Northern Nigeria

By Muhammad Sagir Bauchi

Adam Smith, in “Wealth of Nations”, while discussing what he tagged as “Canon of Taxation”, outlines some principles he describes as “Principles of Good Taxation”. These principles include fairness, certainty, convenience and efficiency. By the principle of fairness, he meant that the taxpayer’s condition should be considered before enforcing tax on him; this is in addition to the ability of the taxpayer to pay the tax. By certainty, the taxpayer should be informed on why he needs to pay his tax and how such taxes are levied on him. By the convenience, he refers to how the taxpayer finds the process of paying the tax as easy as it is. The final principle of efficiency described how the tax payment should have no negative effect on the distribution of resources in the economy.

In a short story, a man came to someone and asked him, “what should I be giving you every day?” He replied: “Sand”. So, as requested, whenever he meets that person, he picks up sand on the ground and hands it over to him. 

One day, that man came to him to collect the sand, but he looked at him abruptly and said, “Why can’t you bend down and fetch it by yourself? Why should I be giving you what you can have if you work hard?”

Recently, there has been an uproar between Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS) and Ekiti State Government. As a result, the state government came up with a law regulating Value Added Tax (VAT) collection. With the new law, the Ekiti state government will have absolute power to utilise the VAT generated from that state instead of the usual remittance to the Federation Account! Ab initio, a State high court granted an order to the Ekiti government to move on with their new VAT policy since they have already enacted a law to that effect. Still, a move by the FIRS through the Appeal Court blocked Ekiti State Government from putting the law into effect.

In the beginning, the will to challenge the Federal Government on VAT collection by the states was spearheaded by a single state. Still, by looking at the fruition that may come out from the success of such a legal battle, some states from the South-South joined Ekiti in the suit, thereby sending their representative to the Appellate Court.

Before going further, we need to understand what VAT refers to; for that, we will shed more light on the desperation and motives of these states to have the right to deduct VAT within the economy of their states.

According to FIRS, VAT is “a consumption tax paid when goods are purchased and services rendered“  to this, “all goods produced within or imported into the country are taxable except those specifically exempted by the VAT act”.The authorities responsible for the deduction of the VAT are; indigenous companies with non-resident companies within the country; government ministries, statutory bodies and other agencies of government; and companies operating in the oil and gas sector. These are the statutory bodies saddled with the responsibility of deducting the VAT in Nigeria.

From 2016-2020, Nigeria recorded more than five trillion naira from VAT deduction, but surprising, about three point nine trillion of that amount came from Ekiti and Lagos State. And as usual, the whole amount was shared between the three tiers of government with some amount given to the FIRS for its VAT deduction services! Naturally, human beings are similar to those two people mentioned that one gives sand and the other received, which at the end one expressed tiredness. 

Sentiment aside, it is hard to imagine how a state or region would work diligently harnessing such a hefty amount, in which, in the end, it will be shared with others that contributed little out of it.

Before discovering oil in commercial quantity, the Northern Region of Nigeria was the main contributor to GDP growth, which means that the agricultural sector was the primary source of foreign exchange to the country. But today, despite the contribution of agriculture to the GDP, Northern States rely primarily on what is given from the federation account. Today, it is no longer a secret that only some few Northern states can stand on their own to pay their workers salaries and wages, fulfil their financial commitments, not to mention financing their annual budgets. Most of them would go broke and insolvent if the federal government decided to withhold their monthly allocation for a single month!

To some analysts, the action of Ekiti and Lagos State Governments is nothing but a display of absolute selfishness. Still, to me, it is nothing but expressing their worth and importance to their counterparts.

Amidst this VAT controversy, a new statistical report on Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of the 36 states of the federation for the fiscal year of 2020 was released. Lagos State is topping the list with about 418bn, Rivers with 117bn and Delta as the third. The report stated that only two Northern States are among the top 10 states with highest IGR, that’s Kaduna and Kano State. And it is not surprising since Kano is the commercial hub of the North. But, surprisingly, even the commercial nerve of the North is generating less IGR than Kaduna. Are commercial activities taking place in Kaduna greater than that of Kano? This shows that there’s transparency and accountability in Kaduna state more than that of Kano.

