The Africa Institute collaborated with the Hausa International Book and Arts Festival (HIBAF) in a joint effort to promote cultural diversity and language appreciation. The festival was blended with virtual and physical events from December 14 to 16, 2023, in Kano, Nigeria.

On December 14, 2023, Aliyu Mustapha Lawal, Lecturer of Hausa at The Africa Institute, assumed the role of moderator for the panel discussion “Hausa Across the World” at the festival. Initiated by Open Arts, HIBAF gathered African creatives from Europe, West and East Africa, exploring the intersection of arts and language. The festival’s third edition focused on ‘Hausa Diaspora,’ initiating discussions on the Hausa language’s history, music, arts, and global presence.

Lawal led discussions with speakers from China, the Arab world, Europe, and the Americas, exploring the historical, musical, and artistic facets of the Hausa language. His insights seamlessly contributed to the global discourse on the language’s impact.

This collaboration underscores The Africa Institute and HIBAF’s joint commitment to cross-cultural understanding and linguistic diversity. ‘Hausa Diaspora’ examined the nuances of Hausa identity, diaspora, and cultural resilience, aligning with efforts to promote The Africa Institute’s newly launched language courses in Amharic, Hausa, Arabic, and Kiswahili through its Language and Translation program. This reinforces its dedication to preserving Africa’s linguistic richness on a global stage.

Sada Malumfashi, Curator of the festival, remarked, “Since the fourteenth century, many categories of people left Hausaland and ventured into various parts of West Africa, some returning, some settling. In the 18th and 19th centuries, Hausa diasporas scattered across continents in their Zangos – settlements. Hausa-speaking communities or individuals exist from the Atlantic Ocean to the Indian Ocean; from the Caribbeans to the Americas; from the Guinea Coast to Europe; across the African continent – from Sierra Leone to Sudan, Chad, and Cameroon – but also in the Maghreb and the Muslim world from Tunis and Tripoli to Cairo, Jerusalem, and Makkah. Hausa people have traveled and settled around the world.”

View the conversation on the HIBAF YouTube channel. Please note that the panel discussion is in the Hausa language.

 

The Africa Institute collaborated with the Hausa International Book and Arts Festival (HIBAF) in a joint effort to promote cultural diversity and language appreciation. The festival was blended with virtual and physical events from December 14 to 16, 2023, in Kano, Nigeria.

The Africa Institute collaborated with the Hausa International Book and Arts Festival (HIBAF) in a joint effort to promote cultural diversity and language appreciation. The festival was blended with virtual and physical events from December 14 to 16, 2023, in Kano, Nigeria.

On December 14, 2023, Aliyu Mustapha Lawal, Lecturer of Hausa at The Africa Institute, assumed the role of moderator for the panel discussion “Hausa Across the World” at the festival. Initiated by Open Arts, HIBAF gathered African creatives from Europe, West and East Africa, exploring the intersection of arts and language. The festival’s third edition focused on ‘Hausa Diaspora,’ initiating discussions on the Hausa language’s history, music, arts, and global presence.

Lawal led discussions with speakers from China, the Arab world, Europe, and the Americas, exploring the historical, musical, and artistic facets of the Hausa language. His insights seamlessly contributed to the global discourse on the language’s impact.

This collaboration underscores The Africa Institute and HIBAF’s joint commitment to cross-cultural understanding and linguistic diversity. ‘Hausa Diaspora’ examined the nuances of Hausa identity, diaspora, and cultural resilience, aligning with efforts to promote The Africa Institute’s newly launched language courses in Amharic, Hausa, Arabic, and Kiswahili through its Language and Translation program. This reinforces its dedication to preserving Africa’s linguistic richness on a global stage.

Sada Malumfashi, Curator of the festival, remarked, “Since the fourteenth century, many categories of people left Hausaland and ventured into various parts of West Africa, some returning, some settling. In the 18th and 19th centuries, Hausa diasporas scattered across continents in their Zangos – settlements. Hausa-speaking communities or individuals exist from the Atlantic Ocean to the Indian Ocean; from the Caribbeans to the Americas; from the Guinea Coast to Europe; across the African continent – from Sierra Leone to Sudan, Chad, and Cameroon – but also in the Maghreb and the Muslim world from Tunis and Tripoli to Cairo, Jerusalem, and Makkah. Hausa people have traveled and settled around the world.”

View the conversation on the HIBAF YouTube channel. Please note that the panel discussion is in the Hausa language.

 

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