Abstract:
The central theme of this work is on the Implications of the establishment of the Sabon-Gari system on economic activities in Kano, Nigeria. The settlements seriously affected inter ethnic relations especially where such settlements were established in Northern Nigeria. In the pre-colonial period migrant communities to cities in Northern Nigerian area lived together in harmony with their hosts; this embarrassed the official British view that only conflicts characterized relationship between African ethnic groups. What was to change the character of inter-group relationship among different communities in Northern Nigeria was the British colonial policy which was premised on the (false) philosophy of separation of people racially, linguistically and religiously. Hence the British considered it as a mandate to separate the inhabitants of Northern Nigeria from their kits and kins from the Southern part through the establishment of the Sabon-Gari system. This colonial settlement could be said to have laid the basis for the frequent inter ethnic hostilities in Northern Nigeria and made national integration difficult. The study also discovered that the separation perpetuated ‘separate communal values’ and perspectives, thereby inhibited the fostering of common national values. The study also argued that the colonial settlement also produced unfortunate consequences where such settlements were established as it made the inhabitants especially non-indigenes easy targets during any crisis.
Keywords: Sabon-Gari, Economic Actvities, Kano
DOI: 10.36349/sokotojh.2026.v14i01.014