If one analyses that IGR statistical report and the five-year VAT table, he will weep for the sorry state of the northern states! And the implications of the possible ruling favouring those two states (Ekiti and Lagos) by the Appellate Court against the federal tier, then not only the northern states, but the remaining 34 states would find themselves in deep economic crises.

Then, what should the Northern policymakers do to improve their IGR and move away from dependence on monthly federal allocation?

I foresee a bright future for the northern states out of this development if only their policymakers pursue policies with a serious positive impact on the income of its majority (who are peasant farmers) other than policies that could only favour the wealthy and those in the government. For instance, if the agricultural sector will be given proper attention, thereby coming up with policies that could boost commercial farming through accessibility to quick/soft agro related loans, hybrid seeds with the ability to stand these ever-changing climatic conditions, mechanised farming equipment, setting up subsidised agro-allied chemical industries in the region, provision of good accessible roads connecting all the remote areas, all year round farming and a fair export zones, with these, its unemployed youths will surely seize that opportunity and venture into agro-businesses without looking up to the government for job opportunities in the government sector. But imagine an agricultural intervention program meant to cushion farmers difficulties is deeply flawed in I don’t care attitude of government officials, deliberate delays and nepotism, in the end, such interventions may not meet the majority of farmers on time!

Other regions in Nigeria cannot feed themselves without the support of the Northern farmers. So, why should we be panicking when they try to withhold their money? Why can’t the North stand up and bring out those opportunities? 

Despite the insecurity in almost all parts of the Northern region, one fact that can never be denied is that the area is blessed with arable land, enough for cultivating in dry and rainy seasons. Therefore, adequate farming inputs and machinery should be provided, either in loans or at a subsidised rate by the Northern states governments.

Curbing insecurity is another point that all the governors of the 19 northern states should work hand-in-hand to achieve.

Senators, Representatives and States Assembly members should focus on things that harmonise them with their governors to formulate policies that will boost their states IGR, rather than engage in their usual political war, which deprives millions of citizens of opportunities that may bring development to their livelihood and the region at large.

The impact of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in boasting every economy can never be neglected in every sound economy. But in northern Nigeria, those SMEs are either forced to shut down due to unfriendly tax policies or poor environment to carry out their activities. So, those SMEs should be given more reason to be alive than to seize to exist, thereby granting them soft loans with zero interest or a low interest rate and a friendly environment to carry out their activities.

Most of those states with high IGR have different means of gathering or sourcing revenue within their states. But in the North, both the tax collectors and taxpayers are not up to their responsibility. Therefore, a transparent and professional agency should be enacted in every state with the sole aim of creating awareness on the importance of paying tax, why they should be taxed and the transparent manner in which their tax is utilised.

Lastly, the principle of fairness, certainty, convenience and efficiency should be put into practice to generate more tax to boost IGR for those states.

Sagir writes from Bauchi State and can be reached via ibrahimsagir1227@gmail.com and 07019718681.

By Garba Sidi

Attitudes are fundamental to understanding social perceptions because they strongly influence our perception of people we meet, the people we live with, the groups we join or avoid, and colleagues in our various communities. In addition, attitudes are essential in organising information about other people. Thus, as we interact with different individuals, objects or situations from time to time and in different environments, we tend to form specific attitudes just as others form attitudes about us.

As psychologists said, our attitudes are formed firstly from family, society and schools. These three places are where children shape their attitudes, either negative or positive. Children will not pass without family, so that means the family is the first chain for shaping a child’s attitude. Whatever role the family play is how their children will grow and develop cognitively.

Family combine parents, sisters and brothers in nuclear family and grandfather, grandmother and uncles are included in the extended family. Each one of those members has a role to play in shaping a child attitude positively and negatively. Family is like a tree; any branch and leaf have a role in contributing to the survival of that tree. Failure of one branch or leaf will cause damage to the entire tree. That’s how the wrong role of one member will cause an unwanted attitude to the children of that family.

Sadly, nowadays family ignore their responsibility and substitute it with hatred, showing concerns to only biological sons and daughters. Even some parents leave their sons and daughters to live like sheep without shepherds. This careless behaviour that emerges today is hazardous, and it’s the central foundation of the problems we indulged in today.

