Gidado dan Laima (1817–1842) also known as Waziri Gidado was the first known

Grand Vizier Grand vizier ( fa, وزيرِ اعظم, vazîr-i aʾzam; ota, صدر اعظم, sadr-ı aʾzam; tr, sadrazam) was the title of the effective head of government of many sovereign states in the Islamic world. The office of Grand Vizier was first ...

of the

Sokoto Caliphate The Sokoto Caliphate (), also known as the Fulani Empire or the Sultanate of Sokoto, was a Sunni Muslim caliphate in West Africa. It was founded by Usman dan Fodio in 1804 during the Fulani jihads after defeating the Hausa Kingdoms in the Ful ...

, he was vizier of

Sokoto Sokoto is a major city located in extreme northwestern Nigeria, near the confluence of the Sokoto River and the Rima River. As of 2006 it has a population of over 427,760. Sokoto is the modern-day capital of Sokoto State and was previously the c ...

during the sultanship of

Muhammed Bello Muhammadu Bello ( ar, محمد بلو) was the second Sultan of Sokoto and reigned from 1817 until 1837. He was also an active writer of history, poetry, and Islamic studies. He was the son and primary aide to Usman dan Fodio, the founder of the ...

. He was the founder of the popular line of viziers known as the Gidado line; some of his descendants include Waziri Junaid and

Abd al-Qadir (Sokoto) Abd al-Qadir also known as Abdulkadir, was The Sokoto Grand Vizier (1842–1859). He was preceded by his father, Gidago dan Laima (1817–1842) and succeeded by Ibrahim Khalilu (1859-c. 1874). Prior to his appointment as vizier, Abdulkadir part ...

, and in extension,

Gidado Idris Alhaji Gidado Idris, (15 March 1935 – 15 December 2017) was a Nigerian civil servant who served as the Secretary to the Government and Head of Service of the federation in Nigeria between the year 1995-1999, during the military regime of Gener ...

who was once Nigeria’s Secretary to the Government. Gidado was succeeded by

(1842–1859) in 1842. During

Hugh Clapperton Bain Hugh Clapperton (18 May 1788 – 13 April 1827) was a Scotland, Scottish naval officer and explorer of West and Central Africa. Early career Clapperton was born in Annan, Dumfriesshire, where his father, George Clapperton, was a surgeon. He ...

's stay in Sokoto, he was under the care of his family.

Life

Gidado was born Uthman (Gidado) b. Abu Bakr (Sambo Laima) b. Umar (Gabinda) b. Ahmad to a

Fulani The Fula, Fulani, or Fulɓe people ( ff, Fulɓe, ; french: Peul, links=no; ha, Fulani or Hilani; pt, Fula, links=no; wo, Pël; bm, Fulaw) are one of the largest ethnic groups in the Sahel and West Africa, widely dispersed across the region. ...

family around the year 1776. His ancestry can be traced to a group of

Torodbe The Torodbe; singular Torodo (also called Turudiyya, Banu Toro, Takrur, Toronkawa) were Muslim clerics and theocratic monarchs who reigned in Futa Toro, a region located in the north of present-day Senegal, from the seventeenth to the early twenti ...

from Konni. Prior to the

Fulani jihad The Fulani War of 1804–1808, also known as the Fulani Jihad or Jihad of Usman dan Fodio, was a military conflict in present-day Nigeria and Cameroon. The war began when Usman Dan Fodiyo, a prominent Islamic scholar and teacher, was exiled ...

, Gidado, his father and uncle were with

Uthman Dan Fodio Usman Ɗan Fodio ( ar, عثمان بن فودي, translit=ʿUthmān ibn Fodio; 15 December 1754 – 20 April 1817) was a Fulani scholar, Sunni Islamic religious teacher, revolutionary, and philosopher who founded the Sokoto Caliphate and ruled ...

Degel Degel is a town in northern Nigeria. Once a part of the Hausa city-state of Gobir, Degel is particularly noted for being the home of Fulani Islamic reformer Usman dan Fodio from 1774 to 1804. Dan Fodio built a large following in the area until, ...

. He was close to the Dan Fodio clan, especially Muhammed Bello and shortly after the

jihad Jihad (; ar, جهاد, jihād ) is an Arabic word which literally means "striving" or "struggling", especially with a praiseworthy aim. In an Islamic context, it can refer to almost any effort to make personal and social life conform with Go ...

, he married Asma, a daughter of dan Fodio. He was not a leader of a particular group during the jihad but sometimes acted as a messenger or special envoy. One of his crucial tasks was to collect the caliph's share of booty from Birnin Gazargamu in 1808.Last. p. 151 In his journey, he met all the Fulani leaders and his knowledge of Bornu later made him a good choice to negotiate a truce with El Kanemi.

Vizier

Following Bello's election as

Amir al-mu'minin Amir al-Mu'minin ( ar, أَمِير ٱلْمُؤْمِنِين, amīr al-muʾminīn) is an Arabic title designating the supreme leader of an Islamic community. It is usually translated as "Commander of the Faithful", though sometimes also as "Prin ...

, Gidado was appointed the vizier. He continued to maintain his work as emissary and assistant of Bello but he had more freedom of judgement. On his own initiative, he retired Ishaq, the Emir of

Daura Daura is a town and Local Government Area in Katsina State, northern Nigeria. It is the spiritual home of the Hausa people. The emirate is referred to as one of the "seven true Hausa states" (Hausa Bakwai) because it was, (along with Biram, Kan ...

and appointed, Ishaq's son in his father's stead. He was also asked to command of a joint army when El Kanemi was threatening eastern Kano. During expeditions, he was known to be by the side of Bello, however, he was less involved in writing the Sultan's correspondence as future viziers became known. When Bello died, Gidado gradually retired because relations between him and

Abu Bakr Atiku Abu Bakr Atiku ( ar, أبو بكر أتيكو; 1782–1842) was the third Sultan of the Sokoto Caliphate, reigning from October 1837 until November 1842. Early years Abu Bakr Atiku dan Shehu was born to the second wife of Usman dan Fodio in 17 ...

, the new Sultan were not in good terms. His son Abd al-Qadir then sometimes acted as vizier.

References

Sokoto Caliphate 1817 births 1842 deaths {{Nigeria-politician-stub 19th-century Nigerian historians Grand Viziers of Sokoto