Gonja people

With the fall of the Songhai Empire (c. 1600), the Mande Ngbanya clan moved south, crossing the Black Volta and founding their capital city at Yagbum under the leadership of Naba'a.

[2] The Gonja kingdom was originally divided into sections overseen by male siblings of Sumaila Ndewura Jakpa including their children and grandchildren.

Its economy depended largely on trade in slaves from Central Africa[3] and kola nuts, particularly through the market town of Salaga, sometimes called the "Timbuktu of the South."

[6] The Gonja converted to Islam around the 18th century due to the influence of Muslim missionaries that settled in the region.

The healing powers attributed to the Muslims and perceived strength of Islamic prayers aided in facilitating conversions.