The Learner

By Muhsin Ibrahim People have spread false news about General Muhammadu Buhari's death a million times. At one point, many claimed–and several others believed–that he had actually died and was replaced by a body-double called Jibril from Sudan. The real Buhari has today passed on. He was 82. This is yet another reminder to us all that we will leave this world; it is simply a matter of time. Another reminder is that we will only die when our appointed time comes, because many have wished Buhari dead for several years, for several reasons. The man often reappeared looking even more refreshed than before. Not any longer. Buhari's presidency (2015-2023) shattered the image we had of him. If he had not been elected president not once but twice, we might have been mourning the death of our Mandela. Instead, we are mourning the death of just a former president today. They say we shouldn't speak ill of the dead, and that is quite right. We will also die; we would not want the livin...

By Muhsin Ibrahim Decades after gaining independence in 1960, Nigeria remains a complex country in every sense. It is a nation of abundance and poverty, exceptional brilliance and widespread illiteracy, and much more. With a population of over 220 million people of diverse characteristics and backgrounds, Nigerians are found across the globe. Nigeria has the good, the bad and the ugly. Wole Soyinka, the first African Nobel laureate, recently celebrated his 90th birthday. Aliko Dangote, also from Nigeria, has been the wealthiest black man for over a decade. However, Nigeria is also known for having some of the most wanted fraudsters on the FBI list. The country also overtook India as the so-called capital poverty of the world, with 71 million people living in extreme poverty today. Like many countries with petrodollar economies, Nigeria has had to contend with a plethora of socio-political crises occasioned by long years of corruption, social neglect, prebendal politics, political exclu...

By Muhsin Ibrahim My wife and I got an appointment to meet some real estate agents to show us a new apartment we applied to rent. I wanted to practice the little German I could speak to impress them, but it didn’t work. Sensing my disappointment, one of them, apparently well-educated, told me I was lucky I understood a little German. In contrast, he couldn’t speak any Nigerian – referring to a non-existent language he called “Nigerian”. I appreciated him, but reminded him that there was no such language. I have had similar encounters in India, as I wrote   here . Due to Africa’s colonial past and ‘peripheral’ status on the world stage, we effectively learn about other, more prominent countries than their people know about us. For instance, most Africans learn about the European country that colonised their own country. As Nigerians, we learn about Great Britain and the English language and literature in school. English is our official language! We also know a lot about the United...

By Muhsin Ibrahim Due to some reasons, I have not yet finished reading Hadiza Bala Usman's Stepping on Toes : My Odyssey at the Nigerian Ports Authority . However, as I read through, it felt like I wrote parts of the book. While she acknowledges that she is human and bound to err, the internal reforms she brought to the Nigeria n Port s Authority (NPA) are outstanding. What I love the most is how she paid attention to things we in Nigeria consider minor, such as the working condition of electric appliances, toilets, the ambience of the workplace, punctuality, etc. I will mention just three case scenarios. First, she learned that "the air-conditioning system was faulty, and [they] suggested installing a standing split unit in my office, but I refused" (p. 37). She insisted that the whole system has to work, kicking against "the mentality of insulating chief executives from the general situation in a working environment [in Nigeria]. (ibid.)" Excellent! Second, ...

By Muhsin Ibrahim Part One It was 2005 when I applied for admission into Bayero University, Kano (BUK).  In Nigeria, getting admission without knowing someone at the university is pretty hard . My late father was working there as an accountant, but remembering how my immediate older brother couldn’t secure admission a year before despite our father’s efforts, I did not bother to ask for his help. Our eldest brother (Yaya Babba), now late, was nonetheless a student. Knowing he was not an ‘ordinary’ student due to his age, I approached him for assistance. I was lucky Yaya Babba knew Malam Jamilu Ahmad Salim. I cannot say what his position at the University was then, but he could help, Yaya Babba assured me. My only fear was my SSCE result, which was neither WAEC nor NECO, the two conventional entry exams. I had NABTEB and was applying to the Faculty of Education. But on the other hand, my UTME/JAMB result was excellent. Yaya Babba met Malam Jamilu during a Hajj pilgrimage the...

