In its effort to promote literature, the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), Kano State branch, under the leadership of Malam Zaharaddeen Ibrahim Kallah, held a most awaited event, the Kano Literary Week.
Themed ‘Creative Writing as a Tool for Enhancing Democracy,’ this year’s program, commenced with an impressive grand opening on Thursday, 6th December 2018 at Murtala Muhammad Library Complex, Kano State. The Emir of Kano, His Highness Muhammadu Sanusi II and ten of his high-ranking district heads graced the occasion.
Other dignitaries were Alhaji Bashir Othman Tofa, the National Republican Convention (NRC) candidate in the annulled June 12, 1993 presidential election; the Vice Chancellor of Yusuf Maitama Sule University, Professor Mustapha Ahmad Isa who served as the chairman of the occasion; the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academics, Bayero University Kano, Professor Adamu Idris Tanko and many others.
In his remark, His Highness Muhammadu Sanusi II stressed the importance of education as the only means through which Nigerians can pull out of the present socio-economic and political bind. The Emir also stressed the need for the government to adopt the use of indigenous languages as a medium of instruction in conventional institutions of learning, especially in science, technical and medical related courses.
Sanusi II stressed that writers have an important role to play in the process of reforming social life and the affairs of the people. He therefore beseeched writers to expand their writing horizons, so as to cover and create a positive influence. He said that many problems that bedevil the society, like drug abuse, incessant domestic violence, poor parental care, high rate of divorce, women/child trafficking and molestation, can be addressed through writing.
Similarly, the keynote speaker, Professor Habu Mohammed stressed that ANA has a significant role to play in the creation of awareness among youths, particularly regarding education.
Reading Models
One of the important activities during the program was tagged ‘Reading Through Model’, aimed at fostering greater interest in reading among children and youth. Leaders, celebrities and other influential people stood before the students and pupils and read from books to them. Photographs of the reading sessions were taken to produce posters for distribution in various schools and libraries. The readers included Alhaji Bashir Othman Tofa, Dr. Mannir Sulaiman, Poetess Maryam Gatawa, Poetess Safiyya Ibrahim Abdulhamid and Malam Lawan Adamu Giginyu.
Earlier, in his welcome address, the Chairman of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), Kano State Branch, Zaharaddeen Ibrahim Kallah, said writers are very concerned about the state of their societies, especially as regards poverty, corruption, inequality and bad governance. According to him, as a group, they were determined to look at these problems and raise a massive campaign towards addressing them.
Writers’ Talk
Writers’ Talk involved a presentation by some prominent writers and scholars who shared various ideas and writing tips. The writers’ talk (English version) took place at American Space, Murtala Muhammad Library Complex, Kano State. The resource persons included the former DG of A Daidaita Sahu, Dr. Bala Muhammad, the Executive Director, Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD), Engineer Y.Z. Ya’u, Malama Maryam Ali Ali, and Malam Kabiru Musa Jammaje who was represented by Osama Jilani Dayyab.
The Hausa version of the Writers’ Talk was presented by Malam Yahaya Ahmadu Dan-Arewa, Hajiya Balaraba Ramat Yakubu, Malama Fauziyya D. Sulaiman, Malam Nasiru Wada Khalil, Malam Faruk Lawan Da’u and Alhaji Aminuddeen Ladan Abubakar (ALA) who was represented by Malam Auwalu G. Dan-Borno.
Literary Quiz
The genesis behind the literary quiz for secondary schools was to build lifelong readers with expanded horizons, imagination and curiosity, and also to encourage independent reading across Kano schools. Similarly, it aims to strengthen the position of literature and literary activities, as well as foster connectivity around books and reading.
The winning schools of the literary quiz for English Literature include Creative Minds Academy (Winner) Shekara GGSS (Second place) and Khalil Arabic Secondary Schools (Third place).
In the Hausa Literature category, FGC Kiyawa, Jigawa State came first, followed by Gora Academy and Shekara GGSS.
Other activities included the English writers’ parley, a conference for discourse among writers. Some of the writers who participated were Professor Aliyu Kamal, author of ‘Fire in my Backyard’, ‘Hausaland’, among others. Also, Auwalu Yusuf Hamza, a bilingual novelist, Safiyya Ibrahim Abdulhamid, a poet and Zahra Tabi’u, a bilingual novelist.
Award Presentation
Some personalities were presented with awards for their contribution to literature. In the first category were Alhaji Bashir Othman Tofa, Professor Abdalla Uba Adamu, Professor Mustapha Ahmad Isa, Professor Adamu Idris Tanko, Professor Aliyu Kamal, Dr. Bukar Usman, Zaharaddeen Ibrahim Kallah, Alhaji Badamasi Shu’aubu Burji, Danjuma Muhammad Katsina, Dr. Bala Muhammad, Malam Isma’il Bala, and Engineer Y. Z. Ya’u.
In the second category were Abdulkadir Badsha Mukhtar, Aminuddeen Ladan Abubakar, Aisha Zakari, Abba Shehu Musa, Aliyu Abubakar, Aminu Salisu Giginyu, Danladi Z. Haruna, Faruk Lawan Da’u, Kabiru Musa Jammaje, Khalid Imam, Maimuna Idris Sani Beli, Maryam Ali Ali, and Umma Sulaiman ’Yan-Awaki.
Posthumous Awards went to late Hadi Alkanci, Muhammad Balarabe Sango, Rukayya Umar Maikarfi, Sulaiman Sani, Abdullahi Mukhtar, Yaron Malam, and Bashari Farouk Roukba.
Kallah is an Auditor of ANA, Kano State Branch. He is a graduate of Agriculture, Bayero University, Kano
