dresses in the country when
compared to their neighboring counterparts or states. Just imagine how an ordinary man who is
not a big time traditional title holder,business man, governor, minister ,an ambassador or even
known publically to his immediate society wearing a Zanna Kanuri traditional cap along costing
approximately N 50,000 (fifty thousand naira) equivalent to $ 350 Dollars (USD) , Swiss
branded Filtex materials and others on a normal day.
This aspect of the Maiduguri culture is now getting more admired all over the sub-Saharan
African region as such that made in Maiduguri Caps and dresses are now considered to be best
within African clothing and won by many important personalities.

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Fig.4: A photo of a Zanna Cap (A) and two Nigerian popular leaders (Muhammadu Buhari & Ibrahim Babangida both wearing the
Zanna caps (B):
A. B.
It is also important to note that the present day Maiduguri is also called Yerwa because that was
its original name before the name Maiduguri.
Why Maiduguri is called Yerwa? The name Yerwa was originally derived from the Kanuri
word “HERWA” or "Herrah "which means a promising or a blessed Land. Experts said it is
called Herwa because of its close proximity to the seasonal flowing Ngadda River that still flows
through it. This seasonal Ngadda river annually disappears or empties its water into the Firki
swamps in the areas around the Lake Chad. When considering the blessings associated with river
flowing through a desert or semi-desert environment where water is considered to be a highly
prestige resource it is very logical acknowledging the presence of such nearby river or rivers and
in this case Maiduguri blessings is associated to a nearby river and then it was called Herra or
Yerwa. It is common in Africa to name places after rivers for example the name of Yobe state
was derived from the river Yobe, the name of Kaduna was derive from the river Kaduna same as
the name Nigeria and Niger republics as a whole were both derived from the name of the river
Niger that flows through them.
In this regard is good to remember that most of the Kanem Borno capitals like the cities of
Ngazargamu, Kukawa, Monguno and others were either desert or semi desert cities , so water has
a special prestige in the kingdom in fact it is even a determining factor in creating new
settlements (towns & villages) and the entire Kanem-Bornu Empire itself was shaped historically
by the Lake Chad and its associated resources.
Maiduguri is still called Yerwa by its locals.

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Maiduguri is the present day capital and the largest city of Borno State and the Fourth largest
city in Nigeria. Maiduguri was founded in the year 1907 as a military outpost by the British and
has since grown rapidly in to millions in terms of its population.
A brief history:
Maiduguri consists of two cities: Yerwa to the West and Old Maiduwuri to the east. Old
Maiduguri was selected by the British as their military headquarters while Yerwa was selected at
approximately the same time during the reign of Shehu Abubakar Garbai of Borno to replace
Kukawa as the new traditional capital of the Kanuri people.
Maiduguri is estimated to have a population of 2,607,497 as at 2014 and presently 3.7 Million
due to the recent past unrest, a factor that pushed the rural population to Maiduguri. Its residents
are mostly Muslims and the main tribe of Maiduguri is the Kanuri others are the Shuwa Arabs,
Hausa, Bura, Marghi, and Fulani ethnic groups.
It serves as the capital of Borno states and it once served as the capital of the entire North-
Eastern region of Nigeria (Borno,Bauchi, Yobe,Adamawa, Taraba and Gombe states)
Climate:
The average temperature in Maiduguri is 25.8 °C. The highest record temperature was 47 °C
(117 °F) on 28 May 1983, while the lowest record temperature was 5 °C (41 °F) on 26 December
1979.
The average annual rainfall is 613 mm.
Socio Cultural Nature of Maiduguri:
The indigents of Maiduguri are 100% Muslims though as a cosmopolitan city Maiduguri also has
in it followers of many other faiths.
Maiduguri is the Sub-Saharan city of Africa with the largest number of Mosques. As at 2017 it
has well over 11,000 Mosques in it with an average of 4 Mosques per street in Maiduguri central.
Maiduguri has many social facilities for both the indigents and tourists some of which are as
listed below:
1. Maiduguri Ramat square: This is a large Open space area within the CBD of Maiduguri
city developed to host Durbar, Horse racings, Eid Prayers and other unforeseen future
events needing large Open space area. On normal days it also serves as a Football ground
for many Footballing clubs in Maiduguri.

