emirate · West Africa
Adamawa Emirate
Origins
Modibbo Adama, a Fulani scholar, received a flag from Usman dan Fodio, traditionally in 1806 or 1809, to spread the jihad in Fombina, the southern lands. His followers conquered or absorbed many local chiefdoms on the upper Benue and the Cameroon highlands, and in 1841 Adama founded Yola as the capital.
Rule and society
The emirate was a loose federation of dozens of sub-emirates, or lamidates, such as Ngaoundere, Garoua and Banyo, each ruled by a Fulani lamido who paid tribute to Yola, which in turn paid tribute to Sokoto. Slave raiding against non-Muslim peoples supplied tribute and labour, and the region was among the largest slave-holding societies in Africa. Lawal, Adama's son, ruled from 1847 to 1872.
Decline and legacy
In 1901 British forces took Yola and Emir Zubeiru fled; the Anglo-German border gave most of the emirate to Kamerun. The British part became Adamawa Province in Northern Nigeria, and the Lamido of Adamawa still reigns at Yola.
On the connections map
Open the full map →Connections (4)
- Adamawa Emirate was part of Sokoto Caliphate1809 CE – 1903 CE
- Lamidate of Ngaoundere was a vassal of Adamawa Emirate1835 CE – 1901 CE
- Adamawa Emirate was conquered by Protectorate of Northern Nigeria1901 CE
- Adamawa Emirate was part of Kamerun1901 CE – 1916 CE
Cite this page
- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). Adamawa Emirate. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/adamawa-emirate
- MLA
- “Adamawa Emirate.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/adamawa-emirate. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “Adamawa Emirate.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/adamawa-emirate.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Adamawa Emirate’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/adamawa-emirate (Accessed: ).
Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