Hausa Films

By Aliyu Abubakar

Kannywood actors Ali Jita and Ali Nuhu recently took to the stage at Success Hall in London on Saturday, April 22, 2023, showcasing the talent and artistry of Northern Nigerian culture for the first time as part of the 2023 Eid celebration party. Their performance not only highlighted the cultural richness and diversity of the Hausa and Arewa people but also demonstrated Kannywood’s growing reach and influence beyond Nigeria’s borders.

As Ali Jita and Ali Nuhu performed in London, their fans watched in awe as they seamlessly blended music and dance to showcase the beauty of Hausa and Arewa culture. The audience was treated to a stunning performance that celebrated the talent and creativity of the actors and showcased the unique heritage of Northern Nigeria.

For those who may not be familiar with Kannywood, the film industry produces movies in the Hausa language in Northern Nigeria. It has been gaining popularity recently, with a growing following among Nigerians and beyond. The success of Ali Jita and Ali Nuhu’s performance in London is a testament to Kannywood’s increasingly global reach and influence.

This achievement is a proud moment for the actors, their fans, and the entire Kannywood industry. Moreover, it marks a significant milestone in the growth and development of Northern Nigerian culture, highlighting the resilience and creativity of its people.

Ali Jita and Ali Nuhu’s performance in London was significant for the Kannywood industry and the Hausa and Arewa communities in the diaspora. For many Northern Nigerians living outside their homeland, the performance reminded them of their culture and heritage, bringing a sense of pride and joy to their hearts. In addition, the event provided an opportunity for the diaspora community to come together, celebrate their traditions, and connect with their roots.

The success of Ali Jita and Ali Nuhu’s performance in London also reflects the power of culture in fostering cross-cultural understanding and promoting unity. The event brought together people from different backgrounds and cultures, providing a platform to showcase the beauty and diversity of Northern Nigerian culture. It also helped to break down stereotypes and promote a deeper appreciation of the vibrant cultures that exist in Nigeria and Africa as a whole. As Kannywood continues to grow and gain global recognition, it has the potential to serve as a bridge between different cultures, promoting understanding and fostering unity.

In conclusion, Ali Jita and Ali Nuhu’s triumphant performance at Success Hall in London as part of the 2023 Eid celebration party is a significant milestone for the Kannywood industry and a proud moment for the Hausa and Arewa people. It celebrates the beauty and richness of Northern Nigerian culture and showcases the talent and creativity of the region’s actors and filmmakers. Furthermore, the event has helped promote cross-cultural understanding and foster unity, highlighting Kannywood’s potential to serve as a bridge between different cultures. As the industry grows, we can look forward to more exceptional performances from Northern Nigeria’s talented actors and filmmakers.

Aliyu Abubakar is the MD. Rbm e-Tech and Digital Services, Hadejia, Jigawa State. He can be reached via aliuabubakar852@gmail.com.

By Salim Toro

Yesterday, after meeting with Usman Toro, I returned home immediately to have dinner before retiring to bed. My siblings were watching a Hausa web series, Manyan Mata. So, while having dinner, I caught half of the episode they were watching. I found it captivating and worth watching.

I later learned it’s a new Hausa web series that premieres on YouTube and airs on Arewa24 every Saturday at 9 pm. The series is produced and directed by Ahmad Amart and Sadiq N Mafia, respectively. It brings all the leading Kannywood actors and actresses, such as Ali Nuhu, Adam A Zango, Sadiq Sani Sadiq, Hadiza Gabon, Fati Washa, Saratu Gidado, Momee Gombe and much more.

The storyline of the series is fascinating, entertaining, and educational as well. It highlights and depicts most of the trendy issues in our society (Arewa), such as marital and parental responsibility, girl child education and Almajiranci.

While I find the series riveting and worth watching, I recommend it to everyone here. Rest assured that you will benefit from it in one way or another. Happy watching!

Salim Toro sent this via salimabdulhamid0909@gmail.com.

By Mahmud A. Zukogi

This much-awaited, much-talked-about and star-studded film series, which incidentally will hit your screens today, Saturday, February 11, 2023, at nine o’clock this evening on Arewa 24, was premiered on February 4 at the Film House, Ado Bayero Mall, Kano.

The event, which was graced by the invited guests and Kannywood’s veteran, reigning and emerging stars, was full of the usual fanfare, excitement and expectations associated with the premiere of any new film. The red carpet was lit with beautiful lighting and stars, and guests took turns to pose to the beauty and demand of the evening.

The industry is gradually exploiting the opportunities that film serialisation provides, no thanks to the exciting marketing platform made available by the leading entertainment television, Arewa 24. It is to the eternal credit of the television that such films as Dadin Kowa, Gidan Badamasi, Labarina, Kwana Casa’in, Gidan Danger, etc., have become popular and a must-watch by the teeming audience of the industry. It is obvious, therefore, that the art of film serialisation has gained currency in the industry, and Manyan Mata is coming to compete for space and attention. How it is able to do this will depend largely on the techniques and the staying power of the crew, especially the producer and the director.

Manyan Mata is produced and directed by two of the industry’s iconic duo, Abdul Amart (Maikwashewa) and Sadiq Mafia. What the film brings to the table can be summarised into three: innovation, diversity and topicality of motif. Abnur Entertainment is known in the industry for innovations that have opened a window of opportunities to the core stakeholders, from the producer down to the end of the ladder in the entertainment chain.

