HIBAF 2024: A beautifully relaxing festival to end a hectic year
By Zaynab Ango
I shall remember 2024 for many interesting things. One which is the Hausa International Book and Arts Festival (HIBAF), which came as a breath of fresh air at the end of a tumultuous year. HIBAF is an annual event curated by the Open Arts Foundation to celebrate the language and cultural expressions of the Hausa people within Africa and the Diaspora. The 2024 edition which took place in Abuja from December 19 – 21, 2024 was the fourth. It was dedicated to celebrating Hausa Popular Culture. The event showcased interesting panel discussions on writing, arts, fashion, cinema and exciting musical performances, film screenings, book chats and poetry recitations.
The occasion started on December 19, with virtual panel sessions featuring guests from across the world. The opening ceremony proper was held on December 20. It was a celebration of Hausa culture, cinema, music and presentation of awards to outstanding individuals in the Hausa arts industry. The renowned Kannywood actor and producer and Managing Director of Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC) Ali Nuhu bagged the festival’s Lifetime Achievement award.
The morning of December 21 started with a book chat featuring Ado Bala’s award-winning short story collection Husufin Farinciki, and my all-time favourite Hausa novel Rahama Abdulmajid’s Mace Mutum. The delightful Habiba Malumfashi engaged these authors through their writing experience. I was amazed to learn that Rahama wrote that remarkable book in under three months while she was only sixteen!
The book chat was followed by the panel sessions, all very enriching. The first panel featured Sada Malumfashi and Layla Gumbi. Moderated by the eloquent Richard Ali, it discussed the status of the Hausa language as a lingua franca and an identity marker in Northern Nigeria, focusing on the many ways that people of northern Nigeria can ‘own’ the Hausa language without necessarily compromising other indigenous languages to enhance their arts, craft, economic and social activities. The second panel had Star Zarah, Aisha Bima and Maryam Bakari, who all demonstrated the interesting ways they are harnessing northern Nigerian landscape and cultural artifacts in their writing, art and fashion enterprises. Afterwards, four brilliant women – Hauwa Liman, Aisha Falke, Rahama Yelwa and Sadiya Taheer – told the audience the amazing ways that Hausa language can be exploited on social media, not only for entertainment but also to make good money. The last panel took the audience through ways of re-imagining African cinema, with the brilliant Carmen McCain, Lubabatu Madaki, Aisha Bima and Binwana Gazuwa holding forte.
Hauwa Liman (left); Aisha Falke; Safiya Taheer and Rahama Yelwa on how to exploit Hausa language on social media
The all-women panel members discussed the benefits of social media and how to put it to use. They emphasized on how Northern Nigerian women, instead of the overwhelming entertainment content on TikTok, could also use social media to further their business interests. Aisha Falke who owns a moviemaking company called Northern Hibiscus, explained how using her platform for advertising products fetches her a lot of money. The panel members also discussed the popularity of Hausa language, arguing the large number of Hausa speakers on social media is a viable market for commerce. They also spoke about advancing education and awareness using social media with its immediate reach.
On re-imaning African cinema, the panel dwelt mainly on storytelling using cinema. Focusing on Nollywood and Kannywood, the panel members identified the need for originality in storytelling. They highlighted how some of the moviemakers rely so much on imitating other film cultures, especially from Bollywood and Hollywood rather than promoting the diverse, rich stories that abound within the continent. They also discussed the need for filmmakers to improve on the techniques/technology of film production in order to enhance quality of their products. They also canvased the need to leverage on social media to promote their content through micro films. The panel members were also futuristic when they finally projected that the successful cenima/movies of the future will be those that will appropriate relevant technology to tell African stories, noting that the future will be on the side of those who are adventurous in storytelling using available technology.
As the afternoon set in, the audience was treated to three film screenings: Bature: Five Months in Kano documents an expat’s view of Kano people and city in snapshots; Scarlet Vails tells a story of the sexual violation of minors while Sawaba chronicles the life and political activism of Gambo Sawaba. While the first documentary was a refreshing view of Kano, its people and commerce, the last two portray, in different ways, the travails of women in northern Nigeria. To light up and dissipate our pensive moods, the organisers rolled out a potpourri of music, dance and poetry performance to delight us.
My invitation as a special guest of HIBAF 2024 was a rare privilege for which I am grateful. It allowed me to meet with amazing and inspiring people and to listen to enriching conversations around contemporary issues in the Hausa-speaking world. It was a great privilege to have met the authors of some of my favourite books: Rahama Abdul Majid (Mace Mutum), Richard Ali (A City of Memories) and Umar Abubakar Sidi (The Incredible Dreams of Garba Dakaskus). Sidi graciously autographed my copy of the book – my best read for 2024, a truly incredible book.
It was simply delightful watching the young people performing beautiful poetry. I enjoyed listening to Yusra Dzukogi. Husayn Zaguru’s AfroDavish performance was spectacular, as were String Shady’s and Umar Mai Gurmi’s. Less I forget, we were served sumptuous meals and tea made with specially picked plants from gardens in Katsina, Nigeria.
Thank you HIBAF for closing this hectic year with a beautifully relaxing event. I am already looking forward to 2025. Many thanks to Sada Malumfashi and his amazing team. Thank you for the inviting me and for screening Scarlet Vails.
Managing Director of Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC) Mr. Ali Nuhu (right) receiving HIBAF Lifetime Achievement Award from Dr. Bukar Usman
* Ango, a scholar and cultural critic, teaches at the Department of English and Literary Studies, University of Abuja