Unfortunately, frustration is what leads the majority of children to form all these kinds of undesirable attitudes. Some children find themselves in a family full of challenges like hatred toward the mother by one’s stepmother, father not taking responsibility for his children, etc.

All these will lead a child to form unwanted behaviour after indulged in frustration. No doubt, our society is ravaged by kidnappers, sexual immorality, drunkenness and armed robbery. Children lack a sense of duty with lofty aspirations of becoming rich overnight to fulfil their needs. They engage in cultism and occultism, a fastest ritual way of getting rich and are subjected to unbearable pains and suffering.

May Allah save us, amin.

Garba Sidi can be reached at sidihadejia@yahoo.com.

By Ahmad Ganga

The recent executive order signed by Katsina State Government (KTSG) is filled with grammatical and typographical errors that critics can never overlook, even though English is not the problem. Instead, the problem lies in constituting members of the executive council tasked with governance delivery. Virtually, almost every politician in the North despises having competent people within their domain who can question their decision and ask for clarification for every policy made. That’s why lowbrows make a list of cabinet members: SAs, EAs, PAs, Secs, etc.

Being His Excellency, Governor of Katsina State, a former Speaker House of Representatives and an experienced administrator, the errors wouldn’t have happened —if the politicians in this State didn’t present their puppeteers while constituting cabinet. Competency and skills should be a yardstick in the process, instead of connection. The Executive Governor is not alone in this. Secretary to State Government, Dr Mustapha Inuwa, was in academia for long before he set his feet into politics. Tell me why critics would not descend on KTSG for committing such public opprobrium?!

Let me tell you a story. When the news of my Principal’s house stormed media, I came across a post he made himself wherein he showcased the house on the internet. I asked him why he did it, and he told me that his guard said to him that some people, assumed to be journalists, came snapping the house and asking people about the person of Honourable Member who’s President Buhari’s nephew. So, instead of letting the journalists break the news and twist it the way it suits them, he broke the news himself. 

Let me go back to the initial topic. Suppose the elected and appointed officials gave room for competency, like asking for inputs from their aides and secretaries on every policy before releasing them to the public. In that case, they could avoid such errors. As I say in the headline, English is not the problem. Every one of the elected and appointed politicians is looking for someone who always says YES to whatever.

Considering the consequences that followed this executive order, I suggest that His Excellency give room for competency to reign in his cabinet to control the damage done so far since he was sworn in as the Executive Governor of Katsina State.

Ahmad Ganga can be contacted via ahmadganga66@gmail.com.

By Abubakar Isah Baba

The misrepresentation of northern Nigeria ranges from distorting and falsifying reality, profiling, underreporting, and not reporting about the region by media outlets owned and controlled by others. Apparent and alarming as this is, it has been going on for a long time. This requires no evidence or justification; it is a growing trend, especially when the country propagates alienation over harmony. But who cares? Even those who have the responsibility to do so are busily aggrandising their powers.

But how long it will take the sick region to learn from this great proverb: Until the lion has a historian, the story of the hunt will always favour the hunter. The North was painted black with negative phrases, tales of violence, poverty, unemployment, irresponsible marriages, out-of-school children and whatnot as if there were no other positive realities.

John Campbell attests to the above mischaracterisation in his book, Nigeria: Dancing on the Brink, that “The Nigerian media, mostly headquartered in the Southern part of the country, is routinely insensitive and simplistic in its reportage about Northern Nigeria. And it is the Nigerian media that colors the too-often superficial Western view of the North.” This has a significant effect on the economic decline in the North as no investor will invest in the region that is dangerous, volatile and unpromising.

Apart from the traditional cores of mass communication, which include informing, educating, and entertaining, it is also used for propaganda to gain support or sympathy from the public or authority. EndSARS saga is an indicator of the power of propaganda, for it taught the north a lesson that “Dokin mai baki ya fi gudu” – the South has a much louder voice. Please don’t confuse my lamenting with Afghanistanism (a term used in journalism to describe journalists who shun the problem of their community but go extra-mile in condemning others), far from it. I suggest North should define itself and tell its version of the story; represent itself properly as bias in the news is often backgrounded. Others could not define us nor report us properly. 

