Overview

Fulfulde is the general term for the Fulani language and will be used as there are no specific language terms like Pular or Pulaar. In the Adamawa region, which stretches from Western Nigeria to Northern Cameroon, and in the region formerly known as the Sokoto Caliphate, which is Northern Nigeria, Fulfulde was the language of administration, religious instruction, and social life, creating fertile ground for literary development in Fulfulde.

Fulfulde literature in both regions has historically thrived in oral but especially written forms. With the spread of Islam, the Ajami script for Ajami became widely used in both Adamawa and Sokoto with slight differences in their conventions. Scholars composed religious tetxs, letters, chronicles, and didactic poetry in Ajami, perserving local thought while engaging with broader Islamic scholarship. This made Fulfulde a medium of both cultural continuity and intellectual exchange across the Fulani domains.

In the modern era, Fulfulde literature in Adamawa and Sokoto has increasingly incorporated the Latin alphabet, especially after coloniel education systems. However contemporary Fulfulde writers still play with Ajami, especially those involved in Islamic law. Fulfudle literature continues to sustain the cultural heritage of the Fulani, linking centuries-old traditions with modern literary expressions.

While many other Ajami languages had inconsistent use of Ajami, the centralised Fulani authorities of Sokoto and Adamawa created powerhouses that led to widespread education with the Arabic script. In recent years it has also led to standardising of Ajami within the Muslim communities.

Below is the alphabet used in the Sokoto Caliphate: