Abubakar Ladan

Abubakar Ladan (1935 – 23 December 2014) was a Hausa poet/singer from Northern Nigeria. He is best known for Wakar Hada Kan Al'ummar Afirka, a collection of poems published in 1976. The poems are famous for promoting African unity and integration, and for championing African independence and progress. Since their publication, several of his poems have been sampled in the analysis of the metrical structure of Hausa prosodic poetry. Quotes My name is Abubakar Ladan Zaria. I am about 74 years old because I was born in 1935. I was born inside the ancient city of Zaria. I did my Elementary School in Zaria and from there I moved to Middle School, Zaria, now known as Alhuda-huda College. After I graduated from the Zaria Middle School, I took up a public service appointment. I served as hide and skin inspector at Kano and I also worked as veterinary officer. Thereafter, I worked at some publishing companies as distribution assistant. Most of the books we dealt with then were Hausa books like Magana Jarice, Mabudin Kwara, Tafiya Mabudin Ilimi etcetera. I developed interest in poetry through my reading habit. I read poems of people like Mu’azu Hadeja, Sa’adu Zungur, Infiraji poems of Namangi among others. It is from there I decided to test my talent to see if I can imitate these great Hausa poets. I began by composing some poems but because of the fact that the OAU was newly formed then, I felt composing a poem for that organization would be most appropriate. The aim was to urge the African countries to unite to fight the then colonialism that was reigning then and other injustices meted on the African countries. Allah knows best, I didn’t know that poem would be the one to bring me to limelight as it is still reigning, becoming newer every day. I have been to many African countries. It is through these errands to countries like Niger Republic, Mali, Cameroun, Ethiopia, Tunisia, Algeria and many other African countries I got so many things in my life. The first country I visited in Africa was Niger Republic because we share so many things in common though all African countries share one thing or the other. What I cannot forget during these errands is the hospitality I received at Mauritania. I went there as a visitor on my way to Morocco, I don’t know anybody and it was already dark. I moved around the capital city of the country, Woshot, and I later went to a town called Attar. It is at that town I discovered that most people of Mauritania don’t sleep in their houses during hot season because of the extreme hot weather. They use to move to the outskirt of the town and make tents where they spent the night with their families. I went to a tent and recited the usual Muslims’ greetings (Assalamu Alaikum) to the people inside that tent. The man in the tent came out and when he saw me, he asked me whether I was from Senegal because Senegal is their neighbouring country. I told him I was from Nigeria. He was surprised and asked me where I was going. I told him I was going to Morocco and I don’t know anybody in that town. To my surprise, this man moved out his family from the tent and left it for me to spend the night inside. I was extremely surprised and found that episode very difficult to forget. After that, in the morning the same man went to the mosque and told the congregation of my problem and they contributed a reasonable sum of money and gave to me. That hospitality, I cannot forget. In every local government, place or country I have been to, I composed poems for those local governments, places or countries apart from the poems I composed on some topical national issues that demand enlightenment. Therefore, my poems are so numerous that I cannot say with precision their exact number. Nevertheless, I record all the poems I composed in a book but I cannot say the exact number now. The nice experience that I cannot forget is my journey to Middle East. I have been to Bagdad in Iraq and Kuwait where I got a lot of money. I also visited the tomb of Sidi Abdulkadir in Bagdad. This is a very exciting experience which I would continue to remember for the rest of my life. Life now is very hectic and horrible. I only depend on the invitations I receive from people who want me to compose poem for them either at an occasion on issues that demand publicity and enlightenment and get paid for that. In absence of that, I move around to the people I know and it is these people who give me alms because at my age now I cannot do anything that demands application of physical energy to earn a living. External links Category:1935 births Category:2014 deaths Category:Poets from Nigeria Category:Singers from Nigeria