The film is highly diverse because of the array of stars it could gather under one roof. As far as the Kannywood industry is concerned, it takes great power, confidence and directing abilities to handle these stars, each with his/her ideals and idiosyncrasies. Thus, if any outstanding star is left out of the film, it could be a result of unavoidable oversight or a logistical glitch. But getting Ali Nuhu and Adam Zango, the northern and the southern poles of the industry, in one set is no doubt speaks of the commendable effort of the producers. Talk of the leading female stars of the industry; name them, and they are all there.

What, then, are the central motifs of the film and which has made it outstanding and a must-watch? The Almajirci question, the girl-child abuse/prostitution and the male overload of the women under the guise of marriage have been juxtaposed to educate, entertain and, most of all, draw public empathy to the raging social issues putting us down as a people.

The premiere opens with electrifying scenes of these social motifs, and this drew great excitement from the audience, who expressed individual understanding and appreciation of the representations in the film and its many expectations.

Veterans of the industry were well represented, ranging from Kabiru Maikaba, Shehu Hassan Kano, Hajiya Saratu Gidado Daso and the like. No less represented were the leading directors in the industry who came to support one of their own. There were expressions of appreciation and critique of the film, which was well received by the directing crew.

Overall, the premiere evening was full of life, excitement, and encomiums for the head of Abnur Entertainment, Abdul Amart, for his creativity and vision.

The greatest oversight is the industry’s inability to tap into the opportunities provided by the university which is next door. As far as the industry is concerned, there has not been a concerted effort to establish the needed relationship between and gown, a beneficial relationship that would help to grow the industry and take it to a whole new level of growth and worldwide visibility.

Strong institutional linkage is desperately needed to grow the art and economy of this under-tapped multibillion-dollar industry. I’m aware that scholars such as the respected Professor have invested so much energy in intellectual research that would have propelled the industry to the worldwide heights it ought to be. Same for Professor Yusuf Adamu, Ibrahim Malumfashi and, lately, Dr Muhsin Ibrahim, who has published widely and recently completed his PhD on a topic related to the industry at the University of Cologne.

Yours sincerely and his colleagues were only there in their individual capacity and not on institutional representation, which shouldn’t be the case.

It is thus necessary and about time that this costly oversight is remedied. The industry needs to open up and embrace change, and the best way to do this is to key into the opportunities they stand to gain by establishing a solid relationship with the university to improve its art and human capacity. I also believe this should be a two-way process, so the university should take the industry into confidence and dispel its image of unapproachability.

Mahmud Zukogi can be reached via mabuzukogi78@gmail.com.

By Habibu Ma’aruf

The year 2022 has not been great for the Kannywood film industry. There was a substantial decline in feature film production as the popularity of series films soared, piquing the interest of more producers. Cinematic releases were at a premium throughout the year, with just nine films, making it a ratio of less than one release a month. The situation was so severe that no major production was shown at cinemas, even during the Eid ul-Fitr festivities.

However, while some of the few releases fell flat on their faces, others have managed to make it in the trying year. Find below the top 5 Kannywood films of 2022. Please note that only feature films were considered for this list.

1. Aisha

Directed by Hafizu Bello, the movie, Aisha, is critically and commercially successful. It beats Kayi Nayi (Dir, Gumzak 2021) to become Kannywood’s biggest grosser by earning over ₦5.5 million during its elongated run in two cinemas. This is not surprising as it’s a production of ‘the box-office king’ Abubakar Bashir Mai-Shadda. The story revolves around the eponymous character, Aisha (played by Amal Umar), who dies after being raped, and her parents’ struggle for justice. The plot is uncommonly twisted but perfectly pieced together. The film has a strong message and a realistic narrative. It exposes the grim reality in some higher institutions where students commit serious misconduct. It stars Amal Umar, Nura Hussaini, Adam A. Zango, Sani Danja, and Shamsu Dan Iya, among others.

2. Lamba

Before the premiere of this Ali Gumzak-directed comedy, there had already been an overwhelming craze for its title song. This has helped the film to rake in ₦1.32 million on the first day, beating the previous record first-day collection of ₦1.25 million by Fanan (Dir. Alolo 2021). Produced by Abubakar Bashir Maishadda, Lamba is a social satire set against the backdrop of ‘Audio money’ (a slang term for the fake display of wealth). It tells how some three young men (Adam A. Zango, Umar M. Sharif and Ado Gwanja) flaunt false riches to impress the classy girls they meet on social media. The unveiling of their true identity is later shown in brilliantly executed, hilarious scenes that get the audience laughing throughout.  The film lacks an innovative script, but it’s an excellent comedy that succeeded in tickling the funny bone. Other casts include Aminu Sharif (Momo), Maryam Booth, Maryam Yahaya, Bilkisu Abdullahi, Aisha Najamu, etc.

