Fulani

The Fulani, also known as Fulbe or Fula, are a large and diverse ethnolinguistic group whose communities are spread across West Africa and parts of Central Africa. They include pastoralists, agro-pastoralists, and urban residents, with major populations in Nigeria, Guinea, Mali, Senegal, Mauritania, Niger, Cameroon, and Chad.

They speak Fulfulde (Fula), a Niger-Congo language with many regional dialects. Fulfulde serves as a common language in many areas, and literacy in Ajami or Latin scripts varies by country and community.

Historically, the Fulani played a central role in Sahelian politics and Islamization. In the early 19th century, Usman dan Fodio led the Sokoto Caliphate, shaping political and religious life across much of the region before and during colonial encounters.

Fulani social life centers on lineages, clans, and age-sets. The code of conduct pulaaku emphasizes self-control, dignity, hospitality, and patience, while dress, music, and crafts differ by region and sub-group.

Most Fulani are Muslims, predominantly Sunni, with Sufi orders such as the Qadiriyya and Tijaniyya influential in many Sahel communities. Islam blends with local customs in diverse ways across the Fulani homeland.

Economically, pastoralism remains a hallmark of Fulani identity, particularly cattle herding and transhumance. In recent decades, climate change, land-use pressures, and migration have affected livelihoods and contributed tensions with farming communities, alongside urban and educational integration.