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2. The Open Air Theater: This is a Theater constructed to hold cultural events both public
and private. In 1988 this theater hosted the international renowned Federlos Circus from
Switzerland.
3. Stadium and Sport Complexes: Maiduguri has an Olympic size stadium under
construction and it also has the El-Kanemi Warriors Sport center for playing Football,
Handball, Basketball etc.
4. Hotels and accommodations: Maiduguri has many hotels ranging from 5 stars down to 2
stars and other unrated hostels as well for visitors and sometimes for pilgrims departing
through Maiduguri international airport for hajj mostly coming from other parts of the
country and the neighbouring countries.
5. Sanda Kyarimi Park: Maiduguri Zoo is known as the Sanda Kyarimi Park. It has
collections of many different animals including the Big-Five apart from Giraffe and it
also has in it a museum containing some historical artifacts of the Kanem-bornu Empire.
6. The Ngadda River: The Ngadda River bisects Maiduguri into two equal parts. The locals
call it “Kumodu Gwangeye” it serves as an attraction to Maiduguri youths and children
.Many swimming beginners starts here. Most people in Maiduguri take their first Canoe
ride or Canoe paddling in this seasonal flowing river.
The Shehu palace:
The Shehu Palace was built in 1907 by the British. The original settlers who were relocated to
build the Shehu’s Palace on its spot were the descendants of the former Mais (Kings) of the
Borno Empire before the coming of the Elkanemi dynasty. The palace was built in the year 1809
, however the construction work of the Palace began in the early 1900’s immediately after the
defeat of Rabih az-Zubayr in the year 1900.
Though the palace was built by the British and has resemblance to a British super house with its
Chimneys, but yet it also has more Kanuri style elements in it in terms of its central location and
neighborhood arrangement patterns around it; with traditionally bounded by the courtier's
residences including the; Waziriri, Shettimari, Abbari, Limanti, Kalari,Talbari, Yerimari,
Kaigamari Moramti and Galtimari among others with the Shehuri (the Shehu’s Palace) standing
at the center .

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Fig.5: A picture of the Shehu’s Palace in Maiduguri:
Economy:
Maiduguri has an ultra-modern market known as the “Monday market" that has a spectacular
satellite or Umbrella like image view from the above. Maiduguri has museum with great
historical collections and the city is served by the Maiduguri International Airport. The city has
one of the best layouts in Nigeria. It is connected by road to the republics of Cameroon , Chad
and Niger , from Maiduguri goods and services are transported to as far as the republic of
Sudan and Bangui in the Central African Republic. There are existing historical records of
trade between Maiduguri and North African nations of Libya, Morocco, Egypt, Saudi Arabia,
Yemen and Lebanon.
A survey of property markets in Nigeria (2009) positioned Maiduguri as the third most expensive
for buying and renting in the country next to Abuja and Lagos. Maiduguri is the principal trading
hub for the northeastern Nigeria. Its economy is largely based on services and trade with a small
share of manufacturing.
Maiduguri manufactures locally and traditionally the best Horse Saddles known as “S3RD3” or
“SIRTTI” to that end there is a street in Maiduguri named after the making of the Horses
Saddles referred to as S3RD3MARI or SIRTIMARI (within Fezzan ward of Maiduguri)
meaning where the local Horse Saddles are made. Horse Saddles and horse dresses /decoration
from Maiduguri are considered to be one of the best in the in the World.

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Fig.6: Horses and horsemen decorated with a made in Maiduguri Silver wears, clothing and Saddles during durbar:
The city lies at the end of a railway line in Nigeria connecting the cities of Port Harcourt, Enugu,
Kafanchan, Kuru, Bauchi, and finally Maiduguri. This rail lines were originally intended by the
British to convey Groundnuts (Peanuts) as well as Hides and Skin to the coast of the Atlantic
Ocean in Southern Nigeria for upward transportation to Europe. Even though the Borno state
town of Nguru in the present day Yobe state had its rail system functioning as far back as in the
1930s, but Maiduguri got its own rail lines in the 1960s. According to some Maiduguri based
historians this was due to the fact that the elders of the ancient Maiduguri deliberately prevented
the rail lines from reaching Maiduguri through prayers. People here are good in planning about
events and developments. The elders of Maiduguri foresaw associated problems coming with
the development of the rail lines. According to some historians they said that it was the efforts of
the elders that prevented the rail lines from reaching the city of Maiduguri in the 1930s, 1940s
and the 1950s until the 1960s , however later when the original elders where mostly no more the
rail lines finally reached Maiduguri in 1963. However today we can now say with confidence
that their guess is now true as the unrest that started on the 14th July 2009 that seriously affected
the city actually started from the “Railway compound” of Maiduguri “.