3. Nadeeya

Although the eponymous movie Nadeeya wasn’t initially meant for cinematic release, it still managed to get a large audience while showing on the big screen. The film is an issue-based drama about ‘upbringing’. It depicts how some parents spoil their kids, specifically daughters, and the practical difficulties such children face in life. The story focuses on a pampered daughter, Nadeeya (acted by Rahama Sadau), who faces similar challenges after marriage. The film is hard-hitting and very meaningful. It shows that children’s first learning begins at home, and their personalities and morals depend largely on their upbringing. The actor’s performance is also impressive.  It was produced by the leading actress Rahama Sadau and directed by Yaseen Auwal. Other casts include Umar M. Shareef, Rabi’u Rikadawa, Asma’u Sani, etc.

4. Hikima

This movie is a murder mystery specially made with a considerable budget to meet the requirements for showing on Netflix. It’s, however, yet to show on the online viewing platform. The film, which premiered in cinemas in late 2021, was released to the wider public in 2022. It tells the story of a philogynist lecturer, Sadiq (Nasir Naba). It begins from a court session with Sadiq being accused of murdering his female student. The film is richly suspenseful, but many audiences criticise it for having a convoluted plot. Moreover, the cinematography and actor’s performance, among others, place it ahead of its peers this year. Hafizu Bello directed it, while Mustapha Ahmad (Alhaji Sheshe) was the producer. It stars Nasir Naba, Ishaq Sidi Ishaq, Sarah Aloysius, Sani Mu’azu, Maryam Yahaya, etc.

5. A Bikin Suna

A Bikin Suna tells the story of Mustapha (Ali Nuhu) and his wife Ummulkhairi (Mommy Gombe). They have been married for five years without giving birth to a single child. This fact makes Mustapha’s relatives accuse Ummulkhairi of infertility. She becomes pregnant afterwards, and everyone begins to like her. However, a new conflict erupts when the young baby gets missing during the naming ceremony. The film is generally enjoyable. It’s directed by Yasin Auwal and produced by Danjuma Salisu. Other casts include Saratu Daso, Musa Mai-Sana’a, Maryam Yahaya, Shamsu Dan Iya, Rahama MK, etc.

Habibu Ma’aruf Abdu wrote from Kano. He can be reached via habibumaaruf11@gmail.com.

By Habibu Maaruf Abdu  and Muhsin Ibrahim

It’s well known that series movies have recently dominated the Kannywood film business. As a result, some major producers in the industry have already abandoned features for the production of TV series. As the trend develops, the famous producer Abubakar Bashir Maishadda gets on board with the big TV drama Dan Jarida [The Journalist].

The hyped Maishadda debut series, directed by Hafizu Bello, is a thought-provoking thriller mainly about journalism. It is notable for featuring an ensemble of reigning stars in a never-before-seen avatar. A Duniya famed Daddy Hikima, who consistently portrays a villain, is playing a positive leading role in the latest series for the first time.

Launched on Sunday, 25 December 2022, the show will continue to be aired weekly on Arewa24 TV and Maishadda Global Resources YouTube channels. The first episode exposes a tiny part of the story arc. It begins with some crooks chasing a reporter Fauziyya (acted by Amal Umar), who videotapes them while killing and burning someone. They eventually catch and mutilate her to death. Everything keeps revolving around this conflict until the episode’s end…

The first episode is an auspicious start to what promises to be an exciting crime-thriller. It gathers momentum right in the few reels, taking viewers to the background of its major characters. They are; a criminal mastermind Madugu (Sha’aibu Kumurci), who disguised as a philanthropic politician, and Sadiq (Daddy Hikima), Fauziyya’s boss and a media company manager with dogged determination and integrity.

The drama is a delight to watch, at least by how it goes so far. It also promises to be more so when the rest cast of Lawan Ahmad, Tijjani Asase, and Isah Ferozkhan (Presido), among others, enter the next episodes. The camera work particularly captures the intense nature of the film, and the background score gives it full support in generating the desired tone.

Besides depicting the exhaustion, uneasiness and risks associated with journalism, Dan Jarida drama reminds journalists about the importance of doing their job right. It is also a great attempt to provide real insight into the causes of various crimes that are ubiquitous in our society today.

Beyond the positive aspects mentioned above, smoke, as used in the series to create cinematic depth, could be enhanced. For instance, there is little or no need for a smoke when Magudu and his henchmen capture Fauziyya. One may assume it is the exhaust of their cars, which cannot be. In other instances, the smoke is too thick, and its colour looks unnatural.

Finally, while recommending the new series to all and sundry, particularly the Kannywood audience interested in journalism and politics, we appeal to the makers to refrain from exploiting the promising story for commercial purposes. Moreover, they should refrain from extending it beyond reasonable length as producers of some contemporary YouTube series do.

By Habibu Maaruf Abdu

The Arewa Film Makers Association of Nigeria (AFMAN) Kano chapter has elected new executives to pilot its affairs for the next two years.

The ten-member exco were elected unopposed in an uncontested election held on Saturday, December 3, 2022, at the Social Welfare Centre, Court Road, Kano.

Captain Musa Gambo emerged as the union’s new chairman, succeeding Jamilu Yakasai who had been holding the position since 2019.

