Daura hosts Durbar to mark World Hausa Day

Thousands of residents and visitors thronged the palace of the Emir of Daura in the ancient city of Daura, Katsina State, on Tuesday to celebrate the 2025 International Hausa Day. The day, which began as a social media movement in 2015, has since grown into a worldwide celebration every August 26, despite not yet being […]

Thousands of residents and visitors thronged the palace of the Emir of Daura in the ancient city of Daura, Katsina State, on Tuesday to celebrate the 2025 International Hausa Day.

The day, which began as a social media movement in 2015, has since grown into a worldwide celebration every August 26, despite not yet being officially recognised by the United Nations. Daura, the hometown of the late former President Muhammadu Buhari, was strategically chosen to host this year’s event due to its historical status as the cradle of the Hausa people and language.

This is the first time the event has received full backing from the state government, specifically through the Katsina State History and Culture Bureau. Participants from 25 countries across Africa, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and the Americas were expected to attend, showcasing Daura to a global audience of millions.

The day-long programme featured a grand Durbar procession from all the Hausa states, showcasing traditional horsemanship and regalia. Other highlights included cultural exhibitions on history, attire, crafts, and cuisine, as well as symposiums by leading scholars on the modern relevance of the Hausa language.

Dignitaries present at the event included the military Governor of Damagaram in the Niger Republic, Massalatchi Muhammad Sani, who represented the Nigerien Prime Minister, Mohammed Lamine Zain. The Sultan of Damagaram, Aboubacar Sanda Oumarou, and a representative of the Katsina State Governor were also in attendance. The Emir of Daura, Alhaji Umar Faruk Umar, served as the chief host. Traditional wrestlers, blacksmiths, dancers from various Hausa states, and native doctors entertained the audience and reflected on ancient Hausa traditions.

The event’s founder, journalist and global advocate Abdulbaki Jari, noted that Hausa Day is celebrated not only in West and Central Africa but also in different parts of the world, including Europe, America, and Asia.

 

Reps to create constitutional roles for traditional rulers

Alhassan Ado Doguwa, a member representing the Tudun Wada/Doguwa federal constituency in the House of Representatives, stated on Tuesday that the House would work to create specific constitutional roles for traditional rulers in the ongoing 1999 constitutional reform.

This comes as the Nigerian constitution currently does not grant a definite role to traditional rulers. Speaking at the 2025 International Hausa Day celebration, the lawmaker said a request to that effect is already before the constitutional reform committee.

Doguwa, who also holds the title of Sardaunan Kasar Hausa Mai Tuta, said, “Considering the crucial role of traditional rulers in the country, as members of the House of Representatives we are already considering that provision. Traditional rulers have been very crucial in ensuring peace, security, and local administration, even before colonial rule. So, we need to provide them with their rightful position in the constitution.”

Doguwa also thanked the organisers of the event, adding that it will further unite Hausa speakers worldwide.

 

Hausa is the 11th most spoken language globally — Abdulbaki Jari, Hausa Day Founder

The founder and advocate of Hausa Day, journalist Abdulbaki Jari, said there are currently over 250 million Hausa speakers worldwide, placing the language as the eleventh most spoken globally. He projected that the language could reach the fifth position by 2050 due to a growing number of speakers in different countries.

Jari, however, noted that the language would only achieve its rightful place in the world if its speakers unite to address common challenges. On the decision to host the 10th anniversary of Hausa Day in Daura, Jari said, “Daura is the cradle of modern Hausa states and is seen as the headquarters of Hausa states. We respect the Daura emirate because of how it protects and preserves Hausa culture.”

“Global research institutes have revealed that Hausa is the 11th most spoken language globally and it continues to grow because of how it keeps swallowing other languages,” he added. “The biggest threat facing the language is the way some native speakers prefer foreign languages to theirs. We will have to show them the importance of what they have and the potentials inherent in it.”

 

Despite growth, Hausa faces threats

Senator Ibrahim Idah, a former federal lawmaker who represented Katsina Central in the Senate, said that despite its growth potential, the Hausa language faces threats of adulteration due to influence from other languages.

“Hausa people must rise up to the challenges facing them because we now see some practices that are alien to our culture,” he said. “We have also observed the dearth of people studying Hausa in Nigerian tertiary institutions. Studying Hausa is beyond learning how to speak with the language; it also involves teaching them about ancient Hausa customs and traditions.”

He charged parents to encourage their children to study the language, emphasizing its international status. According to him, “There are over 50 million Hausa speakers in Northern Nigeria alone. If you add those in Niger Republic, Ghana, Cameroon, Chad, Sudan, and Saudi Arabia, we are talking of over 200 million speakers.”

 

Hausa Day reminds us we’re from the same root as Nigerians — Nigerien PM

The Prime Minister of the Niger Republic, Mohammed Lamine Zain, said that celebrating Hausa Day reminds them that Niger and Nigeria are historically one people.

Represented by the military Governor of Damagaram State, Massalatchi Muhammad Sani, the prime minister also said the day could help settle the diplomatic disputes that arose between the two neighboring countries last year. “We are very happy with this day. That is why in Niger, we even declared Hausa an official language,” he said. “We are one people and celebrations like this will always remind us where we came from. So, we can hold tight to our language. Hausa is now an international language.”

Historically, Hausa states have been classified into what historians popularize as the seven ‘legitimate’ and seven ‘illegitimate’ Hausa states. This classification is based on the Bayajidda myth, an Arab prince said to have migrated from the Middle East and settled in Daura. He married Daurama, the queen ruling Daura, and their children founded the seven ‘legitimate’ states, known as Hausa Bakwai.

They include Biram, Daura, Gobir, Kano, Katsina, Rano, and Zaria (Zazzau). The seven illegitimate or satellite states, also known as Banza Bakwai, were Zamfara, Kebbi, Yauri, Gwari, Nupe, Kwararrafa (Jukun), and Yoruba.

This division stems from the Bayajidda legend, which describes the founding of these states by Bayajidda’s sons. However, the classification has long been questioned by many Hausa scholars and historians for lacking empirical evidence, with some concluding that the Bayajidda myth never occurred.