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Fig.7: The Railway Terminus of Maiduguri:
Maiduguri is blessed with various communities which offers differing expertise and professions
helping in economically, educationally and socially building in developing the city since
inception ; that’s why some places (wards, streets or boulevards ) are still named and called
after the original profession that exist or the most popular profession still existing within them
for example Arinmari – dyers , Mundulmarai (Hyde and Skin business), Mundulmari – tanners,
Kaalmari – blacksmiths,S3rtemari (Sirrtimari)-Horse saddle makers , Kumozomari -calabash
decorators and Aritamari-Trumpeters .
Education:
Maiduguri is known to be a center of Islamic and Quran studies for the past 100 years since its
founding. In fact it is very impossible for great Islamic scholars that remain popular in the
Islamic history of Sub-Saharan African region including Sokoto, Gwandu, Kano, Zaria, Katsina,
Hadejia and many others that have never came and acquire Islamic knowledge and the Quran in
Maiduguri . Some neighboring students and Scholars from other part of Africa still feels that
their studies is somehow incomplete without coming to study in Maiduguri during the course of
their studies.
So it is not a surprise that Maiduguri based Scholars like late Sheikh El-Miskin,Sheikh
AbulFathi,Sheikh Abba Aji, Sayinna Alhaji Bashir, Imam Upchama (Ba Liman),Sheikh Ibrahim
Saleh,Sheikh Sherriff Tijjani and Mallam Usman Bida still remained popular across
Nigeria,Niger,Chad, Cameroon and within Africa and parts of the Middle East and “Magerib”
(Morocco/Algeria). In fact this is one of the reasons that made one late Sheikh Mahmud Ja'afar
from the city of Kano in Nigeria and a graduate of the University of Madina Saudi Arabia , keep
acknowledging that during his life time he was greatly inspired by the teachings of Sheikh Abba
Aji which was one of the reasons he read to become an Islamic scholar and at the same time
saying that after visiting Sheikh El-Miskin's library in El-Miskin house Maiduguri he
acknowledged that he has never seen a library that has so much unique collections of books with

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some of its books not even available in the market or in the other libraries that he has known ; in
fact he concluded by saying that some of the books looks new to him.
Fig.8: Pictures of some of the most popular religious scholars of Maiduguri including Sheiks Elmiskin (A), Abba-Aji (B) and
Abulfathi(C):
A. B. C.
In terms of modern education Maiduguri has one of the best-equipped university and hospitals in
Nigeria. The University of Maiduguri attracts foreign students from neighboring countries
especially Cameroon, Chad, Sudan and Niger Republics as well as some commonwealth students
from Malaysia, Kenya, Ghana, Belize, Jamaica and Gambia among others. The College of
medical sciences is among the top 5 best medical schools in Nigeria. Other higher institutions
include Ramat polytechnic, Elkanemi college of Islamic Theology, Muhammad Goni college of
Arabic and Islamic studies, the Lake Chad Research Institute, College of agriculture and College
of education among others.
Fig.9: A photo of some of the Most Recognized Educational Institutions of Maiduguri:
.