By Muhsin Ibrahim It's only human to prioritise your interests. However, as per my interactions with many fellow Diasporans, many would rather stay and work in Nigeria than in our current host countries. In other words, we want to sacrifice our comfort for the fatherland. In fact, if given a chance, many of us would remain in Nigeria with half of the welfare we get here because, at least, we have more loving family and friends there than we can ever find overseas. People leave Nigeria not only because of the systemic failure the country is known for. We are resilient people who make do with many problems and fewer resources. For example, despite our infamous "infrastructural deficit", our entertainment industry is excelling. This is only one example of our success stories under an adverse atmosphere. Many folks run away from Nigeria because of toxic bosses, colleagues, or both. We complain about "seniority" and "jealousy" at secondary schools, but wors...

  By Muhsin Ibrahim Tunisia has been in a socio-political crisis for the past few years. The North African country was earlier praised as the success story of the famous Arab Spring, while the same failed in Syria, Libya, Yemen, etc. But, the recent development has dented the relative success recorded in the aftermath of the uprising. Tunisian President Kaïs Saïed, a controversial figure, looked for who to blame for his country's troubles. Shockingly, he blames West African migrants. In other words, black people living, legally or otherwise, in his country. It sounds farfetched, but that is what happens. He accuses them of crimes and changing the (racial) demography of the country! Due to racism, many black Africans don't prefer to live in North Africa. A few thousand in that region are mostly descendants of slaves or come from the so-called Francophone West African countries. That "I speak your language" idea drives them there. Others pass through the area o...

By Muhsin Ibrahim Religion was central to Bola Tinubu's emergence as the APC's candidate for the 2023 presidential election. We discussed the issue as if it would not end. Since the 1993 annulled election of Abiola/Kingibe (both Muslims), no major candidate and his running mate have ever come from the same religion until now: Tinubu/Shettima (both Muslims). But, as the election approaches (we are, in fact, counting hours), only a few people talk about that. However, religion will play a significant role in the voting pattern. The wild popularity of Labour Party’s Peter Obi on social media and his appeal to foreign media has something to do with his religion. I know this may sound controversial, but it is so. The three other front candidates are Muslims, while Obi is a Christian. Besides this, I can't see a glaring difference between him and NNPP’s Engr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso per se. Tinubu and PDP’s Atiku Abubakar are in their 70s, while Kwankwaso and Obi are in their 60s. T...

I initially posted this on Facebook. I believe it should be here for other people outside Facebook. Enjoy! We must address this weak argument that no country develops using a foreign language. Frankly, it is doing more harm than good to us. So many people bring it up as their reason to not learn English or respect this essential language entirely. Eventually, many people miss several opportunities within and, especially, outside Nigeria due to their lack of English language skills. Nigeria was colonised. Like many other former colonies, Nigeria is a multilingual country. However, unlike Europe (Germans speak German; French people speak French; Italians have Italian, etc.), most former colonies comprise speakers of several languages, making it challenging to elevate one above others without others crying for discrimination, marginalisation, etc. I know that Tanzania, among a few others, succeeds with Swahili. :)   The last time I checked, India had more English speakers than the Uni...

  Will Nigeria break up? By Muhsin Ibrahim Yes, Nigeria will someday break up. It may not be in our lifetime, but that is very likely to happen. It's a matter of time before the bomb explodes. Our disunity is more deeply entrenched than many people imagine. No country can progress while its people harbour hatred of this magnitude towards one another. The only way to avoid the above is to launch a massive yet well-crafted societal reorientation programme nationwide. Nigerians of all walks of life need reeducation on patriotism. We need to place our Nigerian identity above and beyond any other ethnic profile. We need to see and regard our neighbours as humans as we are. As things stand, our future is doomed. Call me a pessimist, alarmist or anything you want. Unfortunately, it's our sad reality. Look around you. Every accident and incident is viewed via an ethno-religious and regional prism. It's also treated as such. Why, for God's sake? Many of our so-called leaders and...

