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Am waiting.

so....when is the scheduled time? also this is great!

I attended a conference themed "The Other's Other: Performance and Representation in Language" organized by, and held at, the University of Cologne, Germany, between 25-26 Sept. 2017. I presented a talk on the subaltern themes and motifs in the Nigerian film industries [emphasis added]. It is a common knowledge, I guess, to all that "Othering" does not only exist in the film, it thrives. Thus, my paper argues on how the regional filmmakers in Nigeria have, consciously or not, been widening the existing binary and rivalry between the country's diverse ethnic and religious groups. At the risk of sounding self-congratulatory, the paper generated a lot of discussions and debates. This article is sort of a précis of the talk and the debates.

The focus of the deliberations, particularly in the post-conference side talk, was surprisingly changed from "Othering" to the existence and peculiarities of Kannywood film industry besides the "Global Nollywood", to use Krings and Okome (2013) term. The distinction is, of course, arguable, but I am of the strong belief that it exists. The regional, ethnic, linguistic and thematic differences between the two industries are too many and too glaring to be swept under the carpet. The Indian Bollywood, for example, too, does not represent all the country's film industries, which are quite many and independent. A typical example can be cited with that record-breaking epic fantasy, Bahuali (2016&2017). To the surprise of many, as a film made by the south Indian company, it was not produced under the banner of the mainstream Bollywood.

Some scholars such as Kaplan (1996:661) suggest that "A nation has to develop its own cinematography, its own film language, by relying on its own visual culture, narrative traditions, and capacity for artistic experiments", Nigeria, much more than India, cannot achieve that because of its heterogeneity and the raging contention between its diverse ethnic groups – IPOB, Niger Delta Avengers, etc. as a few examples. Nollywood and Kannywood are, arguably, the two major, distinct cinemas in Nigeria.


On the one hand, Nollywood is based in the South (mainly Lagos) and produces films with Christianity and mostly Western-influenced motifs as themes, and are largely in English, or other major Nigerian languages, except Hausa. On the other hand, Kannywood (named after Kano state) films are almost exclusively in Hausa; Islam is their trademark, though what they portray may not be in compliance with the religion. The filmmakers look up to Bollywood as role-model. That is why music and dance sequence is one of the prevalent signatures of their films.

For ages, Bollywood has had a long history of spectacular acceptance in northern Nigeria. For many reasons, though not central to the topic under discussion, however, some people believed that there was a need to establish an indigenous film industry. In response to that, Kannywood was born in the early 1990s. In other words, the film industry was purportedly founded as a reaction to the imported foreign films, mainly from India, Hong Kong and America that bear and bring in the foreign ethos that is not religiously and culturally "unsuitable" for the Hausa audience, especially children.

As aforesaid, Nollywood films are markedly different from Kannywood's. Not only that, there has been a kind of incidental/accidental misrepresentation of the Hausa man in their films. Hausa people have been featured in varied roles. However, they are virtually consistently represented as subordinates or simpletons, and rarely as serious characters. A Hausa man may be a simplistic guardsman who speaks the worst broken English; or a foolish cobbler, a beggar, a corrupt politician with a bulging stomach, speaking in heavily-accented English; a randy old sugar daddy chasing female undergraduates, etc., amid an aristocratic, rich, cultured and educated world of southern people. Directly or indirectly, the Southerner is always the 'Self' - and that the northerner is the 'Other'.

As a subtle counteraction or a subconscious description of the marginalised as well, the usual depiction of the southerners, or even some northern minorities in Kannywood films, is seldom nothing short of a travesty. Zukogi (2014) concludes that the Dan Gwari is constantly portrayed as a heathen who eats pork and gleefully drinks his local gin and is dull in his social interactions and poor in his mastery of the dominant language, Hausa; the Igbo is the quintessential Shylock, mean and grasps in business and money matters; the Yoruba plays the clown, the talkative, rambling character who repeatedly interferes in matters that do not concern him.