Other members of the new exco include:

Mansurah Isah – Vice chairperson

Mustapha Anwar – Secretary

Abubakar Adamu G. Boy – Treasurer

Hassan Maiwada – Financial secretary

Zaharaddeen Muhammad – Press secretary 1

Abubakar Alaramma – Press secretary 2

Ali Worth Me – PRO 1

Rahama M.K. – PRO 2

Maimuna Muhammad (Wata Yarinya) – Welfare officer

By Muhammadu Sabiu

The All Progressives Congress, APC Campaign Council’s Director-General, Governor Simon Lalong, has approved select Kannywood members to join the council ahead of the 2023 presidential election.

Lalong made the comment in a statement published in Jos, the state capital, signed by his spokesperson, Dr Makut Macham.

The inclusion of film practitioners, according to the director general of the APC’s presidential campaign, was done to increase the involvement of artists from the northern region in the campaigns.

According to Lalong, Bola Tinubu, the APC presidential candidate, recently visited Kano and spoke with group members, which led to the approval.

He added that the APC presidential candidate had pledged to give Kannywood members a chance to participate in the campaigns, showcasing their skills while also aiding the party in winning the upcoming general elections.

The Kannywood group has Abdul Amart as Director, Ismail Afakallah as Deputy Director and Sani Mu’azu as Secretary, with other leaders heading different divisions.

By Habibu Maaruf Abdu

The maiden edition of the Kano International Film Festival was held from 28th to 30th September 2022 in Kano, the iconic epicentre of Northern Nigeria’s Kannywood film industry. The festival, organised by Classical Film Modern Academy, is billed to hold annually to promote the film industry and build its personnel’s capacity. The Kannywood filmmakers have fully participated in the festival, which came a few months after their collective boycott against a similar event, the Zuma International Film Festival (ZUFF 2022).

Themed ‘Content Connectivity’, the festival received over 50 films from 15 countries. Among its 20 official selections are Harsh Living (UK), Wade in the water (US), The Irish Barn Dance (Ireland), Cemetery Hunt (Brazil), Everything collapses (Italy), I am a chance (Belgium), and Love trap (Cameroon).It also featured paper presentations, panel discussions, a masterclass, a film screening, and Award Ceremony.

The three-day occasion kicked off on Wednesday, 28th September 2022, with paper presentations and round table discussions at the Grand Central Hotel in Kano city. The first paper on  ‘Film regulation’  was presented by the zonal director of the National Film Censorship Board, Mr Umar Fagge. It was followed by papers on  ‘VFX technology’ and  ‘English subtitle’ by Mal. Inuwa Tofa and Kabiru Musa Jammaje, respectively.

The second day of the festival saw its founder, Captain Musa Gambo, leading a masterclass at the Classical Film Modern Academy in the morning before the event later moved to Platinum Cinema to screen the Kannywood films nominated for awards in different categories. The films include Murjani (Dir. Sadiq N. Mafia, 2018), Sadauki (Dir. Hassan Giggs, 2019), Bana Bakwai (Dir. Ali Nuhu, 2020), Tsakaninmu and Sarki Goma Zamani Goma (both Dir. by Ali Nuhu in 2021), and more.

The historic film festival ended Friday, 30th September 2022, with an award ceremony at the Grand Central Hotel. The award event, hosted by Jamilu Yakasai, recorded a massive turnout of actors, directors, and producers, alongside dignitaries such as the SSA to the Kano state Governor on Kannywood affairs, Mal. Khalid Musa, and the industry’s pioneer trade analyst, Mr Usman Jibril (Solo). However, superstars like Ali Nuhu, Adam Zango, and Maryam Yahaya, who are also part of the award winners, were absent from the ceremony.

On the other hand, Kannywood’s highly respected elder, Alhaji Ibrahim Mandawari, whose name was alleged to be unjustly removed from the recipients of the ‘Life Time Achievement Award’ in this year’s edition of the Zuma Film Festival, has received the same ‘Life Time Achievement Award’ at the event.

Below is the complete list of winners:

Best Actor: Adam a Zango for Sadauki

Best Actress: Maryam Yahaya for Sarki Goma Zamani Goma

Best Supporting Actor: Alhassan Kwalle for Sadauki

Best Supporting Actress: Aisha Najamu for Sarki Goma Zamani Goma

Best Director: Ali Nuhu for Sarki Goma Zamani Goma

Life Time Achievement Award: Ibrahim Mandawari

Best Film: Sarki Goma Zamani Goma (Abubakar Bashir Mai-Shadda)

Best Series: Izzar So (Lawan Ahmad)

Best Screenplay: Yakubu M. Kumo for Sarki Goma Zamani Goma

Best Cinematograhy: Murtala Balala for Sarki Goma Zamani Goma

Best Production Design: Mairo Abdullahi for Sadauki

Best lighting: Usman Usee for Sarki Goma Zamani Goma

Best Sound: Shamsu Glo/Sani Candy for Sarki Goma Zamani Goma

Best Editor: Mailafiya Abdullahi

By Prof. Abdalla Uba Adamu

Being a keynote at the Kannywood Foundation film training workshop, on 2nd October 2022, Kano

Opportunities of Digital Technology

By 2012 the Hausa film industry has entered into the doldrums I have just described. There was a lot of head-scratching about the next moves. In the meantime, many individuals had formed YouTube channels and were uploading Hausa films with or without the knowledge and consent of the producers. Most of the films were old and were subscribed by internet newbies who had just acquired Smartphones and taking advantage of the cut-throat competition among Nigeria’s main service provers (MTN, 9Mobile, Airtel, Glo) were buying data and watching films on their phones. The DVD and CD players faded away, and although kids were still selling what were clearly outdated CDs at traffic junctions in the city of Kano, the process of watching free films on YouTube made the CD market non-viable. Then Arewa24 came along.

