Section I
Creative Writing, Writers and Publishing in Northern Nigeria
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Résumé
The case where the author is both publisher and printer should be avoided, as the quality of the works produced is often poor. Publishing in the northern states of Nigeria has been facilitated by the broadcasting of short stories, novels and plays by the Federal Radio Corporation, Kaduna and the Nigerian Television Authority. Similarly, although the weekly newspapers and the periodicals occasionally publish poetry and other literary items, the daily newspapers could do much more to popularise literature and the literary process in the northern states. The failure of Dandali is regretted. In the area of print-based publishing, the conclusion is that both private and public investments are necessary to raise the quantity and the quality of publishing in northern Nigeria. The multinational publishing conglomerates in particular should demonstrate a far more visible role than is presently the case.
A large number of strategies necessary to facilitate the enhancement of literature and the literary process in northern Nigeria have been presented and discussed here. Some of them relate to giving incentives to writers and critics to engender an atmosphere conducive to literary activity. Ultimately, the point is made that as an activity that is unlikely to generate much immediate monetary profit, literature requires a considerable subsidy to make the desired impact. The subsidies could be from the different tiers of government, private organizations and voluntary agencies – both local and international.
Texte intégral
Introduction
1This section of Creative Writing, Writers and Publishing in Northern Nigeria is the result of a survey structured to address issues of gender, education, medium, genre and language employed by writers in northern Nigeria.1 The focus is on recent writing, with particular reference to works published from the 1980’s. The first part of the report provides a profile of different types of creative writers in northern Nigeria; the second part is an account of electronic and print-based publishing in the area, while the third part addresses fundamental problems of enhancing literary production. Finally, a general bibliography of creative writing in the North is provided at the end of the report as well as a partial list of books from the Kano (Hausa) romantic novel series.
A profile of creative writers in Northern Nigeria
Female Writers in Nigerian Languages
2Since the pioneering and prolific poetic compositions in Arabic and Fulfulde, of Nana Asmau (1794-1865), the daughter of the 19th century Islamic reformer, Shehu dan Fodio, women writers in the North have appeared to lag behind their male counterparts. For instance, in a 1985 stock and price list issued by the most influential publisher of literature in northern Nigeria, the Northern Nigerian Publishing Company (NNPC), Zaria out of a total of 68 literary titles; only one poetry book was authored by women, i.e., Alkalami a Hannun Mata (The Pen Wielded by Women); an educational piece in the Hausa language by H. Hauwa and H. yar Shehu. In the Hausa language, its ajami 2 varieties or any other northern Nigerian language for that matter, there has not been much active writing reported, whether popular, serious or academic or intellectual.
3Though creative writing in northern Nigerian languages appears to have been sluggish in the past, there has been a recent upsurge in the popular tradition which is very similar to ala, somewhat akin to the Onitsha market fiction. In Kano, where there is an explosion in popular fiction, there are as many women writers as there are men. Interviews with some of the keen followers of the Kano market literature from its beginnings in the early nineties to the present, revealed that over 400 novels from more than 10 rival writing clubs have been produced and are in circulation. Like the men, the women writers are generally married secondary school drop outs. The genre, known as soyayya (i.e., love-theme or romantic novels) portrays a fictional world dominated by what the writers have internalized from adapted sentimental Indian movies, Euro-American soap operas, local television programmes in English and Hausa, programmes on Radio Kaduna and Radio Kano in Hausa, and from reading the English language popular romance series of the Mills and Boon variety. The writing shows signs of rapid conception and quick production. The author usually acts as the printer/publisher. He/she prints enough copies to recover the initial investment.
Female Authors Writing in English
4Women authors who write in the English language in the northern states of Nigeria have certain attributes in common. They are university graduates, some with more than two degrees. They are married with children and have good, steady jobs. They also are very conscious of their rights and responsibilities as women authors living in a male dominated society, intruding into a male dominated field. With the exception of Mrs. Esther Domkat Bali, who has collected, translated and published a large number of folktales from the Tarok language3 ; other writers, such as Zaynab Alkali, Hauwa Ali and Stella Oyedepo all work in the genre of modern fiction and drama.
5The most celebrated of all the female writers is Zaynab Alkali, the wife of Professor Nuru Alkali, the former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Maiduguri, presently Director-General, National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru. Mrs. Alkali is herself an academic. When Longman issued her first novel in 1984, The Stillborn, it was a milestone in northern Nigerian women’s writing in English. She subsequently published The Virtuous Woman (1987). Like her friend and contemporary, Dr. (Mrs) Hauwa Ali, Zaynab Alkali is concerned with the plight of African women. Dr. (Mrs) Stella Oyedepo, who is a playwright, focuses on the need for greater interethnic integration among the peoples of Nigeria. This is illustrated in her play. The Missing Ingredients, presented during the National Festival of Arts and Culture (NAFEST) in 1992 at Abuja. The play is being published by the National Council for Arts and Culture, Abuja.
6Among the female writers from northern Nigeria, who use English as a medium of communication, there are no short story writers, no poets, no critics and only one dramatist. There are also no authors who specialize in children’s books, except those who write folktales. Amongst the northern Nigerian languages, Hausa, as the lingua franca of the North, is the most popular language for literary purposes. Books in languages other than Hausa are rare. The prose narrative remains the most prevalent genre for women who write in Hausa.
