The second week of October, 2003, marks the fortieth anniversary of the accession of Alhaji Ado Bayero to the throne of Kano. During that week in 1963 his appointment was confirmed and publicly announced by the Premier of the Northern Region, the Sardauna of  Sokoto, Alhaji Sir Ahmadu Bello, even though the formal and public presentation of the staff of office was not celebrated until the following year.

As part of the events to mark this historic anniversary, the Kano Emirate Council has decided to sponsor a National Conference on: "Chieftaincy and Security in Nigeria: Past, Present, and Future". The Emir and his Council would like to see the anniversary marked by serious and sober reflection on some of the problems confronting the nation in general and the people of Kano specifically. Highly respected scholars from throughout Nigeria and beyond have been invited to deliver papers which consider some of the connections between chieftaincy and security in a historical framework, but which also consider how modern Nigeria can best use her traditions and people to ensure peace, unity, and progress. These papers will be discussed by other scholars, prominent members of the traditional leadership institutions in the country, and by experienced practitioners from the various security institutions of the nation. The Proceedings of this National Conference shall be printed in book form so as to create a permanent contribution to the reflections of the nation on some of these crucial questions.

Security is a natural choice of subject for this conference, as the traditional leadership institutions evolved out of people's own attempts to ensure peace and security in their communities. These institutions have changed enormously in the past century or so in Nigeria, but equally the problems of security have also become more complex and more intractable. Presently the connections between chieftaincy and the various security organizations are mostly informal, but they are very regular and important nonetheless. In examining these relationships over time we shall have a better idea of how to approach some of the most important problems facing the nation.

This is a National Conference, and consideration is being given to chieftaincy and security in many differing cultural environments throughout Nigeria. The large Muslim states of the North, as well as some of the less centralized polities elsewhere, and indeed a variety of different traditional political systems, are all included in the scope of this conference. Nonetheless, this Conference is intended to mark the Fortieth Anniversary of Alhaji Ado Bayero on the throne of Kano, and considerable attention must be paid to his own personal historic relationships with security questions in Kano, the North, and the Nation as a whole.

Under British colonial rule, it developed as a tradition that one of the most prominent of an Emir's sons, and frequently the heir apparent, would serve as the Chief of the Native Authority (N.A.) police force. This was true throughout much of the North, including Adamawa, Katsina, Gombe, and of course Kano. Throughout colonial rule Kano was the most populous and the wealthiest of all the Native Authorities in the nation. The Kano Native Authority Police ('Yan Doka) was similarly the largest such force in the country. In April of 1957, at the relatively young age of twenty-seven, prince Ado Bayero was appointed the Chief of this Kano N.A. Police Force. He retained this position until 1962 when he was appointed Nigeria's ambassador to Senegal. He was ambassador for only one year, and certainly it was his service for five years as Police Chief (Wakilin Doka) in Kano that influenced his election by the King Makers and his acceptance by the Government as the new Emir of Kano in October 1963. These were difficult years to be in the police force as political parties were increasingly vocal and aggressive in their attempts to grasp power and to bring about radical change. These were also years when Nigeria achieved her independence and then became a federal republic. They were also years of rapidly changing economic and social conditions, and the consequent rise in ethnic competition. Through all these troubles Ado Bayero was able to maintain his position as an arbiter of justice, and as one of the pillars of stability in Kano society.

The forty years reign of Alhaji Ado Bayero as the Emir of Kano have seen very many difficult crises, but a review of a few of them will suffice to demonstrate not only the passions and dangers of the period, but also the necessity for respected and solid traditional leadership in troubled times.

The 1966  coup d'etat against the First Republic of Alhaji Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, and the deaths of the Prime Minister, the Premier of the Northern Region, and many other prominent political and military leaders was a terrible shock to the people of Kano as well as to the nation as a whole. In many ways the nation has not yet fully recovered from that terrible blow to the body politic and from the terrible Civil War which followed. Kano was set aflame with the passions released by these drastic actions, and many were killed, but it could all have been even much worse were it not for the phenomenal role played by the Emir of Kano in calming his people and helping negotiate for a new and more stable government. It was during this time that Kano State was created out of the Northern Region, and it was only with the advice and assistance and cooperation of the Emir and his Council and the rest of the traditional leadership that Kano State was able to emerge as a strong and influential force in the country. Throughout the Civil War and in the later trying periods of reconciliation and the return of abandoned properties in the 1970s, the traditional institution and the Emir in particular contributed much with his sound advice and guidance with respect to difficult issues throughout the country.

Military rule was an aberration, but it lasted for most of the independence period in Nigeria's history. Representation was essential if the Military Governments in Kano and Nigeria in general were to have any success at all. This representation was achieved through co-opting prominent and popular citizens for government work as Commissioners, Ministers, Ambassadors, Chairmen, and the like. It was, of course, the traditional leadership which continued to guide and advise the government as to how best to recruit Kano people for healing the nation's wounds.