An initiative of the US Government, Arewa24 was part of the anti-terror and anti-radicalization program of the US State Department’s Bureau of Counterterrorism. The task was contracted to Equal Access International (EAI), which eventually established Arewa24, the first Hausa language satellite station rooted in peacebuilding and entertainment, in 2013. One of the ways the station revolutionized Hausa cinema – and thus succeeded beyond its expectations was the introduction of TV shows, hitherto a neglected entertainment segment in Hausa cinema. Broken into seasons and episodes, the first TV show on Arewa24 was Daɗin Kowa, a weekly drama about a melting pot city somewhere in the north of Nigeria containing a diversity of ethnicities, religions, languages and social classes. Of course, there are actual Daɗin Kowa settlements in Gombe and Kaduna State, but that did not deter the Series filmmakers. It was massively successful on multiple fronts.

First, it deconstructed the then-current Hausa cinema based on Hindi cinema with a lot of choreographed singing and dancing as well as romantic storylines, which was tiring to Hausa audiences. Second, it reconstructs Hausa TV shows of the 1970s, so beloved by cultural purists of Hausa storytelling. Third, as VOD (video on demand), Arewa24’s Daɗin Kowa blazed a new digital trail in film marketing for Hausa filmmakers. Being heavily subsidized, the producers can afford to load the entire series on an easily available platform of YouTube.

Yet, the second TV show on Arewa24, interestingly, was by an independent studio, Saira Movies, and the series was Labarina, made a year before Arewa24 took off in 2015. The novelty of Labarina as a series had a massive impact on online viewing of Hausa communities. Armed with Smartphones and cheap data from competing ISPs, millions tuned to Arewa24 to watch the series and later download it when it shifted to YouTube. It was the success of Labarina as a TV show that provided a backstory to the audience receptivity of Daɗin Kowa.

YouTube is an American online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched in 2005 and has become the main avenue for African cinema distribution. It is important to emphasize its American roots and origins to draw attention to the fact that the censorship regulations in any country do not apply to it. The Google-owned video service is also a major tool for self-distribution, as illustrated by the proliferation of web series in local languages in countries such as Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Senegal and Nigeria.

Kano filmmakers were quick to jump on the TV show bandwagon by cloning the success of Daɗin Kowa as a series broken up into episodes. Not only are the story arcs captivating, but they also provide a deeper script philosophy that is often critical analysis of the anthropology of contemporary Hausa societies. Although coming earlier than Labarina, Daɗin Kowa was more successful than Labarina, which was based on basically Bollywood soap operas. Daɗin Kowa was an authentic reflection of the contemporary realities of Hausa communities.

Other YouTube channels quickly followed. Table 1 shows a few of the channels and their overall viewership.

Bakori TV, which hosts Izzar So, has the highest number of channel views followed by Arewa24, then Saira Movies and Zinariya. These metrics, as indicated, reflect the overall channel views rather than the series – but provide an idea of the popularity of the series hosted by the channels.

Izzar So is a very popular TV show, judging by the audience metrics of each episode. Yet it was hard to determine its overall playlist metrics on YouTube. This was because the channel is so poorly organized that it does not even shift its individual episodes into an effective Playlist grouping. The channel has only two Izzar So playlists; Season 1 with 13 videos and Season 2 with 3. This, of course, is inaccurate since in the main listing of videos, the Channel listed episode 100 in the series at the end of September 2022, although it is unclear which season it was. The average views for the latter episodes are slightly over one million. Even their Facebook page does not promote the series in the light of providing information about the series, the stars or the stories.

Similarly, while Aduniya has a playlist, it only listed 33 videos in the list, whereas the list of videos with the episodes has the latest episode being number 73 with over half-million views. Labarina did not fare much better, with three playlists listing less than 30 episodes, when Season 5 EP1 was released in late September 2022.

While most of the TV shows streaming on either Hausa VOD or YouTube are romantic soap operas, Aduniya stood out because of its focus on the gritty urban life of a Kano city – exposing what I call ‘corruption from below’. It competes only with Daɗin Kowa but surpasses it in its presentation of the harsh, tough and ruthless social culture that operates below the radar of public spaces.

It is clear, therefore, that Hausa filmmakers are gradually favouring the TV show format, but their lack of digital skills to effectively present the contents limits their appeal. Further, with millions of views, the TV show filmmakers have not been able to provide adequate information on either the series or the synopsis of the episodes anywhere on a dedicated website (for which there is none, except Arewa24) or even Wikipedia entry.

Besides the challenges of poor digital marketing skills of the TV shows, filmmakers in Kano also faced the problems of censorship from the Kano State Censorship Board. In a bizarre revenue-driven focus, the Kano State Censorship Board demands that TV show series must be submitted to it for censoring before being uploaded to YouTube. Yet the servers are not based in Kano nor under Nigerian government control, so it is difficult to see how the Board will have authority over the contents on a server located in California.