Male Writers in Northern Nigerian Languages
7In the list of 68 published titles, provided by NNPC, 66 were by male authors.4 From the time of a writing contest organized by the British colonial government between 1930 and 1933, fiction writing in Hausa has continued to dominate Northern literary production. Hausa fiction in the 80s also got a big boost from the Hausa classics produced in the 30s and 50s, through various writing contests. Hausa fiction featured in the essay contests organized by Federal Department of Culture in Lagos. The fiction written from the 1930s to the 1980s, and published by NNPC, are mostly educational or moralistic.
8The works exhibit the writers’ twin concerns, highlighting relevant issues which are of utmost importance to the wellbeing of society and writing in an appropriate form and style. They are studied from primary to university level. There is, however, a dearth of critical commentary on both the works of fiction and the anthologies.
9As observed earlier, there has been an upsurge of popular writing in Hausa by men and women novelists who are based in and around the huge industrial city of Kano. Organized and managed by about ten voluntary writing clubs, these young authors are putting to shame the serious Hausa literary establishment. The young men write their own books, print and market them. They are apparently making a ‘success’ of it. These young writers are not worried about their critics as they are already very popular. At the last count, these Kano romance writers had published not less than 400 works of fiction on various romantic themes. This rise of Kano market literature5 is traceable, among other things, to the influence of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria in Kaduna. The daily radio broadcast of stories in Hausa has a massive audience and has been used by the Kano writers to popularise their texts. The writers send copies of their books to the radio station to be read on air.
10In addition to Hausa, some creative writing also exists in the Idoma language. The literary efforts of Professor Shamsuddeen Amali of the University of Jos should be noted. Out of a commitment to promote and project the literary heritage of his own Idoma language in Benue State, he wrote Onugbo Mi’ oko, published by the Institute of African Studies, University of Ibadan (1973). It is a bilingual Idoma/English play. This work by Amali was intended as an Idoma classic; and to provide the foundation for a subsequent renaissance of Idoma language and literature. He also wrote some Idoma and English plays such as the drama titled Ikpe Pokwu’ Oka as well as Odegwu degwu.
Male Writers of Fiction, Poetry and Drama in English
11One of the most prolific writers to emerge during the period is Adah Ugah, who is also an Idoma. A university lecturer by profession, Ugah’s works promote the Idoma landscape and social ethos as well as revolutionary changes in the larger polity called Nigeria. His works include: Naked Hearts and The Anatomy of Nigerian Poetics (poetry) published in 1982 by Merlin Press; a volume of poetry in French, Rêves Interdits Suivis de la Revolte des Griots et des Rêves Retrouvés, published by Merlin Books in 1983; two novels in ballad form, Song of Talakawa and Hanini’s Paradise, published by Editions Naaman in 1985; The Ballads of the Unknown Soldier, published by Harris in 1989, Colours of the Rainbow, published by Kraft Books in 1991; and a collection of short stories titled The Rainmaker’s Daughter and other Stories, published by Editions Ehi in 1992. In view of his serious focus and continuous output, Ugah can be regarded as a major voice in northern Nigerian literature and in Nigerian writing as a whole.
12Another literary voice in the English language is Tar Ahura, the Director, Benue State Council for Arts and Culture. Ahura has several years of experience in acting, directing, writing and teaching drama and theatre and is the author of three plays: Udola’s Journey, Gone Crazy Once More and Survival (Three Crowns, 1987). Ahura’s plays like many of his contemporaries are commentaries on the socio-cultural problems facing Nigerians. His works are not too different from the plays by the former Minister of Communications and a 1972 graduate of French from Ahmadu Bello University, Audu Innocent Ogbeh. Ogbeh scripted the anti-apartheid play Epitaph for Simon Kisulu and The Belated Bridegroom, both published by Fourth Dimension Publishers in Enugu.
13Some of the most significant dramatic voices in Nigeria today come from Kwara State. Kwara State borders the Yoruba speaking states in the southwest and the majority of the people there are Yoruba.
14Playwrights from Kwara State include Segun Oyekunle, Olu Obafemi and Stella Oyedepo (already discussed under female writers). Both Oyekunle and Obafemi are drama graduates of the Department of English of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria.
15Oyekunle is the author of Katakata for Sofahead which has been staged in ABU (Zaria) and other campuses since 1978 and was published by Macmillan, London in 1986. Katakata for Sofahead was written in the Brechtian mode, and helped the to popularize pidgin English as a viable language for the theatre. The play explores the multifaceted problems facing a young, unemployed school leaver in an increasingly capitalist Nigerian environment. The tremendous promise of Oyekunle’s artistry does not appear to have yielded any more plays. Oyekunle is now a film-maker and has moved to the United States,
16Olu Obafemi the founder of the Ajon Players is still active in theatre. He is a prominent critic, writer, actor and theatre director. They stage plays in and around Ilorin, the Kwara State capital. He is also the author of the plays: Nights of A Mystical Beast, The New Dawn and Suicide Syndrome (Adena Publishers, Benin, 1986). A theoretician and practitioner of a radical and conscientising type of theatre in the tradition of Femi Osofisan and Tunde Fatunde of the southwest of Nigeria, Obafemi’s plays are extremely critical of the exploitation and the degradation of humanity manifested in colonialism and neocolonialism. The language of the plays is terse and he uses the nuances of folklore and popular culture to communicate with the audience.
