Sokoto - Economic Activities

Economic Activities

Over eighty percent (80%) of the inhabitants of Sokoto practice one form of agriculture or the other. They produce such crops as millet, guinea corn, maize, rice, potatoes, cassava, groundnuts and beans for subsistence and produce wheat,cotton and vegetable for cash. Local crafts such as blacksmithing, weaving, dyeing, carving and leather works also plays an important role in the economic life of the people of Sokoto as a result different areas like Makera, Marina, Takalmawa and Majema areas became important. Sokoto is also one of the fish producing areas of the country. Thus a large number of people along the river basin engage in fishing as well.

Sokoto is equally endowed with natural and mineral resources. Agro allied industries using cotton, groundnut, sorghum, gum, maize, rice, wheat sugar cane, cassava, gum Arabic and tobacco as raw materials can be established in the area. Large scale farming can also be practice in the state using irrigation water from Goronyo Dam, Lugu, Kalmalo, Wammakko and Kwakwazo lakes among others.

Minerals such as Kaolin, gypsum, lime stones, literate, Red mills, phosphate both yellow and green, shade clay, sand etc., are available in commercial quantities. Mineral based industries using these raw materials could be established in the state.

The absence of the Tse-tse fly on the open grassland benefits both wild and domestic animals. Sokoto ranks second in livestock production in the country's animal population of well over eight million.

The availability of these economic potentials provides good investment opportunities, particularly in agro-allied industries such as flour mills, tomatoes processing sugar refinery, textile, glue, tanning, fish canning, etc.