Traditional rulers, political leaders, scholars, and concerned people in Northern Nigeria should speedily and strategically address this problem of bad press and misrepresentation of the North through investing in the media and utilising it for the good of their people. With Daily Nigerian, Sahelian Times, Nigerian Tracker and recently The Daily Reality (TDR), we need to see more outlets so we can ship our information without thinking about sinking. Recently, TDR’s publications have changed the North’s fate. Remember CBN and the reopening of the NIRSAL site, Netflix and the Kannywood, etc.

Abubakar Isah Baba writes from Kano. He can be reached via abubakarisahbaba01@gmail.com.

By Ahmadu Shehu, PhD

Since The Daily Reality has become the darling medium through which northern elites are called to task, I would instruct them to extend a short message to President Muhammad Buhari this weekend. Although Nigerians are used to the deafening silence of this administration to most of our perils and concerns, the president needs to be reminded of a few disturbing, foreseeable facts.

Let me first state that the people of this country, especially his brothers and sisters in the north, can’t wait to see the end of his rule. His ethnic group, the Hausa-Fulani, have carried his cross for too long. For over a decade, they gave their lives, wealth and resources for his candidature, and for seven years, they bore the blames, stereotypes and animosities for his presidency. What is their gain? An avoidable but seemingly inevitable genocide. If the president does not know, I will tell him that the people of this region are tired! They are no longer looking for what he can do for or to them. They are only anxious to survive the remaining days.   

I want the president to observe a few things. First, all Nigerian leaders lucky to have left the Villa alive went back to their hometowns after their tenures. For instance, Shehu Shagari, who was overthrown by then General Muhammadu Buhari, moved permanently to Shagari, securing a serene, fruitful life after that. While in retirement, Shagari remained relevant and served in various traditional positions within the Sokoto Caliphate. His love for his people, his engagements with his roots throughout his career, his pride in his people and culture and constant, persistent and proud leaning to his region endeared people to him even after his tenure. That love held him physically and psychologically intact, made him relevant and happy all through his old age.  

General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, who succeeded Gen. Buhari, retired to Minna, his birthplace from where he and his wife established great organizations that engendered socio-economic development. As a result, Babangida’s home became a centre of excellence in Minna metropolis, and people trooped to his doors for all kinds of support and favours.

General Abdussalami Abubakar became the Head of State after the death in office of Gen. Sani Abacha. Abdussalam followed the footsteps of his predecessors and retired in Minna, his hometown. This was possible for the two Generals only because of their good to their people and region. To date, Niger and indeed the North-Central are thankful for their service as Heads of State. They gained relevance and recorded developmental strides hitherto impossible without the emergence of their worthy sons.   

Then came Olusegun Obasanjo, who returned to power for the second time. After eight years in office, Obasanjo moved to Otta – not even Akure – to start a new life as a statesman. While Yar’adua died in office, his successor, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, immediately vacated Asorock for Otuoke, his birth village and assumed his gentle duty as the breadwinner of his people and region. Jonathan has was devilishly maligned as the enemy of the north, the clueless president of the country. But he ensured that the Niger Delta amnesty program succeeded, for he was conscious of life after office in the creeks. He, therefore, begot for himself and his people a place to live in peace. 

Here at home, the breadwinner of Adamawa state, former vice president, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, ensured that the state’s economic strength is sustained. He established institutions, provided hundreds of thousands of employments, empowered businesses and established banks for entrepreneurs and start-ups. Atiku Abubakar built his retirement home in Jada and moved his business headquarters to the state. He ensured that human development services, such as education, healthcare, media and IT industries only obtainable in the cultural West are brought home to the doorsteps of his compatriots. Thus, he was able to stay at home and proceed with his political career gracefully.  

But with all the situations in the northwest, especially Katsina – his home state – and Kaduna – his preferred haven, where does President Buhari intend to retire and spend the rest of his life? For one, at 80, Buhari will be the oldest Nigerian president to leave office and probably the sickest at that weak point of human life. That is the moment he needs people the most and will undoubtedly go through the most painful retrospections of his administration’s actions and inactions. Then, he would face realities – poverty, inhumanity, misery, deprivation, etc. – that have become the norm on Nigerian streets. At that point, Buhari would need Nigerians, and Nigerians would not need him for anything.