Towards a Cultural Film Policy

The key objectives of film policy are to promote new artists, create new jobs, increase investments in film production, attract foreign producers and enhance the outward-looking character of Hausa cinema. So far, the only film policy available in the country is the policy of regulation from both the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) for the nation and the Kano State Censorship Board for Kano State.

The regulatory focus of these bodies was to ensure cultural specificity in film production in whatever language it is produced. The usual focus was on avoidance of foul language, nudity, and reproducible behaviour, especially for impressionable viewers and religious sensitivity. It would appear, therefore, that any policy would have to revolve around the cultural and religious frameworks of the audiences.

This issue had been a sore point with Hausa filmmakers right from the halcyon days of the industry from 1998 till its eclipse in 2007. Market-driven Hausa filmmakers are focused on commercial rather than an artistic success. Arthouse films like Kazar Sayan Baki, and Ibtila’i, did not sell because they had no commercial motifs of singing and dancing. And once the studio feels it is not selling enough to remain afloat, it simply closes shop and moves to selling essential commodities.

This is where the Kannywood Foundation comes in. A training program such as this will pave the way to the future after emerging from a cloudy and rocky past. I will not presume to give a policy here because it is a group effort. However, while thinking about the policy directions of Hausa cinema, the following might be points to ponder:

1. Move away from commercialization to professionalization. Other professions include specific, targeted and focused entry points and exits. You don’t wake up one day and claim to be a doctor. One has to go through a rigorous process of certification. This should be the same with the film industry. It is not to say, ‘I am creative, and I have money’. You have to demonstrate competency since what you do is representation.
2. Seeking storylines in community arcs. A policy should demote the idea of transnational copying of films that focus on blindly copying Indian or Western films. It should focus on the anthropology of our experiences – of which there are myriad ways of getting story arcs. A policy can, therefore, effectively reward those ethnographically based films, through additional funding, rather than ineffective ‘film awards’, most of which were bought by the filmmakers
3. Any training program that would be part of a policy should include cultural studies. Scriptwriters, directors, actors and production designers must know what constitutes public culture – beyond what they experience. They need to be aware of it from the structural perspective of a research process. Production designs, therefore, must be not only accurate enough to the period being recorded but also aesthetic enough to convey a sense of elegance and pride in cultural tradition
4. A greater focus of the policy and training should be on digital marketing. It is not enough to simply open a YouTube channel and upload films. Practitioners need to be aware of how to drive traffic to their channels and organize their content in a structured and easily accessible form.
5. Reaching out to the larger world. While it is pleasing that many Hausa TV shows are now flooding YouTube, most have no subtitles in an international language that will communicate to international audiences. This is clearly a misuse of the social media platform – where although open to the world, Hausa TV shows are restricted to Hausa audiences. If there is anything to copy from Hindi cinema, it should be its marketing strategy. With their subtitles, their films are seen and accepted as cultural products worldwide – for language is the best representation of culture.
6. Careful attention must be given to Hausa VOD services, particularly Northflix and Kallo. While still in their early stages, these VOD streaming services effectively show the way to the future.

Cultural commodities – whether tourism-related or popular culture – are marketed with the assumptions of their impact on the daily lives of their consumers. Marketing determines the success of especially media industries, often with a disregard for the content. The commodification of the Hausa popular cultural industries was premised on profitability motives, not art or aesthetics. Financiers are ready to continue investing in the industries as long as they can make effective profits. It is this profit motive that commoditizes art and elegance to common supermarket products with a short shelf life.

Prof. Abdalla Uba Adamu wrote from the Department of Information and Media Studies, Bayero University Kano, Nigeria. He is, among many other things, the former Vice-Chancellor of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN). He can be reached via auadamu@yahoo.com.

By Prof. Abdalla Uba Adamu

Being a keynote at the Kannywood Foundation film training workshop, on 2nd October 2022, Kano

A Tale of Two Cinemas

In November 2007, I was privileged to participate at the African Film Conference held at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, United States. It was a stellar gathering of what I call the ‘Nollywood Mafia’. The outcome of the conference was reflected in the publishing of selected papers in Viewing African cinema in the twenty-first century: FESCAPO art films and the Nollywood video revolution, published by the Ohio University Press in 2007. At the tail-end of the conference, a session called The SIU Nollywood Project Brainstorming was held on Sunday, 11th November 2007. Containing well-known Nollywood scholars such as Jonathan Haynes and Onookome Okome, as well as Nollywood stars such as Joke Silver, Francis Onwochei and Madu Chikwendu, among others (including those who study Nollywood from the fringes such as Brian Larkin and Birgit Meyer), the session sought to determine funding for research on Nollywood from the US National Endowment for the Humanities. A critical point of discussion during the session was the name ‘Nollywood’.

While discussions were on course for the funding mechanism, there was a feeling from the participants that the term Nollywood should be used to reflect all films from Africa, regardless of region, to create a unified view of African cinema. As the only northern Nigerian with a focus (and paper earlier presented) on Hausa cinema, I objected and spent time arguing why the term Nollywood cannot be used as a blanket term for African cinema. Continentally, films from north Africa from Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria and Mauritania are radically different from those produced by Nigerian Nollywood. Similarly, filmmakers from Chad, Burkina Faso, Senegal Cote d’Ivoire are more ethnographic to their cultures, which makes them required viewing for film and cultural studies across the world.

