A number of researchers on the history of Northern Nigeria travel abroad for data collection, not for oral data, but rather to consult relevant literature. This is despite the agitations made by Africanist historiographers that, African history was deliberately distorted in colonial writings.
During the period of colonialism, the colonial invaders employed all the means at their disposal to colonise Africans. The colonial conquerors boasted, as Hilaire Beloc recorded, that “we have the maxim machine guns and Africans did not”.
However, series of resistances that followed the conquest served as clear warning to colonial intruders. Force was therefore not enough to generate loyalty. The colonialists thus resorted to ‘mental colonisation’. History was the first victim. Services of anthropologists were engaged who studied culture of various societies, not only for the purpose of understanding the colonised societies but also to distort their history so as to make them accede to European superiority. This was one of the reasons why Lord Lugard wrote Political Memoranda and the Dual Mandate, and then urged other officials to write history and traditions of the natives.
Furthermore, immediately after the Second World War when the struggle for independence gained much momentum, the International African Institute, under the auspices of British Colonial Development and Welfare Fund engaged heavily in ethnographic research on various African communities. Subsequently, Nationalist historians who meticulously exploited local sources of historical reconstruction discovered how faultful some of the colonial accounts were.
Besides, there were number of literature and other forms of African arts, music and ammunition inclusive, taken from Africa to Europe during colonial period. For instance, when he served as the Senior Resident of Borno Province, Henry Richmond Palmer, sent Sa’id bn. Hayat into exile in 1923. Palmer then confiscated all the books and manuscripts of Sa’id bn Hayat. In Fakai District, during the reign of Sarkin Fakai, Alhaji Fakai Danbauchi (1945-1958), colonial officials took some historical artifacts which include drums, weapons and some ornaments with the pretext that artifacts taken would be studied and returned, they were not. Therefore, the thievery was beyond what a colonial officer told his host in a settler colony that “we have confiscated your land, now we must exploit your limbs”.
But it is worthy to note that, in the case of Nigeria, colonial invaders were more scared of Northern Nigeria than any other parts. The reason was that, colonialists marvelled at the level of literacy and scholarship in the region and were aware that, education normally goes with liberation and conversely, ignorance with bondage. Since before the 19th century, Hausaland was renowned for scholarship. The writings of the 19th century triumvirate of Sokoto Caliphate covered areas like mathematics, medical, calligraphy, astrology, opthalmology, poetry etc.
Northern Nigeria is therefore rich in history, culture and exemplary form of leadership. This ample heritage was the reason why Charles Robinson wrote “… the Hausa have every right to be considered a civilised nation. … they have reduced their language to writing and have started schools throughout their country for the teaching of their children”. Just in 1986, a German linguist appealed to the general public to “help me have a full text of a manuscript titled Nahawun Fulfude by Sa’id bn Muhammad Bello”. It is therefore apparent display of ignorance of local history to hear peoples from other parts of the country, thoughtlessly linking Hausa people with ignorance.
Notwithstanding, it is imperative we call upon our governments at all levels to strengthen their efforts toward educational development. It is quite unfortunate that our literature are still being taken to Europe and America not as export for revenue generation but simply to push them there so as to relieve ourselves of their dust. The reading culture has been generally low and the government has been playing role in this. The decay in the infrastructure of our schools has made public schools highly unattractive.
Moreover, government has been showing nonchalant attitude to the findings of researchers in policy making. The Nigeria ‘s heritage and literature, owing to poor preservation, are on the verge of being lost.
In order to curb some of these problems, in March, 2007, conference was held at Arewa House on the preservation of Nigeria’s scholarly Arabic/Ajami manuscript and thought provoking papers were presented. It was part of the resolutions of the conference that led to the organisation of another one in 2009. Thus in May, 2009, Arewa House and Ford Foundation foundation office for West Africa sub-region organised Joint National Conference. The theme of the conference was the exploration of Arabic /Ajami resources for the development of new knowledge in Nigeria. The objective of the conference was “to further enlighten the general public and policy makers about the urgent need for the preservation of our rich cultural and intellectual heritage for the development of knowledge”.
Our civilisation has been crumbling due to lackadaisical attitude from authorities. DR Angel D. Batiste of the Library of Congress lamented on the poor preservation of Northern Nigerian heritage, thus :
” The priceless Arabic Manuscript Collection in the Northern Nigeria region represent one of the most important sources of documentary heritage of the African Islamic World. The Manuscript, particularly those generated by Nigeria’s indigenous scholars greatly aid the ability to understand local indigenous knowledge systems and the dynamic of intellectual discourse in the spheres of religion, politics, economics and culture in the West African sub region from the earliest times to the present day. Despite the historical significance of Arabic Manuscript in Northern Nigeria, they have been largely neglected”.
Similarly, Micheale Biddle, Head of Preservation Services at Wesleyan University Library, United States, undertook a research tour in Northern Nigeria in 2008. In her report after the survey, she observed that :
“… Nigeria has a rich Islamic Manuscript heritage that is in danger of being lost due to lack of preservation and conservation efforts. ”
Generally, it was observed by some researchers that the following factors have contributed to the deterioration of heritage materials in Nigeria :
- Inherent chemical instability of the components of materials
- Unsuitable environmental condition
- Inappropriate storage and handling practises
- Natural disaster
- Theft and vandalism
There is urgent need for government to take action against these challenges.
Yusuf Mahuta wrote from Dutsinma