17Professor Iyoryuese Harry Hagher is another ABU graduate of drama who is a successful writer. Apart from a published dissertation on the puppetry of Tiv people known as The Tiv Kwaghir, Hagher has also written Swem Karagbe, a parable on leadership in Nigeria. His dramas include, Aishatu and Anti-People. His latest work is Mulkin Mata (Women’s Rule), which is the product of a workshop in the Department of Theatre Arts, University of Jos.
18Mu’ azu Maiwada is a rising star in the genre of poetry who has emerged from Northern Nigeria. A lecturer in English at Ahmadu Bello University, he has published two volumes of Poetry from ABU. The first volume was published in 1976 and the second one is in preparation. Partly intended as an outlet for students in the creative writing courses which he teaches, Maiwada’s fine combination of pidgin and standard English is a very refreshing addition to literature from Northern Nigeria. He has two other volumes of poetry awaiting publication.
19Another potentially promising northern poet was the late General Mamman Vatsa. A patron and a benefactor of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), Vatsa was executed on 5th March 1986, following his reported involvement in an attempt to overthrow the Federal Military Government. Vatsa was 42 years old when he was killed. He has, however, left a legacy of published works which testify to his literary talents. These include:
Verses on Nigerian State Capitals. Onibonoje, Ibadan, 1973.
A Bird that Sings For Rain. Fourth Dimension, Enugu, 1976.
Children Rhymes. Fourth Dimension, Enugu, 1980.
Tori For Geti Bow Leg. Cross Continent Press, 1981.
The Poetry of Abuja. Cross Continents Press, Lagos, 1982.
Back Again at War Gate. Cross Continents Press, Lagos, 1982.
Pidgin Stew and Sufferhead. Heinemann, Ibadan, 1982.
Voices From the Trench. Fourth Dimension, Enugu, 1985.
20The most acclaimed of Vatsa’s collections of poetry are the two he wrote in pidgin English, Tori for Geti Bow Leg and Pidgin Stew and Sufferhead. He also has collections of verse in Nupe published by Ibadan University Press for primary schools.
21Another important figure in the northern Nigerian literary scene is Labo Yari, from Katsina. Yari worked in the Foreign Service and was also the General Manager of the oldest printing and publishing company in northern Nigeria – the Gaskiya Corporation, Zaria. Labo Yari is a founding member of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), and still serves as its trustee. His forte is fiction, and his published works deal with the modern city and the crises faced by individuals trying to adapt to its exigencies. Labo Yari also writes with a view to projecting and protecting the rights and interests of ordinary folk. His works include two novels – Climate of Corruption (Fourth Dimension, Enugu), and Man of the Moment (Fourth Dimension, Enugu) as well as a collection of short stories titled A House in the Dark (Fourth Dimension, Enugu).
22One of the most accomplished writers to emerge in recent times from the northern states is Ibrahim Tahir who began his career as a sociology lecturer in the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, but is now a full-time politician. He is the author of The Last Imam (Routledge and Kegan Paul, London, 1984). The Last Imam, which explores northern Nigerian society in the throes of transition, has been acclaimed as a first class novel comparable to Achebe’s Things Fall Apart and Arrow of God and Sheikh Hamidou Kane’s Ambiguous Adventure. Another sociologist who has several published works of fiction is Ahmed Beita Yusuf. His best known verse novel is The Reckless Climber. Yusuf has also written Maitatsine: The Peddler of Epidemics, (Syrecon, Kano, 1988) and Freedom Fighters, both works of prose.
23The most popular of these recent writers is Alhaji Abubakar Gimba, a civil servant and banker turned novelist and poet. Gimba, now 43, is the author of The Trail of Sacrifice (Delta Publications, Enugu, 1986), Innocent Victims (Delta, Enugu, 1988) and Sunset for Mandarin (1992). Gimba’s works are directed at different segments of the society. His subject matter is basically a criticism of the excesses and stupidity of the urban middle class and some elements of the armed forces of the country.
24The first popular fiction in English from northern Nigeria was The Undesirable Element by Muhammadu Sule. It was published by the Macmillan Pacesetters. Sule subsequently published The Delinquent and The Infamous Act.
25Joseph Mangut, a one time lecturer of archaeology in Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria has also written some novels in the popular detective genre of the Macmillan Pacesetters Series. These include Have Mercy, Woman for Sale and The Blackmailers. Recently, Mangut has written another novel, No Mercy, published by his own press – Mangut Publishing Ltd, Jos. Another Pacesetter author is Muhammed Tukur Garba with his Stop Press! Murder. The Kano-based Triumph Publishing house also showed interest in publishing popular works. Aliyu Jibia’s, The Hunt Begins (1980) is an example. Ahmadu Bello University Press has also published a number of novels, such as Jarmai by Aminu Abdullahi Biye.