There was also a very real need for Kano to transform itself if it was to fully participate in the modern oil era Nigeria of the late twentieth century. The Emir realized that in a number of fields Kano people had to catch up with some other segments of Nigerian society, in terms of education, in terms of leadership in business, in terms of prominence in the intellectual discussions of the day, in terms of giving women opportunities for advancement and for contributing to the general progress, and in terms of playing important leadership roles in the federal government and its institutions such as the parastatals and the military. Since Islam had always been the basis of legitimacy within  the Emirate, it was clear that these changes had to take place within the Islamic religious context of Kano society. Moving forward in education had to include moving forward in Islamic education, and so Islamiyya schools were fostered throughout the Emirate, and the school within the Emir's palace was given much encouragement, as were other prominent schools such as the School for Arabic Studies, the Gidan Makama Primary School, the Rumfa College, and numerous schools for women's education. The Tafsir presentations at the Emir's Palace every night in Ramadan were also important in uniting people from different Islamic sects, in educating people about the true meaning of their religion, and in making the palace itself a focus for the people of Kano. In 1971 there was the first really brutal armed robbery with murder in Kano, and the people streamed out in the morning for solace and guidance and leadership - but it was not to the police station that they went, it was not to the Governor's house that they went - it was to the Emir's Palace - Gidan Rumfa. The palace was seen by many as their solid base and hold on reality in a puzzling world which was changing rapidly.

In 1976, the brutal assassination of the Head of State, General Murtala Ramat Muhammad, a citizen of Kano, was a terrible shock to the people of Kano. The Emir played an important role in helping to keep the Kano people calm at such a critical moment. His presence at the airport when the corpse of the late Head of State was brought to Kano and then at the funeral were important in maintaining stability in a tense time.

The Second Republic brought with it many new difficulties, even as it tried to revive the democratic basis of governance in the country. The economic troubles of the time complicated everything, and the outbreak of an extremist religious movement led by  a man known as "Mai Tatsine", involved the killing of many innocent bystanders and brought about a state of siege in Kano City, which was occupied by fighting forces. Once again the traditional authorities, and in particular the Emir, played a central role in keeping Kano City calm at a time when fear stalked the streets. An apparent conflict of interests between the Governor of the State at the time and the Emir led to violent protests in parts of the state capital, and to the burning down of a number of government buildings, and the deaths of a number of people. The Emir remained perfectly cool and calm at the time and took a very non-confrontational position, and so this apparently dangerous crisis was allowed to pass and the stability of the state preserved. The tremendous loyalty of many Kano citizens towards their emir was obvious, but the emir himself realized that this loyalty itself had to be kept within careful limits so as not to challenge the legitimate claims of  the constituted political authority. That there must be a balance between the monopoly of force of the modern state and the passionate loyalty of the people toward their traditional institutions, is something that is not clear to everyone, but the Emir was surely right  that maturity is the best way to deal with such crises.

The Emir has had to play important roles in leading the people of Kano, in advising the governments of Kano, in advising regional and federal governments, and in giving sound advice throughout the country on major national issues, particularly during crisis. His leadership has also been extremely important in guiding religious progress, and Kano has seen an incredible increase in the number of mosques, religious institutions, and schools throughout his reign. But beyond the political and religious leadership required of him, he has played a major role in projecting the cultural heritage of the Kano people to other Nigerians as well as to people from all over the world. The tremendous display of pomp and ceremony and the colourful and historic costumes at the various durbars given by the Emir of Kano have played an important part in Kano's giving  the nation an important and unique symbol of grandeur and traditional greatness. Various Heads of State have requested the Emir of Kano to mount special durbars to entertain and impress their most important foreign visitors, such as Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher of Great Britain, and Presidents Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe and Leopold Sedar Senghor of Senegal, as well as many others. This cultural display is not just for foreigners, but also helps to hold together the various communities living within Kano. Every religious Id celebration (commonly known as "Sallah") is accompanied by five days of horsemanship, during which the Emir and his Councillors and the various title holders and courtiers travel all around the state capital - to the old city, to Government House, to the Nassarawa residential area, through Sabon Gari, out past the university to Dorayi and also to Panisau. The crowds of on-looking supporters are tremendous at all these times, and the pride of the people in their culture, their religion, their history, their institutions, and their leadership are all palpable. The Emir of Kano has helped to ensure that all Nigerians know that in many ways it is Kano that can  best demonstrate the tremendous achievements of tradition in this part of Africa.

The last forty years have seen many changes and challenges to people of Kano and of Nigeria as a whole. The Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero, has done much to provide the stability which has helped to make these years more stable and prosperous, despite the constant threats posed by the modern world.

It is hoped that this National Conference will not only commemorate these historic forty years, but that it will leave behind a solid legacy in terms of serious thinking about security and chieftaincy in the country. Much has been accomplished in these years, and we all wish Alhaji Ado Bayero many more years as Emir, so that he can guide his people in the times ahead.

Prepared by Professor Philip Shea

Contact: Professor Abdalla Uba Adamu

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