  Muhammad Muhsin Ibrahim muhsin2008@gmail.com   [Appeared in Onumah, C. (Ed.) (2020). Remaking Nigeria: Sixty Years, Sixty Voices.  Abuja: Premium Times Book. Pp. 340-345] Recently, headlines and social media hashtags featured Nigerians in negative light. In both the USA and UAE, some Nigerians involved in online fraud were arrested. At the same time at home, Boko Haram resurfaced in Borno, in the Northeast, and expanded their operational theatre to neighbouring countries in the Lake Chad Basin. This further dented the image of the country. Add to this, the ubiquitous “Nigerian Prince”, the ever-present title in many email scams that have been traced to different countries in West Africa.   Unfortunately, after 60 years of independence, this is not a good time for the Nigerian identity, especially overseas. By default, we are suspects of potential online scam, terrorism, among other related crimes. It is not surprising, therefore, that some Nigerians out...

By Amina Haruna and Muhsin Ibrahim Sexual violence and rape occur worldwide. Some rape incidents defy any logic, while others may be associated with sadism, paedophilia, other types of paraphilia (i.e. sexual disorders). Consequently, throughout history, people weaponize sex. Women, including underage, are mostly the victims. Soldiers raped numerous women during and in the aftermath of World War II. Years later, more soldiers and militias raped women in the Yugoslav Wars of the early 1990s. Most recently, in 2015, French peacekeepers were charged for sexually abusing children in the Central African Republic in exchange for food and money. The stories are similar during several civil wars in other parts of Africa and beyond. Rape happens in peacetime, too. Now and again, news of rape springs up in countries, particularly India. In a widely watched documentary, in 2013, the BBC World Services described India as the most dangerous place to be a woman. While there are rape cases in Nig...

Director :          Abubakar S. Shehu Producer :        Auwalu Sani Story:                Yakubu M. Kumo Language :       Hausa Year :                2018 Company :       3SP International Limited Cast:                Sadiq S. Sadiq, Al-Amin Buhari, Abubakar S. Shehu, Hafsat Idris, etc. Once again, a major Kannywood production attempts to avoid the clichés of forced marriage, a love triangle, intrusive music and dance routine, etc. in its storytelling. It, equally, tries to go back to the root to, of course, glorify the “good old days”. Above all, it proselytises Islam. Would the critics and the nativists alike ask for more? Titled Risala , an Arabic word meaning “message”, the Abubakar S. Shehu’s film is completel...

By Muhsin Ibrahim   muhsin2008@gmail.com The abducted Dapchi schoolgirls were released and brought back to the beleaguered village of Yobe state, Nigeria in the early hours of Wednesday, 21 st March 2018. As reports indicate, the Nigeria Army paused operation in and around the village to allow a peaceful passage for Boko Haram fighters in charge of returning the girls. They came, preached for about 20 minutes to the would-be freed girls, embarked their trucks and left. The village soon erupted in celebration with women ululating, men smiling, girls dancing, youth shouting and so on. It’s Eid. In the midst of all this, however, an unsettling picture and later a video clip emerged wherein some townspeople hailed the militants as they departed. It is not all hanky-dowry after all. Five of the girls died. They gave up the ghost, according to one of the freed girls, as a result of a stampede when they were whisked away by their abductors in overcrowded trucks. The girl ...

By Muhsin Ibrahim muhsin2008@gmail.com The article was written for and published by the BBC Hausa service. This is a link to a slightly different version, translated in Hausa, on their website: Fina-finan Kannywood 12 da suka shahara a 2017 . Despite several mounting challenges the Kannywood film industry faces, the chief of which is piracy, many films were produced in the outgoing year of 2017. These include, as one can guess, the very good, the good, the bad and the ugly. The year is not over yet, we, for that reason, expect the release of more films such as Juyin Sarauta, Sabon Dan Tijara , Dan Sarkin Agadaz , Mu Zuba Mu Gani , Dan Kuka a Birni, among others. Therefore, the following list is by no means exhaustive. There can be one, two or more deserving to be included in this category before the end of the year. Again, the list is not in any chronological order. There’s a Way It’s arguably the first Kannywood film in ‘Standard’ English. Produced by Kabiru...