26Quite a number of young authors are self-published. These include: Nana Embaga, a Plateau State based journalist who published his own collection of poems. Where the Vulture Lives-, Audee T. Giwa, an editor with the Ahmadu Bello University Press Ltd, Zaria and a graduate of English who has followed up the creative expression evident in his undergraduate dissertation with a novel, I’ d Rather Die, 1994; Ibrahim Malumfashi, a lecturer of literature at the Usman Dan Fodio University, Sokoto, who also doubles as a publisher (FISBAS Media Services, Kaduna). He expressed his creative anger in the slim volume of verses titled From the Eyes of My Neighbour (Fisbas Media Services, Kaduna, 1992) and Songs of My Love (Fisbas Media Services, Kaduna, 1993). Another young novelist who made his debut with a satirical novel, The Rise and Fall of General Musa Smith (Minna, Trudon Publications, 1991) is Masud Abdulkadir.
27All the creative writers of northern Nigerian origin who have written and published from the 1980s are documented here. Pre- 1980 writings have been left out in the belief that information on them can be readily obtained from existing bibliographies and other critical studies. There are works in Nigerian languages, although these are not as numerous or varied as those in the English language. As in other parts of the country, writers in the North respond to different stimuli. Some write with the intention of achieving social or educational goals while others write in the genre of popular romance and crime. There are both men and women writers, though not as many women as men. Some of the major publishers, however, who are active in other parts of the country, do not have branches in northern Nigeria. The majority of publishers cited in the works reviewed here are based in northern Nigeria, while the writers are mainly university-trained.
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A survey of publishing in Northern Nigeria
28The survey of publishing covers both contemporary electronic media and the more traditional print publishing.
Literature and the Electronic Media in Northern Nigeria
29The major electronic medium serving the North is the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, Kaduna, which transmits over short and medium waves. It is one of the few radio stations with the capacity to cover Nigeria and to reach West African and Central African countries. Broadcasts are made in English and such northern Nigerian languages as: Hausa, Fulfulde, Nupe and Kanuri. The audience of Radio Kaduna, especially for the Hausa programmes, runs into several million. Although there have been some government moves to curb the influence of the station, the combination of a devoted audience and strong elite support have frustrated these efforts. Radio Kaduna regularly broadcasts verse/poetry, songs, plays, interviews with writers and various types of story-telling sessions. The station has remained a major outlet tor both budding and established Hausa poets since its establishment in 1962. The regular broadcast of literary material has made these authors accessible to millions of people who are functionally illiterate.
30The frequent broadcasting of written but unpublished pieces has encouraged writers to send in their manuscripts. Some of these have eventually found their way into the print media through the Northern Nigerian Publishing Company (NNPC) Zaria. Concerted efforts should be made to get the authorities of FRCN Kaduna and other radio stations to publish one or two anthologies of the best poetry aired each year. What has been described for poetry is also largely true for Hausa drama on radio. The weekly radio plays are perhaps even more popular than the poetry. Some old favourites of Hausa listeners include Basafce, Samanja, Zaman Duniya Iyawa Ne and Duniya Tumbin Giwa. Unlike the poems, the plays are mostly improvisations with shallow plots, superficial characterization and superficial treatment of themes and cannot be published as they are. All the same, pressure should be brought to bear on the authorities of FRCN Kaduna (and other stations/officials) to keep accurate records of such transmissions, as they are culturally important. Arrangements should be made to get selections of the plays published along the lines of Yusuf Ladan’s Zaman Duniya lyawa Ne.
31Various federal government agencies sponsor the production and broadcast of specific plays on issues selected by them. For example, one can cite the sponsorship provided by the National Population Commission during the census exercise in 1991, or the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) for material on the need for discipline on the highways and most recently, of the National Primary Education Commission (NPEC) on the necessity of sending female children to school and keeping them there. Similarly, international agencies such as UNICEF and the Planned Parenthood Federation of Nigeria (PPFN) have commissioned radio plays on programmes which they wish to promote, such as immunization, ORT and child spacing.
32Radio broadcasting is not restricted to poetry and drama; there are also prose narrative programmes. These began originally as Hausa storytelling programmes where a competent storyteller recreated and retold familiar Hausa folktales, intended for children. The story telling sessions were also very popular with the adults. According to the management of the FRCN, numerous contributions and letters of appreciation were received from listeners. The orientation of the programme was later changed to the reading of manuscripts, modern romances and published novels. Broadcast on a daily basis, the story reading programme became immensely popular. From reading well-known, published, classic narratives of Hausa literature, the programme now concentrates on reading popular romances sent in by the authors. This platform is being exploited to the fullest by the authors of the Kano market literature. There is such a large and devoted audience to the story reading programme that it would be an unpopular move for the FRCN Kaduna authorities to suspend the programmes.
