By HENRY AKUBUIRO
Acclaimed Nigerian folklorist, Dr. Bukar Usman, will be a feast for the eyes as the International Conference on Alhaji Mamman Shata Katsina and Mahamadou Gao Filingue gets underway at the University of Tahoua, Niger Republic, on Thursday, August 17, 2017.
Jointly organised by the University of Tahoua and Pleasant Library and Book Club, Katsina, the theme of the conference centres on “Philosophy in Hausa Musicology: A Case Study of Dr. Mamman Shata Katsina and Muhamadou Gao Filingue”. The three-day conference ends on August 20, 2017.
Lead paper presenters for the conference includeProf Sa’idu Muhammad Gusau (BUK, Nigeria), Prof. Addo Mahamane (University of Tahoua, Niger Republic), Prof. Lawale Abdoulaye (University, Maradi, Niger Republic), and Dr. Aliyu Ibrahim Kankara (Federal University, DutsinMa).
Subthemes include “Thematic Approaches to Shata’s, Filingue’s, Dan Allalo’s, Bojo’s and Sogolo’s Poetry”, “Stylistic Approaches to Shata’s, Filingue’s, Dan Allalo’s, Bojo’s and Sogolo’s Poetry”, “Cultural Relevance of Shata’s, Filingue’s, Dan Allalo’s, Bojo’s and Sogolo’s Poetry”, “Shata, Filingue, Dan Allalo, Bojo and Sogolo in Hausa Culture”, “Shata, Filingue, Dan Allalo, Bojo and Sogolo in Contemporary African Culture”, “Shata, Filingue, Dan Allalo, Bojo and Sogolo in Linguistic Contexts”, “Shala, Filingue, Dan Allalo, Bojo and Sogolo in Hausa Literature”, and “Shata, Filingue, Dan Allalo, Bojo and Sogolo in Hausa Literature.”Other subthemes include “Shata, Filingue, Dan Allalo, Bojo and Sogolo in the Peaceful Coexistence Contexts”, “Shata, Filingue, Dan Allalo, Bojo and Sogolo in Security and Socio-economic Issues”, “Shata, Filingue, Dan Allalo, Bojo and Sogolo in Politics”, “Shata, Filingue, Dan Allalo, Bojo and Sogolo in Religious Perspectives”, “The Scientific Shata, Filingue, Dan Allalo, Bojo and Sogolo”, “Shata, Filingue, Dan Allalo, Bojo and Sogolo in Hausa Folklore”, “The Role of Shata, Filingue, Dan Allalo, Bojo and Sogolo in the Making of Hausa Heroes”, and “The Oratory Art in Hausa Poetry”.
While the Governor of Tahoua, Abdourhamane Mousa, will be the Chief Host of the conference being convened by the Vice Chancellor of University of Tahous, Prof. Addo Mahamane, the occasion will be chaired by Dr. Aliyu Moudibbo Umar, former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
The Special Guests of Honour are Abdourhamane Moussa, Governor of Tahoua, and Rt. Hon. Aminu Bello Masari, Governor of Katsina State; while a Nigerien minister, Yahouza Sadissou, will be the Guest of Honour. Date of arrivalis Thursday, August 17, 2017, while participants will depart on Sunday, August 20, 2017. All events will take place at the University of Tahoua. Presentations, said the organisers, would be done in Hausa, English, French and Arabic.
The keynote speaker, Usman, is a multiculturalist who has published over 20 books. Concerned about the scarcity of books in our schools, particularly home-crafted books with valuable, culture-sensitive local content, Dr. Usman took it upon himself to write fictional books that are rich in cultural values.
He has also written on various subject matters through his commentaries on contemporary national and global issues published in the media and in several booklets.Dr. Usman’s intellectual prowess and public enlightenment, thus, are reflected in the books he has published so far.
His creative writings include a 652-page compendium of Hausa language folktales, Taskar Tatsuniyoyi, and short stories in English. Among his non-fiction books are Hatching Hopes and My Literary Journey (autobiographies); Folklore and History; Girl-Child Education in Biu Emirate: The Early Years, and A History of Biu.