Writers celebrate seven years of
rare literary grant
— 14th April 2018
Henry Akubuiro, Lagos
Perhaps more than any other group in
the last three decades, the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), has
contributed to the promotion of reading and discovery of new literary talents
in Nigeria. Founded in 1981 by the legendary novelist, Chinua Achebe, the
association has through, its routine creative writing workshops, award of
prizes, annual conferences, reading campaigns and partnerships with
institutions set the tone for the flowery of literature in the country, which
has enhanced Nigeria’s reputation as the power house of African literature.
Needless to say, all over the world,
creative writing has become a big enterprise, with creative writers gaining
more recognition by the day. Thus, to be a writer in the 21st
century is something of prestige. To this end, ANA went into a partnership with
Yusuf Ali (SAN) in 2011, resulting in the later funding the 1st
ANA/Yusuf Ali Literary Awareness Campaign in 2012. Since then, the renowned
lawyer, who is also an author, has doled out 21 million naira to sustain the
project.
“It has endured, because the funding
has been constant and comes at a predictable time every year. That enables us
to plan ahead each year, and gives us room to innovate and create a sustainable
pattern across the country,” said ANA President, Mallam Denja Abdullahi in an
interview with Daily Sun.
Indeed, the literary philanthropy of
Yusuf Ali met a robust structure of ANA on ground, an association with chapters
nationwide, making it possible to create immediate impact. Also, the project
has introduced healthy competition among the association’s chapters, as they
strive to do better each year. “The monitoring process that we have introduced
along the line has also contributed to the project sustainability,” Mallam
Abdullahi added.
One of the remarkable things the
campaign has done is in the area of mentoring the young and students by
encouraging them to read and write. “We cover nothing less than 5,000 thousand
students in 100 schools across the country each year in the course of executing
the campaign,” he said.
At the beginning, the focus was on
secondary schools, then organising workshops for universities students and,
later, the publication of three works of juvenilia, which it used to drive its
novel initiative, A-Book-A-Child nationwide project. “From all these
activities, including what we are using the fund for this year –capacity
building workshop on innovations in contemporary literary awareness campaign
and media awareness –you could see that the ANA/ Yusuf Ali Literary Awareness
Campaign has been very impactful nationwide,” said the president of the
association.
Last year, the children books of
Ngozi Obi Obasi (The Loyal Queen), Salamatu Sule (Oma the Drummer Queen) and
Kabiru Abdullahi (The Golden Girl of Galma) were published with the annual
grant. ANA President admitted that these “publications added a touch of
tangibility to the generously of Yusuf Ali to ANA since 2012, as it is written
on the books that the funds for the publication were provided by him. Books
travel, and you can never tell the persons that will get to read them.”
From Thursday April, 21, 2018, the
leadership of the association at the national and state levels will converging
on Ilorin, Kwara State capital, for three days, to brainstorm on how to create
new things to do with subsequent grants in a capacity building workshop, as the
benefactor has promised to sponsor it for life.
To make the literary awareness
campaign more robust, each benefitting ANA chapter usually raises internal
funds to complement the Yusuf Ali grant. Thus, the total money spent each year
might translate to about 10 million naira or more. “But without the initial 3
million naira grant from Yusuf Ali, the buildup would not have been possible,”
he conceded.
It cannot be gainsaid that patrons
of arts are hard to come by in this part of the world, especially when there is
no win-win bargain involved. This is what makes Yusuf Ali (SAN) an exceptional
patron of arts. Mallam Adbullahi acknowledged hence, “From the success of the
Yusuf Ali grant to ANA, we have seen how helpful regular grant can go a long
way to stabilise an association like ANA, and make it very functional and
accountable.
“That is why we are all clamouring
for the institution of an endowment fund for the arts in Nigeria. The Western
world is aware already of the importance of regular and sustained funding for
the arts by governments, individuals and public and private institutions.
Governments in the third world countries, like Nigeria, go about as if they do
not owe the arts anything. The arts, literature and culture of a country will
eventually go extinct if the government of a particular country thinks they do
not need special attention and dedicated intervention.