The excoriating economic disaster in Buhari’s northwestern region today has not been seen in a long time. Thousands of people are homeless, hopeless and desperate for food and shelter. In Daura, for instance, hundreds of thousands of youth are unemployed. At the same time, his close relatives and families have bought over most farms and grazing lands around the emirate, extending the wicked hands of poverty to more people than ever. As it stands, hundreds of thousands of people are fleeing this region for safety, as kidnapping and banditry have overtaken citizens’ daily lives. Worse still, the president’s disposition and sheer lack of concern on anything “north” make it impossible for him to enjoy his cult-like mob that kept his military retirement years afloat.

Sadly, there is no going to be Buhari the messiah, Buhari Maigaskiya or Buhari jagoran talakawa. There will be only one Buhari in the world: the one who became president and failed to help his people. The one that has disappointed his most loyal supporters; the messiah that couldn’t save his people from hunger, deprivation and poverty. The Buhari who oversaw the worst economic period of his country. That Maigaskiya supervised the most criminal and cruellest regimes of corruption. The one that promised heaven but gave hell. How life looks for someone at that age in this condition will be very interesting to see.

Dr Ahmadu Shehu is a nomad cum herdsman, an Assistant Professor at the American University of Nigeria, Yola, and is passionate about the Nigerian project. You can reach him at ahmadsheehu@yahoo.com.

By Sumayyah Auwal Ishaq

The Government of Kaduna State has announced a new resumption date for its schools after months of disruption in the school calendar due to insecurity ravaging the state.

The state’s commissioner for education, Shehu Makarfi, disclosed this while participating in a virtual workshop organised by the Education Writers’ Association of Nigeria. According to him, students of the state are expected to resume on Sunday, September 12, 2021.

However, the commissioner said rather than resuming for the third term that was aborted in the state, the schools will resume the first term for the 2021/2022 academic calendar.

By Mohammad DonHussy

Tuesday was exactly 20 years since the breakdown of peace among communities and the beginning of the so-called ethno-religious conflict in Jos. Since then, thousands of innocent lives have been mercilessly killed, properties worth billions of naira destroyed, and hatred has been deeply entrenched, more than ever before, in the minds of the younger generation; vengeance has become a mantra on their lips. Thus, 7th September was a dreadful day that shouldn’t have repeated itself. But, unfortunately, it became the beginning of an era of chaos, conflicts and incessant killings.

Two things led to these horrible events. Firstly, religious leaders from both sides of the aisle did much to spawn the conflict either by abstaining from condemnation and reprimanding their audiences or fanning the flame with hate preachings. Secondly, and more morally reprehensible, politicians agreeably encourage the clash by not stepping up to quell the prerequisites that lead to the unrest. As a result, the conflicts have become a potent political weapon exploited by the elite to either consolidate power or amass luxury. Thus, the masses became pawns who reap the harmful consequences of the seed they never sow.

The crises have been heaped around many myths—that the conflict is an ethno-religious conflict is not only a hoax but an absurd claim that seeks to cast an illusion on the minds of the masses. Again, that Hausa-Fulanis have any grand plan to take over the helm of affairs in Plateau State is false. And, conversely, that the Christians are collectively responsible for the destruction of Jos Main Market, which plunged the Hausa’s into economic hardship, is equally false.

Few cabal members engineer these unfounded narratives to swerve the attention of the masses from demanding accountability from their incompetent leaders and have paved the way for kleptomaniacs and opportunists to reach up and embezzle our funds. To understand this better, reflect on what Samuel Ortom, the governor of Benue State, said, and I quote, “As Jesus died on the cross for Christians, I am prepared to die for Benue people.” The same person has now refused to pay civil servants their salaries and remain negligent on development and infrastructure. Scenarios similar to this are countless. By the way, Shari’a was once exploited by northern governors to mislead gullible Muslims. So it is more about vested political interests and amassing of wealth than faith or ethnicity.

