The Sokoto River is a river in north-west Nigeria

Nigeria

Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...

 and a tributary of the River Niger. The river's source is near Funtua

Funtua

Funtua is a Local Government Area in Katsina State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Funtua on the A126 highway.It has an area of 448 km² and a population of 225,571 at the 2006 census.Funtua became a Local Government in 1967.The chairman is the official Head of Local government....

 in the south of Katsina State

Katsina State

Katsina State is a state in northern Nigeria. Its capital is Katsina, and its governor is Ibrahim Shema, a member of the People's Democratic Party...

, some 275 km in straight line from Sokoto

Sokoto

Sokoto is a city located in the extreme northwest of Nigeria, near to the confluence of the Sokoto River and the Rima River. As of 2006 it has a population of 427,760...

. It flows north-west passing Gusau

Gusau

Gusau is a city and Local Government Area located in northwestern Nigeria. It is the capital of Zamfara State.The LGA has an area of 3,364 km² and a population of 383,162 at the 2006 census.The postal code of the area is 880.-Geography:...

 in Zamfara State

Zamfara State

Zamfara State is a state in northwestern Nigeria. Its capital is Gusau and its Governor is Abdul'aziz Abubakar Yari, a member of the All Nigeria Peoples Party . Until 1996 the area was part of Sokoto State....

, where the Gusau Dam forms a reservoir that supplies the city with water.
Further downstream the river enters Sokoto State

Sokoto State

Sokoto State is located in the extreme northwest of Nigeria, near to the confluence of the Sokoto River and the Rima River. As of 2005 it has an estimated population of more than 4.2 million...

 where it passes by Sokoto and is joined by the Rima River

Rima River

The Rima River is a river in the northern part of Nigeria. At its northern most point it is joined by the Goulbi de Maradi river. It runs southwest and joins the Sokoto River near Sokoto, then continues south to the Niger River. The upper Rima is a seasonal river and flows only during the rainy...

, then turning south and flowing through Birnin Kebbi

Birnin Kebbi

Birnin Kebbi is a city located in northwestern Nigeria. It is the capital city of Kebbi State and headquarters of the Gwandu Emirate. As of 2007 the city has an estimated population of 115,547....

 in Kebbi State

Kebbi State

Kebbi State is a state in north-western Nigeria with its capital at Birnin Kebbi. The state was formed from part of Sokoto State in 1991. Kebbi State is bordered by Sokoto State, Niger State, Dosso Region in the Republic of Niger and the nation of Benin. It has a total area of...

. About 120 kilometers south of Birnin Kebbi, it reaches its confluence with the Niger River

Niger River

The Niger River is the principal river of western Africa, extending about . Its drainage basin is in area. Its source is in the Guinea Highlands in southeastern Guinea...

.

The plains around the river are widely cultivated and the river used as a source of irrigation. The river is also an important means of transport. The Bakolori Dam

Bakolori Dam

The Bakolori Dam is in Sokoto State in the Northwest of Nigeria, completed in 1978 and its reservoir filled by 1981. It is a major reservoir on the Sokoto River, a tributary of the Rima River, which in turn feeds the Niger River...

, about 100 km upstream from Sokoto, is a major reservoir on the Sokoto River. It has had significant impact on downstream floodplain cultivation.