33These literature-based programmes are helping to develop and sustain interest in literature, even among illiterate people. Unfortunately, the number of people who have been motivated to write through listening to the programme is not known. In a society where the majority of people are not literate, making literature accessible to them through regular radio broadcasts is commendable for the nurturing of a literary culture. What may be needed is a follow-up discussion programmes to establish critical parameters, for example, or to explain the more difficult texts. It is not an exaggeration to say that as far as popularizing Hausa literature is concerned, many more works are broadcast on radio than are published. Governments, agencies and individuals involved in cultural promotion should be more conscious of the importance of the mass media, especially radio. because of its potential for creating support for literature and other cultural expressions. A significant development which occurred as a result of the popularity of the FRCN, Kaduna radio plays is the emergence of Hausa television drama which exploits the massive popular appeal of the radio plays, bringing sponsors and advertisers to the scene. After surveying Hausa literature two decades ago, an American critic, Donald Consentino, asserted that he perceived a more significant role for radio and television in promoting Hausa literature than the printed word. The current situation seems to vindicate Consentino’s observations.
Publishing in Northern Nigeria
34It is interesting that almost none of the southern Nigerian based multinational publishers have promoted literature in northern Nigeria. After publishing the works of such writers as Achebe and Soyinka, the multinational publishers such as Heinemann, Macmillan, Longman and University Press Limited appear to have curtailed their publishing activities in Nigeria to the production of primary and secondary school textbooks. The offering of incentives to authors, sponsorships, etc., never seems to have been extended to the writers not associated with the University of Ibadan and domiciled north of the River Niger. In view of this, virtually all northern-based writers (whether writing in English or other Nigerian languages) have had to rely on little-known foreign publishers, indigenous Nigerian publishers or have even had to publish their own works. When one adds the large number of educational institutions and the mass media outlets available in the south, the immediate obvious consequence is that writers from northern Nigeria are less likely to be on the curricula of schools and colleges or to be as well-known as their counterparts south of the Niger. For instance, a few of the writers from the North have chosen to publish their first works overseas. These included Dr. Ibrahim Tahir, an influential politician, and Dr. Adah Ugah, an academic and a former commissioner in Benue State. When there are no local marketing outlets or domestic production rights, literary works published overseas are almost impossible to obtain in Nigeria. This is hardly a desirable state of affairs for the promotion of literature. For the majority of authors who publish locally or undertake self-publishing, the works turn out to be poorly publicized, inadequately reviewed, and rarely available in the bookstores. They are hardly ever included in the book lists of any school. The acceptance these works may have in some tertiary institutions of learning arises essentially from personal contact with lecturers or the author himself being a lecturer. Despite these problems, self-publishing is on the increase. Authors who publish their own works are likely to be with us for some time to come.
35There are a number of reasons for this phenomenon. These include:
a rush by would-be authors to appear in print
the existence of unscrupulous and inexperienced printers or publishers who see a market for their services
dissatisfaction with the multinational publishers
the illusion that the production of literary work could be a gold mine
the need for lecturers to improve their curriculum vitae to impress their promotion committees
36If publishing literature is also about establishing quality in form, style, and substance, it is necessary for these independent author/printers/publishers to submit their work for objective assessment, prior to publication. It is clearly time that something was done about the mushroom growth of spurious publishing houses that are nothing more than printers, posing as reputable publishers.
The Role of Literary Journals
37In considering the establishment of standards, literary journals have an important role to play. In the history of literature in northern Nigeria, not many journals have been dedicated to providing outlets for budding or established writers. However, in June 1986, a journal known as Dandali (the Hausa word for platform or forum) came into being. Partly a product of the Samaru Writers’ Club, Dandali a bi-annual serial, was established specifically with a view to providing northern Nigerians a forum for creative writing. The first and only issue of Dandali published to date was a well-produced mix of poetry, excerpts from novels and short stories from both new and established writers. Some of the young authors from northern Nigeria ‘discovered’ by Dandali include young writers like Hauwa Kassam, Hadiza Ampah, Murja Iro, Rasheed Oniyangi, Audee T. Giwa and Mu’azu Maiwada. The more experienced voices heard were, Za-Ayem Agye, Nereus Y. Tadi, Aderemi Bamikunle and Yakubu Nasidi. The cost of producing that first volume was written off by the printers, Gaskiya Corporation, Zaria, on the instructions of its then General Manager, Labo Yari, an active member of the Samaru Writers’ Club. The movement of Labo Yari out of the Gaskiya Corporation and the prime movers of Dandali away from Zaria, led to the untimely demise of the journal. Some of the writers first published on its pages have continued to write and publish, while others ‘died’ with Dandali. If literature in northern Nigeria is to flourish, the publishing of journals similar to Dandali must be encouraged. In the South, young writers were able to appear in several literary magazines like The Horn, Black Orpheus, and Okike.
38In addition to literary magazines, there are a number of newspapers and popular news magazines published in the North. Although the relatively high cost of inputs makes the production of newspapers and magazines a costly enterprise, many are still being produced because of the interests of their publishers and the income available from advertising. The fact that people in the North want to read is not in doubt; the trouble has always been the money needed to do so regularly. With the exception of the weekly newspapers, no serious attention is given in the print media to the coverage of literary matters. There are no permanent review columns or literary pages; no systematic interviews with writers and publishers; no announcements of the publication of new books; no serialization of literary materials; no publication of critical articles on literature; no sponsorship of literary contests and no literary supplement pages. Newspapers and magazines clearly have a role to play in the popularization and the stimulation of interest in literature. The print media practitioners should, therefore, reorient themselves more decisively in the interest of their professional calling and for the sake of literature.