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Attractions of Maiduguri: Kyarimi Park,University of Maiduguri,Maiduguri Maiduguri Monday
Market, Deribe Mosque, Deribe Palace ,the Maiduguri Museum, Shehu’s Palace, Imam Malik
Islamic Center, Indimi Mosque, Maiduguri International Airport, Maiduguri Sports Center,
Ramat square, Lake Chad hotel, University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital and the Maiduguri
International Hotel.
Fig.10: A photo of University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, Indimi Mosque and Maiduguri International Hotel:
The Deribe Palace which is considered as the most expensive House in Africa and one of the
best in the World is in Maiduguri. Remember this house hosted King Carlos of Spain, Prince
Charles and Lady Diana of the United Kingdom as well as the American President.
Fig.11: A photo of different parts of the Deribe Palace & Deribe Mosque in Maiduguri:
Maiduguri serves as a home and remains a home to many great business men, scholars, military
generals, academicians, technocrats and diplomats; Some of the popular names under this
category are Alhaji Mai Deribe ,Sheikh Elmiskin, Babagana Kingibe, Sir Kashim Ibrahim,
Waziri Ibrahim, Sheikh Aabba Aji, Professor M.M. Daura (former VC) ,Professor-Emerutus,
Umaru Shehu, Shehu Mustafa Elkanemi,Alhaji Bukar Mandara,Alhaji Bukar Bolori,General
Abba Kyari, General Mamman Shuwa,Major General Yusuf Brutai, Kashim Ibrahim Imam,
Mala Kachalah, Sheikh Ibrahim Saleh, Mukaddam Bukhari, Alhaji Zanna Deribe, Muhammad
Indimi, Alhaji Zanna Dipcharima, Imam Ibrahim Ahmed (The chief imam of Borno),Dr. Shetima
Ali Monguno, and Babagna Monguno among many other great personalities not mentioned here
that are either residence or indigenes of the city.

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Faces of some Maiduguri people:
MAIDUGURI COLLECRTIONS:
The Maiduguri museum,the Maiduguri main islamic library,the Maiduguri University libraries
,private libraries like that of Sheikh Elmiskin,Chief Imam Ibrahim Ahmed, Sheikh Abulfathi,
Sheikh Ibrahim Saleh as well as the Deribe collections in Maiduguri altogether holds a lot of
unique historical artifacts,thousand years old books,letters as well as customised collections of
items and objects that remain rare or in very limited editions that among the few places on Earth
to reach such items or objects includes Maiduguri. This Makes Maiduguri a unique city and one
of the Worlds capital of artifacts ,special customised and unique collections .
Conclusion:
Though Maiduguri is a young city with most part just 100 years old,but its strategic
location,climate,history, nature and quality of its inhabitants made it popular to rank with cities
of thousand years history. Its inhabitants are historically mostly experts and esterblished
professionals in dyversity cutting across craft making,education,international trading and its
leaders are wise gentlemen that made all aspects work together in developing the city to an
extend that today Maiduguri serves as not only the cpaital of Borno state, but has the economic
and social powers that extends to many regions of African. An economic earthquake of
Maiduguri has the ability of sending shockwaves within the entire West and Central African
regions.

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References:
1. Dewière, Rémi, L'esclave, le savant et le sultan. Représentations du monde et diplomatie au
sultanat du Borno (XVIe-XVIIe siècles), thèse de doctorat dirigée par le professeur Bertrand
Hirsch, Université Paris 1 Panthéon Sorbonne, 2015, 713 f.
2. Elhadji Ari Awagana. 2001. "Grammatik des Buduma: Phonologie, Morphologie, Syntax," LIT
Verlag Berlin-Hamburg-Münster, ISBN 3825856445
3. Gaston Dujarric, La vie du sultan Rabah, Paris, 1902
4. Lavers, John (1993). "Adventures in the chronology of the states of the Chad Basin". In: D.
Barreteau and C. v. Graffenried (eds.), Datations et chronologies dans le Bassin du Lac Chad,
Paris, 255-267.
5. Levtzion, Nehemia (1978):"The Saharan and the Sudan from the Arab conquest of the Maghrib
to the rise of the Almoravids", in: J. D. Fage (ed.), The Cambridge History of Africa, vol. II,
Cambridge 1978, pp. 637–684.
6. Louise McKone. 1993. "A Phonological Description of Yedəna (Buduma), Language of Lake
Chad," University of Texas at Arlington MA thesis.
7. Von Oppenheim, Rabeh und das Tsadseegebiet, Berlin, 1902
8. When We Ruled by Robin Walker. Afterword by Fari Supiya. Every Generation Media, London,
2006

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Author-BABAGANA ABUBAKAR
Auth
UNCCPP, Masters, Bsc, Fellow African Scientific Institute