Sanusi Lamido
The Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi, said residents should “acquire what they need” to protect themselves.
The Emir, who until earlier this year was governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, made the comments at a prayer meeting.
The BBC’s Will Ross, in Nigeria, says such an intervention is very unusual.
The Emir normally stays silent on political matters.
Jihadists from Boko Haram continue to cause havoc in parts of north-east Nigeria, capturing towns and villages where they have been imposing their own strict interpretation of Islamic law.
Primary schools in one of the worst-affected areas have begun reopening after being closed for the past eight months.
Boko Haram, which means “Western education is forbidden”, often attacks educational establishments.
Some of the schools are to be protected by self-defence groups.
The Emir, who was an outspoken critic of the government when he was a banker, said people should not be afraid of the militants and should prepare to defend themselves.
“These terrorists slaughter our boys and abduct our girls to force them into slavery. People should not be afraid of them because of the recent success they seem to have achieved,” he said.
“People should not sit idle and say prayer is the only solution. People should be made aware of the importance of being in a state of preparedness and make sure they acquire what they need to protect themselves.
“We should be ready to give our lives,” he said.
The Emir said residents should not wait for help from the military. “There are soldiers who even throw away their guns and flee,” he said.
There have been numerous reports of soldiers deserting, saying they are not as well equipped as the militants.
Our correspondent says that although the Emir did not refer to Boko Haram by name, it was highly unusual for such an influential figure to suggest people should arm themselves against the group.
He says it is a sign of just how desperate the situation in north-east Nigeria has become.
Over the weekend a local vigilante group helped the military recapture the town of Chibok which Boko Haram had seized 48 hours earlier.
Boko Haram fighters kidnapped more than 200 schoolgirls from the town in April, sparking global outrage.
