Nightlife thrives in deeply religious northern state of Nigeria

Multicoloured strobes flash across a nightclub as revellers dance and drink the night away singing along to Afrobeats in the Nigerian town of Sokoto.

It is not what one might expect in this deeply conservative state with its Islamic traditions and strict religious codes.

But is one of a small number of underground clubs in the town which is the historical “Seat of the Caliphate” and spiritual centre of Islam in Nigeria.

“Every Friday, every Sunday, I go to club. We even have Ladies' Night in this town. We have Old School on Saturday, and we also have karaoke night in Sokoto here,” says reveller, Benjamin Danjuma.

“The way lifestyle normally goes outside there, that's how we run it in this town. We are not left behind. Everything that is happening, we are doing it here in this town,” he adds.

This despite the fact that the local Islamic morality police, the Hisbah Force, regularly patrol the city and other areas in the state.

Its personnel are tasked with upholding public morals and raid key spots to enforce Sharia and local laws, including alcohol bans and dress codes.

“We attend to every citizen, be him or her a Muslim or non-Muslim, and we do justice to everyone. Ours is to see how we can uphold, how we can promote good morals and virtues within and outside the state,” says Sokoto’s Hisbah commander, Usman Abdullahi Jatau.

Partygoers say, however, that they are not deterred.

But the state is also one of those most impacted by ongoing attacks by jihadists and other armed groups.

Oluwamayowa Idowu, founder of Culture Custodian, a leading culture publication in Lagos, says nightlife has lost the taboo impact of previous years.

“A large part of nightlife is escapism, and you want to have an experience that takes you away from your day-to-day life,” he says.

The north has been ravaged by insecurity, he says, but the people who live there still want to go out and have some fun.

“If we take out insecurity from northern Nigeria, I think the nightlife culture would be bigger than what it is. But I do think it will still be limited by the religious undertone that is common in the region.”

Ibrahim Nuhu, a banker who was transferred from Jos nearly 650km away to Sokoto 25 years ago, has seen the city evolve from a drab scene to a lively spurt of weekend joys.

At first, he was worried about leaving his more cosmopolitan life behind, but over the decades, he has grown enamoured of the growing nightlife in Sokoto.

“When I entered Sokoto, I saw that life is easy. I always go out, even on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, just to go and have some fun with my friends,” he says.