In both instances described above, the subalternity is, to adapt Marks's (2000:05) words, sometimes "narratively thin but emotionally full." Once a member of that 'marginalised' ethnic group watches how his kinsman is portrayed, he feels the pain of the attack, or, as it is the case sometimes, laugh if off.

There is, however, a little improvement in the portrayal of the 'Other' in Hausa films in recent years. The two leading film industries have, in an effort to establish an intercultural cinema, experimented a collaboration and produced films like Wata Shari'ar, Maja, Karangiya, Hajiya Babba, etc. in which stars of Kannywood and Nollywood, like the late Rabilu Musa (Dan Ibro), Nkem Owoh (Osofia), John Okafor (Mr. Ibu), Jim Iyke, Chinedu Ikedieze and Osita Iheme (Ake and Pawpaw) are featured. Some actors like Ali Nuhu, Sani Danja, and lately Rahama Sadau from Kannywood have equally been featured in some Nollywood films. But this is not enough to lump the two film industries together.

Again, the experimented collaboration was obviously not as successful as anticipated. It has been, by and large, suspended. One may argue, however, that it continues on the satellite channels broadcast series of Dadin Kowa and its sequel, Dadin Kowa Sabon Salo, Zarki, etc. But these are not known actors; most of them are debutants in the series. Yet, worthy of note is that the portrayal of the "other and sub-cultures" is generally positive, and poses to foster mutual respect and understanding among the diverse ethnic groups.

In a nutshell, my lecture on this dichotomy exposed to me the fact that Nollywood is amazingly popular in Africa and beyond, while Kannywood still, shockingly, however, lingers in obscurity. I am aware that some select films have been shown in the US and Europe, but the glory of Nollywood is matchless to Kannywood's. A number of factors are responsible for this, but the chief ones include language (English vs. Hausa); the northerners standoffish, closed attitude towards Kannywood films, and lack of collaboration between our academes and the filmmakers. As I write this, only a single university in the whole Northern Nigeria offers Film Studies as a course. Academics that show interest to study film or a related discipline are still discouraged or denied any chance to do so.


Moreover, to many, supporting Kannywood in whatever name is a sin. The obloquy over and the rejection of the Federal Government's proposal to build a 3-billion worth film village in Kano, which is the epicenter of Kannywood film production and consumption, is still fresh in our memories. I don't want to restart any banal argument on the legitimacy or otherwise of what the filmmakers do and whatnot here. What I know for sure is that nobody can ban filmmaking in Kano and other northern states. If that is the case, we should look for ways to make the "rubbish" they do better, etc. Armchair criticism will not change anything. With your permission or not, your wife, kids and wards will watch that which you lampoon on the social media. Thus, we should not throw the baby out with the bath water.

Lest you forget what I have said in the foregoing paragraphs, Kannywood is not Nollywood. The two are related but different.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-nigeria-farming/ghost-tomato-factory-showcase-for-nigerias-farming-problems-idUSKCN1BA0IZ

KANO, Nigeria (Reuters) - At a state-of-the-art plant in northern Nigeria, shiny machines stand next to a conveyor belt ready to crush tomatoes to satisfy the country's insatiable demand for tomato paste.

But a lonely cleaner mopping the floor is the only sign of activity in Nigeria's biggest tomato factory, equipped with the latest Italian and German technology. There aren't enough tomatoes to run it.

It's a powerful symbol of Nigeria's uphill challenge to build up agricultural production and end costly food imports to feed its 190 million people. The West African nation imports staples from milk to wheat to tomato paste, with funds it mainly earns from exporting oil.

The conglomerate of Africa's richest man, Aliko Dangote, launched the plant in March 2016, contracting Italian engineers working for months on a 350 euro-a-day allowances to set up the machines outside Kano, the main city in the north.

On paper this looked like a smart move as Nigeria imports up to 400,000 tons of tomato paste annually. The tinned paste is an ingredient in Nigerian tomato stew, used as the base for a host of traditional meat stews, sauces, soups and rice dishes that are staples of Nigerian cooking.

