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Weather in Katagum
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About Katagum
Katagum is a town, a traditional emirate and the capital of Zaki LGA in Bauchi State of north eastern Nigeria. The town is located on the northern bank of the Jama'are River, which is a tributary of the Hadejia. Most of the inhabitants are people from the Fulani, Kanuri, Karai-karai and Hausa ethnic groups. The chief agricultural products include peanuts (groundnuts), sorghum, millet, rice (especially in the riverine fadamas, or "floodplains"), cowpeas, cotton, indigo, and gum arabic.
From the Wikipedia article Katagum (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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History
Originally, it was the seat of an emirate founded around 1807 by Ibrahim Zakiyul Kalbi (aka Malam Zaki), a soldier in the Fulani jihad. In 1812, he destroyed the capital of the Kanem–Bornu Empire, Ngazargamu, 115 mi east north-east of Katagum, and was named king of Bornu by the leader of the jihad, Usman dan Fodio. After his victory, Malam Zaki returned to the area and founded Katagum in 1814. A decade later, when the Scottish explorers Hugh Clapperton and Walter Oudney visited Katagum, they found it had two surrounding walls, each 20 ft in height with a 10 ft base and four gates. There was also a community mosque, and trade was accomplished using cowrie shells for currency. Oudney died in Katagum that same year, 1824, and was buried at Murmur, a settlement on the south.
During the mid-to-late 1820s, Bornu recaptured most of the area from the Fulani, forcing the Katagum community to evacuate in 1826. Later that year, their Kanuri tribal warriors, were defeated 90 mi west south-west at Fake by a joint coalition led by Yakubu, the king of Bauchi, and Dan Kauwa, Katagum's Emir (amir), with an emirate to the south. Returned to Fulani control, the Katagum emirate was prosperous until the 1850s, when wars with Amir Buhari of nearby Hadejia diminished them greatly.
From the History section of Katagum on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Map of Katagum
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Getting there and nearby towns
- Gamawa 26 km southeast, about 26 min by car
- Hadejia 38 km northwest, about 38 min by car
- Kafin Hausa 48 km west, about 48 min by car
- Mallammaduri 53 km northwest, about 53 min by car
- Gorgoram 55 km northeast, about 55 min by car
- Madara 57 km south, about 57 min by car
- Birniwa 58 km north, about 58 min by car
- Nguru 67 km north, about 1 h by car
- Azare 70 km south, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Gwio Kura 89 km northeast, about 1 h 30 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB.
Reviews, tips and questions
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Sources and licences
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, coordinates, regions and time zone
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Katagum Emirate Central Mosque (1), Musaddam Idriss, CC BY-SA 4.0
Page built November 3, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.