Even back in Nigeria, there is a radical difference between Hausa language cinema and the type of films produced and promoted by Nollywood. Labelling all African films as Nollywood is to cancel the identity of the portrayals of the films by different cultural groupings in the continent and project Nollywood as the only ‘African voice’. I am unsure whether the funding was obtained, but I know that the idea of labelling all African films as ‘Nollywood,’ regardless of cultural point of origin, was dropped.

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By 2012 the Hausa film industry had literally crashed. The major marketers-cum-producers had all pulled out of the industry. Their shops in the major video markets in Kano were subsequently filled with clothing—particularly blouses and football jerseys; for these make more money than selling films. Others took to selling Smartphone accessories, while others returned to the farm and became serious farmers. The few Hausa megastar actors took to commercial advertising of noodles, milk and other household commodities – often moving from house to house with products’ marketers – relying on their faces and voices (making sure they introduce themselves in all the commercial jingles) to sell to increasingly hungry population caught in the vortex of economic depression. The frequency of releasing films drastically dropped because no one was buying. International Satellite channels like the Indian Zee World, especially their English-dubbed TV series, caught Hausa urban attention more than recycled Hindi film clones that were the hallmarks of Hausa video films. Consequently, many reasons combine to lead to the crash of the Hausa film industry towards the end of 2016. 

Market congestion

The popular cultural industries in Kano were marketed into market hubs. The Bata market at the edge of Sabon Gari controlled the predominantly foreign films and music sales and the main distribution centre to other parts of Nigeria and Africa, where a sizeable market existed in Niger, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Togo, Cameroon, Chad and Congos.

When the Hausa video film arrived in 1990, it found a ready template to attach itself. The other was Kasuwar Ƙofar Wambai, located at the edge of the walls of Kano city and near a cluster of old colonial cinemas. The Wambai market focuses mainly on leather, textile and plastics. However, it was also the hub of audio tape sales – with marketers doing brisk business pirating old EMI, Polydor and HMV tapes of traditional Hausa musicians recorded in the 1960s. Road construction work at Bata in about 2003 created unfavourable conditions for many of the stall owners, and some decided to shift to the Wambai market. By 2005 the video film market had moved entirely to Wambai, which now became the new Bata.

The Wambai market, hitherto occupied by cassette dealers who ignored the Hausa film industry, suddenly became a virgin territory for film marketers and producers, with each opening a stall. In less than five years, it had reached its ascendency and crashed due to the massive congestion of producers and marketers – all selling the same thing. When I visited the market in May 2017, I counted less than ten stalls selling either videos or audio; contrasted to some five years ago when it was bursting at the seams with these products. The stalls have now been taken over by stocks of cheap blouses, football jerseys and cloned Smartphone accessories.

Lack of new or captivating scripts

By 2005 the Hausa video film industry had become fully established, with over 1,600 officially censored releases. With an extremely few exceptions of less than 0.5%, they all revolve around a pastiche of Hindi films in one form or other aimed, as the video filmmakers themselves kept insisting, at urban Hausa children, youth and housewives. Yet, most Hindi films could be classified as musicals, especially due to their reliance on a strong dosage of song and dance sequences blended with a melodramatic storyline, which employs formulaic ingredients such as star-crossed lovers and angry parents, love triangles, corrupt politicians, kidnappers, conniving villains, courtesans with hearts of gold, long-lost relatives and siblings separated by fate, dramatic reversals of fortune, and convenient coincidences.

This stylistic technique provides a vehicle for echoing a fundamental Hausa emotional tapestry in three main creative motifs: auren dole (forced marriage, the love triangle, and the obligatory song and dance sequences—with an average of about six songs in a two-part video. With every producer trying to outwit everyone with more love triangles, song and dance routines, the market became saturated, and audiences got bored – and indicated this by refusing to buy the films.

Monopoly by Megastars

Those actors lucky enough to be accepted early enough in the film industry came to dominate the system. This was actually imposed by the marketers who insisted on a particular actor appearing in a film they would sponsor or market because such actors were more bankable and guaranteed quick sales of their films. With this economic force behind them, such few (perhaps less than five) came to dominate almost every ‘big’ budget Hausa film. By 2017 their stars had started fading; audiences became tired of seeing them in nearly the same film with different names, and marketers dropped them. While still making films, they diversified their faces and voices to commercial advertising for major telephone service providers and essential commodities such as chicken noodles and milk and soup seasoning.

The fading of the fortunes of the megastars became evident with the ascendency and popularity of relatively unknown stars of a TV series, Daɗin Kowa, shown on Arewa24 satellite TV that began on 21st January 2015. Daɗin Kowa (pleasant to everyone) is an imaginary town that serves as a melting pot, housing Nigerians of various ethnicities and religions and yet living peacefully. In 2016 it won Africa Magic Awards over Sarki Jatau, an expensive lavish, traditionally cultural Hausa period drama.