Luckily, the panacea to this menace is within reach of the masses; all they need is the necessary introspection to grasp the problem for what it is: class warfare. And it’s also to resist the temptation of acquiescing in the vile tactics of divide and rule. If one scrutinises the conflicts, the masses, not elites, are constantly the victims of the mayhem. What sort of a people will be so adamant about inflicting such untold suffering to each other?

Does the killing of fellow humans strengthen anyone’s determination or make anyone’s life better? Why then the insanity and the insensitivity towards each other while those vultures are relentlessly sucking the masses and plundering the state’s treasury? The masses must understand that they share a common enemy, whether Christians or Muslims and that their enemies are within their respective faith or ethnic group. Regardless of any differences, the elite are hellbent on enriching themselves; neither their children nor closed ones participate directly in any conflict for whatever reason.

It is time for the masses to reflect on their actions, grasp reality and tolerate one other. The series of events that unfolded from the onset of the first crisis to today have caused indescribable suffering to the people of Plateau. It has slowed development and clogged prosperity. However, peace has no alternative, and tolerance is the only rational covenant.

Mohammad DonHussy writes from Jos. He can be reached via donhussy95@gmail.com.

By Muhammad Sulaiman

In recognition of their significant contribution to scholarship, research and development at the Faculty of Arts and Islamic Studies (FAIS), the governing council of Bayero University, Kano (BUK) has approved the promotion of Dr Sani Umar R/Lemo, Dr Umar Sani Fagge, others, to the coveted professorial positions.

The following faculty members have been promoted to full professor status: Shehu Ahmad (Arabic), Aminu Lawal Auta (Nigerian Languages), Usman Sani Abbas (Islamic Studies), Sani Ayagi ( Islamic Studies) and Umar Abdulkadir (Islamic Studies).

Furthermore, the following have been promoted to associate professor status: Umar Sani Rijyar Lemo (Islamic Studies), Aliyu Harun (Islamic Studies), Nura Sani (Islamic Studies), Isa Yusuf Chamo (Linguistics), Aishatu Umar (English), Tijjani M. Naniya (History), Muhammad Wada (History), Umma Aminu Inuwa (Nigerian Languages), Maryam Mansur Yola (Nigerian Languages), Halima Abdulkadir Dangambo (Nigerian Languages), Ahmad Salisu (Arabic), Matabuli Shehu Kabara (Arabic) and Umar Sani Fagge (Arabic).

More members from other faculties have been equally promoted based on their value of excellence in teaching and scholarship, and service to BUK. However, as of during filing this report, the lists were still incomplete.

Northern Nigeria’s Hausa film industry, Kannywood, has been at the centre of brainstorming discussions over the years. One of the most interesting is why film consumers are attracted to the industry and otherwise. So often, the analysis of such magnitude is drawn concerning the industry’s foreign and domestic rivals because they provide an alternative to what the industry produces, which directly affects its local market. And like in any other industrial conglomerate, the sustainable conduct and development of Kannywood as an industry thrive on the quality, affordability and viability of its products.

As the so-called king of the arrangement, it’s impossible to conquer any market without exploring the psychological drivers of consumer’s preferences. That said, the primary concern of the teeming film consumers who boycott Kannywood movies revolves around the appeal, quality and uniqueness of storylines and whether it connects with the inner cravings of a modern watcher. A film consumer demands an illusion, one that not only tells him “this is the movie he wants to watch” but also if “it’s the one he should be watching”. An illusion that challenges his status quo creates a reception for the new order and paves the way for a route to escapism. Arguably, many people watch films to escape from their core reality. This occurs either by consuming movies that aim to rediscover an old order. Such order seeks to reflect on the current order or ones that wish to rewrite the order itself in the forms of fantasy movies, futuristic science-fiction movies, historical fiction and nonfiction movies, among others.

In the case of Kannywood, it has done reasonably well in producing movies that reflect greatly on the dynamics of the current order. But then that’s an order of which its potential consumers happen to be physically part. In which case, most of the content would appear familiar and cheap, which will bore the consumers and hand them the warranty to look elsewhere. Meanwhile, Kannywood competitors have religiously developed the culture of challenging the essence of everything a watcher stands for. This makes them more viable, even if more costly than Kannywood, because they satisfy consumer’s utility.

