Usman dan Fodio's Fulani jihad created a vast Islamic caliphate in Nigeria, emphasizing education and reform. It unified Hausa states under Sharia. British conquest followed. The caliphate revitalized scholarship.

The establishment of the Sokoto Caliphate in 1804 inspired Arabic and Hausa jihad poetry by dan Fodio, which advocated for reformist Islamic literature in Africa. This movement influenced poets across the continent, promoting themes of faith and social justice.