The Learner

By Muhsin Ibrahim University of Cologne muhsin2008@gmail.com     Once again, Kannywood is being dragged into the limelight for the same reason: moral issues. The story of the murder of husband, Bilyaminu Bello, by his wife, Maryam Sanda, has been trending in the news since it happened on 18 th November 2017. Domestic violence, which, if not tackled, leads to mariticide, is as old as marriage itself. Therefore, using a picture of an actress, Aina’u Ade, wielding a knife against an actor, Ali Nuhu, from a scene of a Kannywood film to show how Maryam got influenced is, at best, wrong and, at worst, absurd. Do we care to look at the context and the consequence of that act in the film? Let me digress a little. I had no intention to write this article for several reasons. However, some friends and acquaintances kept asking me to intervene. Let me clarify to them that being Kannywood an area of my study does not make me their mouthpiece, nor does it make it my responsibility

Muhsin Ibrahim muhsin2008@gmail.com Almost every positive adjective one can think of has, today, been used to refer to Nollywood especially in places outside Nigeria. For those who perhaps don’t know, the film industry is the second biggest after Bollywood in the world; it is, arguably, however, the second largest employer after Agriculture in Nigeria; and is now regarded by many observers as not only a Nigerian film industry but a pan-African cultural phenomenon. Beside all these glories associated with Nollywood, the Northern part of Nigeria has its distinct and distinctive film industry, which is even historically older. Kannywood, as it’s tagged, nevertheless, still struggles for recognition and acceptance within and outside the country. This is, however, due to a number of reasons. The biggest of them all is what I bluntly call “hypocrisy”. Although not the main focus of this piece, this refers to the way and manner many people in the North disown the films and their m

Production :    Sadau Pictures Producer:        Rahama Sadau Director :         Yaseen Auwal Year:              2017 Cast :               Ali Nuhu, Rahama Sadau, Hafsat Idris, Fati Washa, Zainab Booth, Rabi’u Rikadaw, Sadiq Sani Sadiq and others Introduction The mobile phone has, since its introduction and ensuing popularity, been playing double-edged functions in many cases and instances. The ‘conservative’ Hausa community of northern Nigeria is one of such a case. For years, some people, parents, in particular, have refused to let their female children use it, while some husbands have equally denied their wives any access to any Internet-enabled cell phone. It is, however, ironical as most if not all of those ‘deniers’ use the smartphones, yet they frown at, or forbid others from, using it. Their reason is simple: to curb some of the vices committed, often, with the assistance of the phone. To others, it is to prevent their loved ones from taking the course th