Strategies for enhancing literary production in Northern Nigeria
39The overall conclusion from this survey is that publishing in northern Nigeria is far from satisfactory. One major instrument to stimulate writing and literary creativity would be to organize a series of contests in creative writing. Literary contests are known to have contributed to writing activities in Nigeria. Since the first contests organized in northern Nigeria by the British colonialists in the 1930s, contests have increased writing activity. Creative writing in indigenous and other languages such as English, Arabic and French can also be stimulated through the organization of contests. Contests should involve all areas of creative expression: folklore, poetry, drama, essays, novels, short stories, theatre, film, video and audio tapes. Specific themes, submission deadlines and prizes offered should be detailed in the guidelines for the competition. The contest should not be a once and for all affair; it should be annual and all works which attract prizes should be published.
40Journal outlets are important to the growth of literature in general. As a result, there is a need to resuscitate creative writing journals such as Dandali or, failing that, to establish brand new ones. Budding talents are more likely to blossom fully if extracts of their works are publicized through such journals and magazines. Existing newspapers and magazines should be motivated to feature writers and their writing as a form of encouragement to established and would-be authors. In view of the close links between writing and educational institutions, there is great wisdom in using the school system to encourage writing.
41Voluntary organizations, individuals and even governments should be encouraged to offer writers and would-be writers writing fellowships tenable in the country’s universities. These fellowships should cover accommodation, feeding and a stipend for a given period of not more than one year to facilitate the completion of major writing assignments. The sponsorship could also cover the publishing of any work found to be of high, specified standards. Another related, but different approach to the matter is to enter into dialogue with existing writers as a way of encouraging them to continue to write. Such writers should be persuaded to discuss their problems with a view to finding solutions. Where necessary, workshops should be organized for writers as a means of furthering knowledge in specific areas of creative endeavour. Apart from these suggested activities which pertain to individual authors only, the need to stimulate more writing in northern Nigeria could be tackled through voluntary, specialized clubs and associations. Those already extant include the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA); the Literary Society of Nigeria (LSN); the Reading Association of Nigeria (RAN) and the Hausa Poetry and Scholars Association. With the exception of RAN, all the other associations are concerned with writers. For the purpose of stimulating greater creativity in the North, there will be a need to provide support for these bodies to organize writing awareness workshops and writing campaigns at the various levels of the educational system and for the general public. Apart from this, their agencies should offer logistic and financial assistance to these associations. If the campaigns are well publicized, coordinated, well-focused and run within specific timetables, the results could be published in the form of anthologies and collections.
42In view of the existence of the ancient practice of writing in the Arabic language and its Hausa variant, Ajami, a programme to stimulate writing using this script should be introduced. The main intention would be to stimulate more writing; locate, edit and publish what already exists; and translate and publish selections from writings in Arabic and Ajami. Written poetry in Hausa for the annual gatherings of the Hausa Poetry Association should be collated, edited and published in Hausa and in translation. As far as RAN is concerned, reading is the raison d’etre for writing. Thus, it is vital to encourage RAN to design and promote specific reading activities to encourage writing. The desired impact will be achieved if RAN works through the various levels of the school system.
43There is also the need to rehabilitate or introduce libraries and reading rooms all over the region. Such places, located in strategic neighbourhoods, should be stocked with interesting reading material. The Reading Association of Nigeria (RAN) should consider organizing contests to promote literacy and the reading habit. This is necessary in the North, given the comparatively late take off of Western education and the literacy in English associated with it.
44It is not uncommon to see individuals and even communities manifesting suspicion and outright contempt for Western education in the north. There are still hordes of children of school age out of school, enrolled in the Islamic educational system, almajiranci. The teeming almajiri students, who flock to the urban centres as beggars could be potential writers and readers of literature in northern Nigeria. A far greater proportion of youths attend school in the south than in the northern states, which means that there are many more readers for the southern writer. As a result, any serious attempt to generate more creative writing in the north ought necessarily to be accompanied by raising the standards of general literacy and engendering a culture of leisure reading.
45The department of English and Modern European Languages of Bayero University in Kano used to organize and host an annual conference on literature in northern Nigeria. After the successful organization of three conferences in 1989, 1990 and 1991, and the publication of the proceedings of one of the conferences, there has been a deafening silence. There has been no satisfactory explanation why no more conferences are forthcoming. Some of the possible reasons for this could be lack of finance and instability in the headship of the department, (about four heads have succeeded one another since the last conference) and a general apathy towards literary rejuvenation in many parts of the North. The need for a speedy revival and continuation of the Kano annual conference cannot be overemphasized. The conference provided a converging point for writers and critics of literature in northern Nigeria for the purposes of mutual criticism; it provided publicity for the writers, publishers and relevant agencies; and finally, the conference boosted literature and in the process gave writers the stimuli to continue writing.
