Surviving Sokoto?

Is there any way the Sokoto caliphate could have survived? An abrupt question, but is it possible that the Sokoto could survive the colonial powers of Britain and France?

Maybe the Sokoto is able to successfully find support front France or exists as a protectorate managing to retain it’s independence, or even modernizes, “pulling a Meiji” so to speak.

So how do you guys think the Sokoto could retain independence, and what would the ramifications behind that?
 
From what heard after a few defeats, Sokoto basically gave up so i think all it may take is that Sokoto is absorbed into the British Empire in a way that allows it to keep its identity and the Caliph retaining his power, maybe in a similar agreement as Britain had with the Hejaz and Nejd, is not amalgamated with Southern Nigeria and basically follows a similar track record as Saudi Arabia did in OTL
 
As in modern Nigeria? It holds territory once owned by the Sokoto but it’s not claiming to be a successor or representative of the Sokoto Caliphate to my knowledge. I’m referring to the Sokoto Caliphate that existed from 1804-1903, which was eventually conquered and absorbed into the British colony of Nigeria.

My apologies, I didn't mean to infer that Nigeria was the successor state to the Sokoto caliphate, I'm not aware if it is, though I don't believe so; I should've been more thorough. I don't know much about the history of the region but a very quick lookabout (to Wikipedia I admit, not the best place but a good starter platform); led to this, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sokoto_Sultanate_Council which is located in Sokoto City and has a sultan who is apparently important to Nigeria's Muslim population.
 
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