“Some of the best features of our
cultural heritage and creativity are being kept alive by foreign grants and
foreign funding facilitated by those who know the importance of heritage
sustainability. I always say the arts always have a way of making indelible the
contributions of those who support it. Our use of the Yusuf Ali grant, over the
years, has shown that you can do a lot in the arts with a gift sincerely given,
and the reward to the giver will definitely be more than whatever is given.
“The kind of Yusuf Ali is rare in our
clime as not many persons are as astute and intelligent as him to know that
life is ephemeral and that what endures are the selfless pursuits you engage
in. The corporate bodies are not different: they are forever in search of
profit without thinking of responsibility to their communities. They commit
huge funds to beauty pageants and Ajasco dance shows on the streets, but
avoid the theatre, film, literature and the likes, because of their
short-sighted thinking that nothing will be gained in return.”
Mallam Abdullahi isn’t the only one
extoling the philanthropy and foresight of the Ilorin-based SAN. Beneficiaries
of the grant at the state level are also over the moon. Charles Iornumbe has
chaired the Benue State chapter of the association since 2016. He told Daily
Sun, “I recall that, out of the seven years of the annual grant, ANA Benue
has received thrice.” In 2016, the chapter marched it with the financial
support it solicited for from the state government, other bodies, as well as
individuals. It, hence, launched the awareness campaign at the Akawe Torkula
College of Advanced and Professional Studies, Makurdi, because the focus of
that year was on tertiary Students.
It subsequently took the campaign to
the nook and crannies of Benue State, visiting College of Education, Oju Gboko
College of Education, Gboko; College of Education, Katsina Ala; and Benue State
University, Makurdi.
“In all the schools, we read
literary books and presented same as gifts to students who could answer our
questions correctly,” he told Daily Sun, adding that three months after
the Makurdi convention, the chapter commenced the A-Book-A-Child project with
the launch at Lady Victoria Academy, Makurdi. “Yusuf Ali campaign has been
sustainable, dependable, realistic, and more result oriented,” he echoed.
Richard Inya chairs the Ebonyi State
chapter of ANA. He affirmed on the uniqueness of the ANA Yusuf Ali Literary
Awareness Campaign, “The first thing that comes to mind is its sense of
consistency. The degree of literary awareness in our branch is now high.
People, especially the youths, are becoming more and more aware literarily.
There are book clubs and literary societies, some of which are founded by young
people for the purpose of meeting their literary ends.
“On our part, there have been
vigorous awareness campaigns at various schools in the branch, which feature
talks, quiz and book donations. We reveal to the students and pupils what lies
behind the doors of creativity and healthy reading culture; we show them
individuals who attained greatness and global reckoning through creativity;
give them tips on how to reach such enviable heights, positing reading as the
bedrock.”
“In 2016, we partnered Federal
University, Ndufu-Alike Ikwo (FUNAI), to organise a programme that attracted
students from all the tertiary institutions in the branch, courtesy of this
grant. We now have chapters in different higher institutions and secondary
schools in the state. Thus, it cannot be gainsaid that the Yusuf Ali Literary
Awareness grant has been of immense value in fostering literary growth in our
branch.”
The story isn’t different in Rivers
State, where Uzoh Nwamara, superintends the state chapter. He told Daily Sun
that the campaign was geared towards making students aware of the importance of
reading not only literary works and their academic works, but also other
materials to live a balanced and well-informed lives, thus, helping in
galvanising the interest of both members and the academic community in literacy
issues.
“Yusuf Ali is a man that appreciates
the fact that art is patronised for it to flourish. He has exhibited a
prolonged commitment to his vision aimed at rolling back the blanket of
ignorance covering our citizens. He understands that an enlightened citizenry
will ultimately transform into a better society. He is a living challenge to
other blessed Nigerians to take up a similar challenge and impact the society
positively,” he said.
For Kabiru Andullahi, ANA Chairman,
Bauchi, “I know not of any literary awareness campaign feat after NLNG and
Yusuf Ali literary readings that has been enormously impactful, in my abiding
literary interest.” And from Gombe State came a testament from Usman Nurain,
‘I’ll call Yusuf Ali a true patron of arts.” Surely, Nigerian writers are
waiting for who will emulate this feat.
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