46In general, the history, folklore and oral literary heritage of the northern states in indigenous languages or translation is yet to receive the attention it deserves from writers and would be authors. Apart from the great intrinsic value in elevating history, folklore and oratory into literature, the fact that the greatest literature in the world is based on folklore means that there is a great future for the indigenous literature of northern Nigeria. All local and state governments and their cultural agencies should institute research and writing programmes on the history, folklore and oratory of their various peoples. The results should be made available to creative writers to fashion into literature or to use as literary themes, images, etc. Similarly, tertiary educational institutions in the north should undertake such research and popularize the results. Non-government agencies such as Arewa House, or the Ahmadu Bello University Centre for Historical Documentation and Research should also be encouraged to fund a bibliography of existing history, folklore and oral tradition of the northern states with a view to advising respective local and state governments on where to invest more time and research.
47As a disadvantaged group, women deserve a special programme aimed at encouraging them to write and to be published. Since women dominate the dissemination of folklore and the teaching of oral skills by virtue of their closeness to their children, a way ought to be found to make them convert verbal prowess into script. Special projects on the collection of these traditions from women and the publication of some collections under personal names could be a major boost to literature. Girls in the final years of the secondary school system should be enticed with grants or other material rewards to relate their personal experiences or those of others in creative ways, for the purpose of filling the vacuum in writings by female authors.
48To have one’s work published is the greatest thrill for the writer; it is the most permanent stimulus for writers anywhere. In circumstances of prohibitive printing and publishing costs, low sales, low readership and a general apathy to intellectual activity, something has to be done to promote literature. With little activity by major publishers, the government (federal, state and local) must provide subsidies to facilitate the publishing of literature. To talk about subsidy in the era of structural adjustment may sound out of place, but then there is no other option. Literature, particularly in northern Nigeria, needs massive government support. The various governments should undertake to offset the cost of publishing for some good writers in their areas of jurisdiction or failing that, assist in the issue of a number of anthologies or collections from a particular locality. In advocating for increased state expenditure on literary production and development, it should be remembered that budgets must not only serve to pay for physical bridges but also intellectual bridges.
49The teaching of creative writing in all languages in the school system is an important ingredient in the promotion of literature. This teaching should be done either in the context of the curriculum or as a sanctioned extra curricular activity. The best products of such an exercise could be presented in the popular press and magazines, on radio and television. Special collections could be published. Persistent and continuous use of this strategy could produce remarkable results. Writers are born and are made at the same time.
50Creative writing does not need to be taught by writers only. Professional or semi-professional critics, are also in a good position to improve the literary scene by teaching the skill of writing. These include the teachers of literature, especially at the tertiary level, who also serve as manuscript assessors for publishers and curriculum designers for lower schools. There may not be unanimity in the opinions and the perspectives of these critics, but it is important that they get the financial support to organize workshops, lecture tours and to write and publish critical texts in their areas of specialization. Once enough information has spread on writing and what it takes to become a writer, it is possible that there will be a literary boom in northern Nigeria. Rather than the unfortunate tendency to view them as envious, hostile adversaries of writers, critics should be regarded as necessary upholders of the standards to be maintained in literary practice. There should be more cooperation between writers and critics in place of the confrontation which appears to be prevalent at present.
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* * *
New Hausa ‘Soyyaya’ Novels – ‘Kano Market Literature’ 1991 – 1995
Adamu, Yusuf M. Idan So Cuta Ne.
Ahmad, Ado. Masoyan Zamani.
Ahmad, Bilkisu S. Allura Cikin Ruwa.
Ahmad, Ado. Ciwon So.
Ahmad, Ado. Hattara don Masoya.
Ahmad. Ado. In da So da Kauna.
Ahmad. Ado. Nemesis (translation).
Ahmad, Ado. Sakon Masoya.
Ahmad. Ado. The Soul of My Heart (translation of Sakon Masoya).
Aminu, Hauwa. Kadara Ta Riga Fata (books 1 and 2).
Aminu. Hauwa. Furen soyayya (books 1 and 2).
Aliyu. Hadiza. All that glitters.
Aliyu. Hadiza. Muguwar Kishiya (1).
Aliyu. Sidi Hadiza. Salalar Tsiya.
Aliyu. Halima B. H. Muguwar Kishiya (1).
Alkali, Murjanatu. Rabo na Minallahi.
Akyagi, Kaula S. Ameen. ‘Yar Gyenawa.
Anas. Bala. Da ko Jika.
Anas. Bala. Kulu.
Anas. Bala. Sara da Sassaka.
Anas. Bala. Kwarya Ta Gari (Na daya).
Anas. Bala. Tsuntsu mai Wayo.
Anas. Bala. Rashin Sani (Nda daya da na biyu).
Azare. Nuradeens. Ayi dai ma Gani.
Argungu. Aminu A. Kowa ya tuna Bara.
Baba, Danazumi. Sakaina.
Baba. Danazumi. Amintachiyar Soyayya.
Baba. Danazumi. Ganjarma.
Baba, Danazumi. Kyan Alkawari.
Baba. Danazumi. Rikicin Duniya.
Baba, Danazumi. Man Ungulu ta biya Bukata.
Bature, Alkhamees. So Tsuntsu.
Borin Badamasis. In Gaskiya.
Dahiru, Aishatu. Soyayya mai Sada Zumunci (Book 1 and 2).
