The Sokoto Caliphate was founded by Uthman dan Fodio (also written as Usman dan Fodio) following the Fulani Jihad, which began in 1804. It became the largest state in 19th-century West Africa, encompassing most of present-day northern Nigeria and parts of neighbouring countries.
Uthman dan Fodio was a Fulani Islamic scholar, teacher, and reformer who criticised the Hausa rulers (particularly the King of Gobir) for mixing Islamic practices with traditional African religions, imposing unjust taxes, and engaging in corruption. His preaching attracted a large following among Fulani pastoralists, Hausa peasants, and other groups seeking social and religious reform. When the King of Gobir attempted to suppress his movement, dan Fodio declared a jihad (holy war) in 1804. His forces defeated the Hausa states one by one, and he established the Sokoto Caliphate as an Islamic state governed by Sharia law, with its capital at Sokoto.
Nana Asma'u was Uthman dan Fodio's daughter, a renowned scholar and poet who promoted women's education within the Caliphate, but she did not found it. Mohammed Bello was dan Fodio's son and successor, who became the second Sultan of Sokoto and consolidated the Caliphate, but the founding is attributed to his father. Al-Kanemi was a scholar and military leader associated with the Kanem-Bornu Empire, not the Sokoto Caliphate.
The correct answer is Uthman dan Fodio, the founder and first leader of the Sokoto Caliphate.
