Bornu

people

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Last updated

June 22, 2026

Quick Summary

The Kanuri people are an African ethnic group primarily inhabiting Borno state in northeastern Nigeria and southeastern Niger. Their language, Kanuri, belongs to the Saharan branch of the Nilo-Saharan language family.12

Historically, the Kanuri established the powerful Kanem-Bornu empire, which reached its peak in the 16th century. They have been Muslim since the 11th century and follow the Malikite code of Islamic law.1

The Kanuri economy is based on millet agriculture, with peanuts becoming an important cash crop. They live in settled villages and towns, engaging in trade with neighboring pastoral groups. Kanuri society is stratified, with a royal lineage headed by the shehu.1

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Africa
Religions
…the Malinke, Hausa, Songhai, and Bornu—are Islamized, and the religion has also achieved substantial gains among such Guinea Coast people as the Yoruba of Nigeria and the Temne of Sierra Leone. Much conversion to Christianity also has occurred, most notably to Roman Catholicism and in the coastal regions of sub-Saharan…
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…the Malinke, Hausa, Songhai, and Bornu—are Islamized, and the religion has also achieved substantial gains among such Guinea Coast people as the Yoruba of Nigeria and the Temne of Sierra Leone. Much conversion to Christianity also has occurred, most notably to Roman Catholicism and in the coastal regions of sub-Saharan…
Read More