ANTHONY KILA
Anthony Kila is a Jean Monnet professor of Strategy and Development. He is currently Centre Director at CIAPS; the Centre for International Advanced and Professional Studies, Lagos, Nigeria. He is a regular commentator on the BBC and he works with various organisations on International Development projects across Europe, Africa and the USA. He tweets @anthonykila, and can be reached at anthonykila@ciaps.org
Karin Magana is a Hausa phrase that means “proverbs”.
Proverbs are profoundly and universally significant in every culture. They capture the wisdom of generations, distilling complex truths into words that resonate across ages, backgrounds, and societies. In the rich tapestry of African oral traditions, Hausa proverbs — known as Karin Magana — stand as vibrant expressions of collective knowledge, wit, and values.
In this book, Bello Daudun Bada uses proverbs to explore Hausa wisdom and culture, including history, religion, popular beliefs, family structure, geography, and more.
He invites readers to explore the timeless wisdom embedded in Hausa proverbs. Each saying, with its unique cadence and imagery, illuminates an aspect of Hausa culture, whether family, friendship, justice, resilience, or respect.
As any reader of this book will readily discover, Karin Magana are not simply words but keys to understanding the world as seen through the Hausa lens. They provide guidance, inspire reflection, and evoke laughter, reminding us of the delicate balance between humour and wisdom that characterises so much of African storytelling.
This book is long overdue, and the fault is not the author, who submitted all his work on time. Bello Daudun Bada embarrasses me with his kindness and compliments when he says I inspired and motivated him to write this book and that the style belongs to me. Yes, I pioneered the genre of using proverbs to explore and explain culture. Bello Daudun Bada has, however, taken the concept to a new level by including stories and making even me discover how Hausa culture tells the same story as other cultures in their own language.
For anyone interested in the beauty of language and the power of shared wisdom, this book offers a journey into the hearts and minds of the Hausa people. It serves as a bridge to a deeper appreciation of their worldview and a testament to the enduring relevance of proverbs in navigating the challenges of daily life. May these proverbs inspire, teach, and connect us to a cultural legacy that speaks to Hausa’s heritage and the universal human experience.
You can get an e-copy of Karin Magana by Bello Daudun Bada by visiting the CIAPS Press website or Amazon.