Muhsin Ibrahim muhsin2008@gmail.com The word “culture” defies any simple definition, though attempts to do that have been made and continue to be. In response to a post I made on Facebook the other day, a friend commented that “ Hausa culture has nearly eroded to extinction ”, for, according to him, when one asks many young Hausa (men and women) about their culture, they will tell you, “Islam is my culture”.  Weak, if not erroneous, as I believe this view is, it makes me happy for several reasons. Culture, religion and, to an extent, language are carriers of a lot of value. The most valuable of them all is, to me, religion. Therefore, I would prefer a Hausa girl or boy to identify herself/himself first with Islam than with the culture as the culture is not as perfect as the religion is. However, neither the culture nor the religion means anything significant to countless Muslim girls and boys in this 21 st century. This is one of the reasons why I find his argum...

Muhsin Ibrahim @muhsin234 Starting with an apology to the 19th-century great novelist, Charles Dickens, as the title of this piece was inspired by the title of his 1859’s historical novel; the contexts of the two texts cannot, however, be related. The article chronicles my short stays at Mumbai, India, and Lagos in Nigeria, while making a kind of comparison between the two, and then with my birthplace, Kano. This was motivated by the striking parallels I have discovered between the two cities. For instance, both are the commercial capitals of their country; both neighboured seas; both are like convergent points of different ethnic groups; both headquartered one of the world’s leading film industries; both are lands of opportunities; both are populated by the posh and the poor people; etc. This is a continuation of my Facebook status update while still in Lagos a couple of days ago. In reaction to the said status update, some people said that I have not seen anything yet in...

Muhsin Ibrahim muhsin2008@gmail.com Facebook, or any other social media, is no longer what it used to be: a mere, innocuous social networking site for friending, chatting, sharing pictures and the like. It is, today, a life shaping platform. This and a whole host of other reasons, therefore, call for parents, guardians and all to be (more) wary of how, and of course who, his/her children, wards, younger siblings, etc interact with. I will give three (3) examples. First , the Intern et, in general, is a harbour for amassed pornographic contents. Recently, the Indian government banned viewing of porn contents in their country. But due to pressure and protests, they had to lift the ban. These days, there are many pages for that on Facebook, chat groups on WhatsApp, etc. The kids can be smart but not really smarter. Devise your ways to curtail this via best possible means. While the first danger could easily be detected, the second one is eerily, barely detectable. This is...

The Dilemma of a Plucky Philosopher-Wannabe Muhsin Ibrahim muhsin2008@gmail.com The world has never been short of the irresolvable arguments of and on philosophy as a field of study. While many people cherish the beast, many more others hate it like they abhor their death. The social media, especially Facebook, has become a platform where raging rows often break out on the relevance or otherwise of studying Philosophy. This argument is nothing that new, unexpected or shocking, at least to me, in this 21 st century. What is astonishing is the way some Muslim brothers and sisters perceive the whole drama, treated by others, while many are left baffled and muted. However, scholars should speak out because not doing so leads many ignorant Muslim youths to reject the religion. This postmodern world is full of challenges posed by the (Western) media peddling post-truths, depicting Muslims as the embodiment of everything evil, Islam in acrimonious light and so on and so forth. ...

Muhsin Ibrahim @muhsin234 ‘Personal’ In accordance with a pseudoscience called Astrology practiced and believed by many people, I should consider June 1 as a lucky day in my life. I don’t. I won’t. I don’t believe in superstition. But no doubt, the day stands unique in my life for at least two life-shaping, life-changing events: both my dream job and my dearest wife came to my life on this day in 2012 and 2013, respectively. Thus, I think the day, annually, deserves a particular remembrance and commemoration, even though in, strictly speaking, a non-ritualistic style. That is why I write to, among other things, thank the Almighty Allah. I generally have a lot to thank Him for, not only these days. Alhamdulillah . This year is unforgettable, though quite tough. I and my wife returned to Nigeria from India after a two-year postgraduate study on June 24, 2015, less than a month into the new government of President Muhammadu Buhari (PMB).  We couldn’t believe what we me...