Dangote Group had thought of every technical detail, even setting up a control room linking its engineers to experts in Italy in case there was a problem.

But it underestimated the difficulties involved in getting tomatoes, despite signing deals with some 5,000 farmers guaranteeing them to pay more than the market price.

Lacking fertilizers and working with their bare hands, the farmers have been unable to produce the quality and quantity the plant needs to make paste. Much of the last season's output was wiped out by a pest.

The plant has been so far unable to find other supplies despite Nigeria producing some 1.5 million tons of tomatoes annually. A lack of good roads due to decades of corruption means tomatoes would perish on the way. Half of the country's output gets wasted.

Bar a few weeks, the plant has been standing idle, said its frustrated manager said A.L. Kaito, the managing director of Dangote Farms in charge of the plant.

"We are trying to weather out the storm, the cost is horrendous," said Kaito. "It's a nightmare."

Dangote spent some 4 billion naira ($12.74 million) on the plant and now plans to set up its own tomato cultivation scheme for around ten billion naira to cover up to 70 percent of its needs, buying land and tractors. Experts from Israel, Mexico and Spain will be flown in.

PROBLEMS

The tomato plant hopes to restart work in January at just half of its capacity of 1,200 tons a day after the next season, in the meantime costing 5 million naira every month.

People walk past baskets of tomatoes in the Yankaba market in Kano, northwest Nigeria August 23, 2017. REUTERS/Akintunde Akinleye
Dangote has kept workers sitting at home on the payroll: the Italians spent months training them on the new machines.

The investment is paltry for its owner, who is spending billions of dollars on cement plants, sugar and rice schemes across Africa. His cement business alone posted revenues worth in 615 billion naira in 2016.

But for President Muhammadu Buhari the idle plant is a major setback after another tomato factory in Lagos threw in the towel in November 2016, unable to import tomatoes due to a lack of hard currency as Nigeria struggles with recession.

Buhari had, since his election in 2015, made it a priority to end dependency on food under the motto: "We must produce what we eat."

To encourage agriculture investments like the Dangote plant, the government has waived duties for greenhouse and processing equipment.

Slideshow (9 Images)
It is also giving subsidies to rice farmers and is considering expanding the scheme to tomato growers, a senior official in the federal ministry of agriculture said.

Officials had hoped to create jobs in agriculture to fight poverty in the north where some unemployed young men have joined an eight-year insurgency by Boko Haram jihadists.

But experts and farmers say, after decades of corruption holding back road and electricity projects and an obsession with producing oil, it will take time to improve the tomato output.

Low quality seed and a lack of power for pumping water means tomatoes can be grown only during the dry season, which creates a glut in March.

Farmers then lay out their tomatoes alongside highways hoping motorists will buy them. Anything that does not get sold within 24 hours is usually wasted due to a lack of cold storage.




They also ship some to Lagos, the southern megacity 1,000 km (600 miles) south of the factory. A basket of tomatoes sells for 2,000 naira in Lagos, but only around 10 percent of that ends up in farmers' pockets as traders and truckers take their cut.

"We don't have fertilizers and there is no power for cold rooms," said Sani Yadakwari, chairman of the some 10,000 tomato farmers in Kano state. "We need subsidies for our production."

Dangote has been supplying farmers with a Dutch seed which is expected to gradually boost the yield to 50 tons of tomatoes a hectare from 10 to 15 tons now, said Kaito.

But Adamu Sani, an agronomist working for the World Bank, was skeptical production would rise soon as farmers needed to get trained to use the new seeds which had not been tested yet on a large scale in Nigeria.

Dangote calls the plant the biggest in Africa. But the size might be a disadvantage: "The minimum capacity of the Dangote plant is too high for the little volumes you can get from farmers," Sani said.