The coming of Arewa24, initially conceived and funded by the United States State Department’s Bureau of Counterterrorism to counteract insurgency in 2014, merely placed another nail in the coffin of the Hausa video film market. Transnational in its outlook, the Arewa24 TV series provide a level of script sophistication unheard of in the Hausa film industry. Other Satellite TV stations, such as StarTimes, and Hausa Channels on Africa Magic DStv, including GoTV, became increasingly affordable. Showing a massive amount of Hausa films, they eclipsed the purchase of CDs and DVDs of Hausa films. Audiences prefer to watch for free than to go through the hassle of purchasing DVDs that often do not work and requiring DVD players, mostly Chinese knock-offs of international brands that often turn out dodgy.

New Media, New Poverty

The Internet provided the biggest blow to the decline of Hausa video films. With telecommunication companies competing for customers and undercutting each other in offering data plans, Hausa youth have more access to social media sites such as Instagram and YouTube. The latter, in particular, provided them with opportunities to upload hundreds of Hausa films for all to see. While this has increased the visibility of Hausa films worldwide, such popularity does not translate to return on investment, as most of the films were illegally uploaded to YouTube.

Another dimension of the new media political economy was the proliferation of Download Centers in northern Nigeria, with the largest groups in Kano. Operators of these Centers rip the CD of DVDs of Hausa films and convert them into 3gp formats and make them available to customers at N50 per film—with discounts given for volume purchase. A 1GB microSD card can pack as many as 20 films. The 3gp format makes it possible for people to watch the films on their Smartphones, which readily and rapidly replaced DVD players, which require a TV and electricity – something not always guaranteed in Nigeria. Often the Downloaders ‘lease’ the films from street vendors – children hawking the CDs and DVDs at traffic lights – for N100 per film, rip them off, and return back to the hawker who simply puts them back into its pristine cellophane wrapper and eventually sells it – thus gaining double profit. Both the various Associations of Hausa filmmakers and the Kano State Government’s Censorship Board had tried to stamp out the Downloaders, but without success, as the latter had become so powerful and organized that they formed various Associations. The punitive steps were usually to arrest them, fine them, and order them to delete the illegal ripped-off films from their computers. These measures proved so ineffective that a deal was worked out in 2017 between the filmmakers and the Downloaders to ‘officially’ lease the films to the Downloaders for a fee in the form of a ‘legal license’. However, these measures did not work because the Downloaders prefer to obtain their films cheaply rather than being registered with the Government as licensing the films. On the other hand, the Kano State Censorship Board simply asks them to register their business and charge them fees, regardless of their downloading bootleg business.

Southern Indian Competition

A final factor in the decline of the Hausa film industry by 2012 was the massive popularity of ‘Indiya-Hausa’ films. These were Telugu and other southern Indian films dubbed into the Hausa language by, first, Algaita Studios in Kano. When the marketers at Wambai market noted the popularity of these dubs, they also moved in and commissioned their own dubbed translations.

The original Telugu films were brought to Kano by an Indian national with full license to translate into local African languages. The first film translated by Algaita Studios was the Bhojpuri film, Hukumat Ki Jung (dir. S.S. Rajamouli, 2008). It was translated as ‘Yaƙi da Rashin Adalci’ (Fighting Injustice). Others that followed included Dabangg (dir. Abhinav Kashyap, 2010), Racha (dir. Sampath Nandi, 2012) and Nayak: The Real Hero (dir. S. Shankar, 2001). In an interactive session in June 2016, Buzo Ɗanfillo, the CEO of Algaita Studios and whose voice is used in the translations, told me that the Algaita Studio had translated 93 films by 2016. They were paid ₦80,000 by the Indian licensee of the films.

The first few films that appeared from the Algaita Studio from 2012 were considered novelties, providing relief from watching complete remakes of Hindi films by Hausa filmmakers or even the originals themselves. What made them more attractive, however, was the translation of the titles of the films in a single powerfully expressed word, or a couple of words, that seems to take a life of their own and communicate either adventure, danger or defiance. For instance, Nayak: The Real Hero (dir. S. Shankar, 2001) was translated as ‘Namijin Duniya’ (lit. Brave); Indirajeet (dir. K.V. Raju, 1991) as ‘Fargaba’ (Fear), and Velayudham (dir. Mohan Raja, 2011) as ‘Mai Adda’ (Machete). Referred to as ‘India-Hausa’ (Hausa versions of Indian films), they quickly became the new form of transcultural expression in the Hausa entertainment industry.

The Indiya-Hausa translations were massively successful and attracted audiences not attuned to Indian films in the first place. This can be deduced from the numerous comments on the Facebook pages of the Algaita Dub Studio (https://www.facebook.com/algaitadub/).

Their success created a public debate, mainly online on social networks, about their cultural impact. In the first instance, there does not seem to be any attempt by the translators to mute some of the bawdier dialogues of the originals – translating the dialogue directly into Hausa. Kannywood filmmakers latch on to this as an indication of cultural impropriety of the translated films. Additionally, the often-romantic scenes revealing inter-gender sexuality were not edited out by the translators since their focus is not the visuals but the voices. This, again, was pointed out by Hausa filmmakers as a direct attack on Hausa cultural sensibilities. Kannywood filmmakers accept that they appropriate Hindi films but argue that they culturally adapt the stories to reflect Muslim Hausa sensibilities.

Prof. Abdalla Uba Adamu wrote from the Department of Information and Media Studies, Bayero University Kano, Nigeria. He is, among many other things, the former Vice-Chancellor of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN). He can be reached via auadamu@yahoo.com.