Interestingly, Kannywood’s content has been profiled as the one that agrees with its watchers’ demand. This is indifferent to saying the industry produces only the content which its watchers want to consume. But if that’s any good, why has the industry been economically stagnating and remain vulnerable to its rivals’ invasion? To be fair, Kannywood and its competitors aren’t of the same financial muscle. This plays a vital role in the distinction of their products. However, it is equally valid to mention that all other industries rivalling Kannywood have, at some point, been where it is today. So the most crucial point is how did they move forward?

Revenue, which is the excuse of Kannywood in comparison to its rivals, in the context of production, is a bi-product of the initial measures that a producer put in place to ensure the success of his product. That’s to say, as far as the producer has the initial capital, what happens next is dependent on him. And start-up capital is hardly the problem of Kannywood producers. The actual problem is recouping the expenses and profiting from the venture.

If indeed, Kannywood produces only the films that’ll appeal to its watchers for fear of losing revenue, then it’s vivid that the industry perceives the film market as a consumer’s market rather than a producer’s market. This is perhaps why they produce movies that watchers ‘want rather than the ones the watchers’ think they want. And there’s a big difference between the two. Failure to dissect this difference creates a dilemma that’s so sensitive; it makes or breaks the possibility of any market dominance.

For instance, the romantic, singing and dancing genres that Kannywood produce at a more regular rate is what Hausa watchers want. But the more adventurous and dynamic content being delivered in other film industries are what Hausa watchers think they want – hence they rush to. And the ability to deviate the latter from the former ensures whether a consumer illusion is created or not. Illusion is vital in production because it makes people consume something believing that it’ll satisfy their utility when it won’t. But, instead, it’ll only make them crave for more. And the more is being craved, the better is the chance of getting addicted, and that’s the trap of every capitalist producer.

Hollywood and Bollywood industries come from well-equipped capitalist societies where consumer psychology is conquered. Down there, it’s a producer’s market. Hence, the curve of their revenue never stops rising. Their movies are regularly subjected to sequels and prequels, defending what the producer wants. In the build-up to the preface of his critically acclaimed novel, “The Godfather”, the great author Mario Puzo confessed that a producer’s girlfriend could demand a movie scene to be filtered out. And the consumers would watch nonetheless. In my opinion, there’s no bigger evidence of control. Which greatly unlocks creativity and unhindered filmmaking viscosity.

Kannywood, on the contrary, produces what annihilates the utility of the consumer instead of what’ll make him crave more. Capitalist experts assert that if a consumer gets what he asks for, he’ll be satisfied. And if he gets satisfied, he’ll not need the product again. That’s why a wise producer never allows consumers to ask for products. Instead, he creates the product questions for them. And in turn, answer the questions in a way that’ll make them even more curious. Kannywood does the opposite. Producers obeying the trend of narrowly imaginative consumers is why the watchers don’t find the films as unique as the foreign ones, which is also why the industry is painfully stagnating.

To clear doubts, how the dubbed versions of foreign movies are being consumed at an equal if not higher rate than Kannywood movies in its native domain should erase any iota of doubt on film market being producer’s market rather than consumer’s. For if it was consumer’s, who researched the interest of a villager in Kano before making a movie in Hyderabad, India, that enables him to watch the film with keen interest?

In the end, movie producers need to conquer the fear of losing the market. The film market is a producer’s market contrary to their belief. Agreeing with that would be a new phase for creative filmmaking. They should sharpen and unlock their imagination to produce what watchers would marvel at. Hausa-Fulani society is rich with contents that can create consumer illusion—ranging from history, culture, geography, economy, politics, anthropology, etc.

MA Iliasu writes from Kano State. He can be reached through his email: muhada102@gmail.com.

By Muhammad Sabiu

A gun duel between suspected bandits and vigilantes in the Mayaki community in Lapai Local Government Area of Niger State has led to the death of two people.

According to the Daily Trust newspaper, the two victims were on the side of the vigilantes.

Confirming the death of his members, the Lapai division commander of vigilante corps, Muhammadu Ibrahim, said, “It is true that we lost two of our men during a patrol in an ambush by the bandits around Mayaki forest.”

He added that they had deployed their men to launch a manhunt for the suspected gunmen.