Dodo, Alhaji Yau. Gishirin Ma’aurata (1 and 2).
Dambatta, Binta B. Dvniya Mai yayi.
Dandago, Adamu A. ‘Yar Yaudara.
Dawakin Tofa, Karima. Larai Ta Kabiru.
Daneji, I. Hasana. Butukin Masoyi.
Funtua, Bilkisu A. Allora cikin ruwa.
Galadanci, Z. M. Man Kunne ya ji.
Galadanci, Z. M. Duka a Murde.
Garba, Musa. Zama da Masoyi.
Gusau, Kasimu. U. Sa’adiya.
Gama, Hauwa Abdullahi. Tanko Soyayya mai Wuyar Skubuta.
Garko, A. Y. Furucin soyayya.
Gumel, Ibrahim S. Wasiyar Babakere.
Gusau, Ahmed Aminu. Dan Tasha.
Gusau Bashir S. Auren Zamani.
Gusau Bashir S. Soyayya Dankon Zumunci.
Gusau, Bashir S. Duniyar Soyayya.
Gwazaye, Yusuf. Komai Wahalar so (Book 1 and 2).
Gwazaye, Yusuf. An Amana.
Gwazaye, Yusuf. In ban da so.
Gwazaye, Yusuf. Mai Hakuri.
Gwazaye, Yusuf. Ni da Masoya.
Hadejiya, Sulaiman. Matashiya.
Ibrahim, Kabiru. So mai son ka.
Ibrahim, Shuaibu. Rabon Wahala.
Indala, Amina. Duniya Makaranta.
Isa, Zuwaira. Alallaba Auren Zamani (Book 1).
Isa, Zuwaira. Mowar Mata.
Isa, Zuwaira. Kara da Kiyashi.
Isa, Zuwaira. Dakt ba ya tashi Jinka ya zauna.
Kayya, Babangida S. Gogan Karfe.
Kawu, Abba Bature. Alamomin so.
Lawan, Muhammad. Munafikinka Tabarmanka.
Lawan, Muhammad. Ruwan Raina.
Lawan, Muhammad. Tauraruwanta.
Liman, Maryam S. Kishi kumallan mata.
Mandawari, Ibrahim. Aminu Mijin Bose.
Mariri, Umar T. Ban rintsa ba.
Muhammad, Adamu. Kwabar Masoyi.
Muhammad, Ibrahim. Jamila da Jamilu.
Muhammad, Ibrahim. Kanwa ta kar Tsami.
Musa, Haladu. Komai nisan dare.
Makama, Shehu. Magana Jarin soyayya (na soya).
Nainna, Aminu A. Kauna Adon zucidya.
Nainna, Aminu A. So Madara.
Nainna, Aminu A. Ba Laifi na ba ne.
Nainna, Aminu A. So Madarar Raina.
Nainna, Aminu A. Wa ya fi so ?
Nainna, Aminu A. Raina Fansa ne ga Masoyina.
Tijjani, Ldami A. Raina cuta ga macoci Mai Alamfa.
Tijjani Amina. Aure Yakin Mata.
Ramat, Balaraba. Alhaki Kwikwiyo.
Ramat, Balaraba. Budurwar Zuciya.
Ramat, Balaraba. Wa zai auri Jahila?
Sani, Abdulaziz. Idaniyar Ruwa.
Sheme, Ibrahim. Kifin Rijiya.
Shafm. Soyayya Dawsayin Rayuwa.
Shuaibu, Badamasi. In so ya yi so.
Shuibu, Badamasi. A dalilin so...
Usman, Mohammad. Dace da Masoyi.
Umar, Hassana. Nuni cikin Nishadi.
Usman, Baradatu. Mara Gaskiya.
Wada, Talatu. Rabin Raina.
Wada, Talatu. Wuya bata kisa.
Yahaya, Abdullahi. Son zuciya (Book 1 and 2).
Yakasai, Aminu H. Birnina.
Yakasai, K. I. Turmi Sha Duka.
Zaharaddeen, Laila. Bari ba shegiya ba ce.
Zakari B. Mohammed. Yaya zan yi da auren dole?
Umar, Sa’adiya T. Rabon Kwado.
Notes de bas de page
1 The focus of the study is on the states that have been carved out of the former Northern Region of Nigeria. It is a culturally diverse region but with a certain collective identity which has emerged after almost a century of administrative unity.
2 Ajami – Hausa written in Arabic.
3 Such as Tarok Folktales (Spectrum, Ibadan. 1990).
4 Men dominate the literary field in northern Nigerian languages, and Hausa is the most popular local language for these works of fiction.
5 One cannot but make reference to the Onitsha Market literature which blossomed in the 1950s in the Igbo speaking areas of Eastern Nigeria. The authors were also barely educated, the language bombastic and the orientation highly romantic. The Kano State Government has recently set up a committee to check the ‘corrupting’ influence of these writing clubs.
Auteurs
Department of English
Department of Political Science Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria
Le texte seul est utilisable sous licence Licence OpenEdition Books. Les autres éléments (illustrations, fichiers annexes importés) sont « Tous droits réservés », sauf mention contraire.
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