Yola

Yola is the capital of Adamawa State in northeastern Nigeria. Its name comes from the Fula word yolde, meaning a settlement on rising ground. The city was founded in 1841 by the Fulani scholar and military leader Modibbo Adama, who made it the political centre of the Adamawa Emirate during the jihad proclaimed by Sheikh Usman dan Fodio of Sokoto. Before Adama's arrival the land belonged to the Bata and Vere peoples, but Fulani forces gradually brought the region under control, turning Yola into a stronghold of Islamic governance.

In the late 19th century Yola became a stage for imperial rivalry: in 1891 French Lieutenant Louis Mizon persuaded the emir to recognise French claims, yet by 1893 the British had extended their control. In 1901, after Emir Zubairu expelled agents of the Royal Niger Company, a British expedition from Lokoja defeated the Fulani forces and seized the town. German troops from Cameroon raided Yola in 1914 but were repulsed. In 1935 the British administration merged Yola with the neighbouring river port of Jimeta on the Benue.

Today Yola is a vital transport hub with an airport and roads leading to Mubi, Jalingo and across the border into Cameroon, as well as a centre of higher education, home to the American University of Nigeria, Modibbo Adama University of Technology and Adamawa State Polytechnic. The city is celebrated for its cultural diversity — Fulani, Hausa, Mumuye, Chamba and many other ethnic groups live side by side in an atmosphere of religious tolerance.