Borno Emirate

It is headed by the descendants of the rulers of the Bornu Empire, founded before 1000. The rulers have the title Shehu of Borno (var. Shehu of Bornu, Sultan of Borno/u). The traditional emirate of Borno maintains a ceremonial rule of the Kanuri people, based in Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria, but acknowledged by the 4 million Kanuri in neighbouring countries.

Borno Emirate
Traditional state
Borno Emirate Location in Nigeria
Coordinates: 11°50′N 13°09′E / 11.833°N 13.150°E / 11.833; 13.150
Country	Nigeria
State	Borno State
Government
• Shehu	Abubakar Ibn Umar Garbai El-Kanemi of Borno

The current ruling line, the al-Kanemi dynasty, dates to the accession of Muhammad al-Amin al-Kanemi in the early 19th century, displacing the Sayfawa dynasty which had ruled from around 1300.

House of El-Kanemi
Nigerian royal dynasty
Parent house	El-Kanemi of Kukawa
Current region	North
Founded	1902
Founder	Abubakar Garbai El-Kanemi
Current head	Abubakar ibn Umar Garbai El-Kanemi
Titles	Shehu of Borno Shehu of Dikwa Shehu of Damboa Waziri of Borno Waziri of Dikwa Waziri of Damboa Hakimi of Borno Hakimi of Dikwa Hakimi of Damboa
Style(s)	Royal Highness Highness
Members	Umar ibn Muhammad Mustafa ibn Umar
Traditions	Islam Folk Islam
Cadet branches	El-Kanemi of Maiduguri El-Kanemi of Dikwa

The old Bornu Empire collapsed in 1893 when the Funj warlord Rabih Zubayr ibn Fadlallah seized power and transferred the capital to Dikwa. When the French, then expanding in West Africa, defeated and killed Rabih they installed Shehu Sanda Kura, a member of the old Bornu dynasty, as the first Shehu of Borno in Dikwa in 1900. In 1901, he was succeeded by his brother, Umar Abubakar Garbai, the ancestor of the current Emirs of Borno. Based on a treaty between the French, Germans, and British, the old Bornu was split up and Dikwa became part of the German colony of Cameroon. The British invited Umar Abubakar Garbai to become ruler of the part falling to the British, and he moved in 1902 first to Monguno and later to Maiduguri. Later Dikwa was transferred to the newly created British Northern Nigeria Protectorate, resulting in two Shehus, the Shehu of Borno based at Maiduguri and the Shehu of Dikwa based at Dikwa.

Rulers of the Borno Emirate since the beginning of the colonial period with the title of "Shehu":

Borno Emirate covers fifteen Local Government Areas:

• Abadam
• Chibok
• Gubio
• Guzamala
• Jere
• Kaga
• Konduga
• Kukawa
• Mafa
• Magumeri
• Maiduguri
• Marte
• Mobbar
• Monguno

• Nganzai

• Bornu Empire
• Kanem Empires
• Nigerian traditional rulers