SAYYID QUTB – THE EVER ONE AMONG THE MUSLIM THINKERS
On 29th of the same month of August, 1966 the great Shaheed Sayyid Qutb Ibrahim was martyred (via execution) by the notorious Egyptian regime of Jamal Abdul Naseer, the then Pharoah of Egypt, on false accusation. On the same date of 29 of this current Month I will, by God's leave write few details on this great personality in my subsequent post. But before then, let us hear what scholars say about this great revivalist personality:
'Sayyid Qutb was an outstanding personality from amongst the great figures of Islamic thought, from the men of contemporary Islamic Awakening....He possessed the true Imaanic stance, a person of Jihad, struggle, sacrifice, and sincerity to the Ummah. He enriched the Islamic heritage with masterpieces of work from literature and thought.'
(Shaykh Ahmed Fareed, In Mawaaqif Imaaniyah )

'I say that there is a chapter in this book (Milestones) which is of great benefit, called '
La ilaha illallah minhaj hayah'......he (Sayyid Qutb) has written some words which I believe are like light from light ilham (inspiration)'. 
(Shaykh Nasiruddeen al-Albani, 'al-I'tidal fee Sayyid Qutb' - Q&A with Shaykh Al-Albani)
'
Sayyid Qutb is....'the most famous personality of the Muslim world in the second half of the 20th century.'       (Robert Irwin, Is this the man that inspired Bin Laden?)


'Sayyid Qutb based his life upon, and what he dedicated his pen for: the Da'wah (call) towards Tawhid (monotheism) of Allah "in ruling and legislating," rejecting the man-made laws, and confronting those who committed that (legislating and ruling by other than Allah's rule).'
(Shaykh Bakr Abu Zaid, Office of the Presidency of Islamic Research and Legal Verdicts)



'Sayyid Qutb (is) among the scholars of the Muslims and among the people of da'wah. Allah has brought benefit by (him) and through (him) He has guided many people.'
(Shaykh Ibn Jibreen, Office of the Presidency of Islamic Research and Legal Verdicts)


'Sayyid Qutb (in) his now-celebrated book, Ma'alim fi'l-tareeq (Milestones)........denounces the existing order in Muslim societies as Jahiliyyahh, provides guidelines for Muslim activists and describes the steps they must take to establish a society based on divine guidance.'
(Zafar Bangash, Institute of Contemporary Islamic Thought)


'....We heard that the death sentence....on Imam Shahid Sayyid Qutb.....had been carried out....Such a great loss. Sayyid Qutb....a man who held fast to his religion, trusting in Allah's victory. Read Milestones to find out why Sayyid (Qutb) was executed.'
(Zainab al-Ghazali,  Return of the Pharaoh)

Hausa is a very simple language to learn. Pursue your dream. The language should not be a barrier, I guess. I can share some good books/materials with you if you want. Share your email address.

Best wishes.
Muhsin

I'm in Love with a man from Kano but I don't want language to be a barrier between us as well as his family members, how do I learn Hausa quickly because I don't want to lose him.

The Government of Kano state has entered a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Dangote Group of Companies and Black Rhino Group to develop a new solarpower facility in Zakirai.

Valued at $150m, the MoU will see the construction of a 100MW facility.

Kano State Government Secretary Alhaji Alhaji was quoted by The Nation as saying: "We need energy to make any progress and development anywhere in the world.

"So we believe this is a right step in the right direction and I wish to also reiterate that the Kano Government is very keen on this project and we are doing everything possible, under the leadership of Governor Abdullahi Ganduje to improve the life and living conditions of the people of Kano."

"Inadequacy of supply of reliable and affordable electricity is one of the critical challenges facing the state's economy."
Dangote Group executive director Mansur Ahmed was quoted by PUNCH as saying: "As we all know, Kano's pre-eminent status as a great entrepôt and centre of commerce in the sub-Saharan region for almost two centuries has sadly declined.

"It is an open secret that the gross inadequacy of supply of reliable and affordable electricity is one of the critical challenges facing the state's economy.

"This project will, on completion, add 100MW to the state's electricity supply and is fully in line with our group's strong commitment to contribute to the re-invigoration of the state's economic potential and overall national development."

Based in Lagos, Dangote Group currently serves various business segments such as real estate and manufacturing.

Gwanki,

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