During the fifteenth century, the major empires of the Hausa states and Kanem-Borno paid tribute to the Songhai Empire.
These smaller states, including Kano, Jigawa, Katsina, and Gobir, were located in the periphery of the dominant Sudanic empires.
They acknowledged the authority of Songhai and paid tribute, contributing to the political and economic influence of the Songhai Empire in the region.