Warm female receptionists in silk clothing, and their male counterparts adorned in Kaftan of national colours were the first alluring impressions of what awaited delegates on arrival at the Gusau Hotels for the just-concluded 27th International Convention of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), in Gusau, Zamfara State.

The confab had as its theme, Literature, Identity and Civilisation. The hotel, was the first port-of-call for delegates where they completed registration formalities before onward transportation to their respective hotels in stand-by buses marked Zamfara State Transport Service.

Ironically, for the infant state chapter, (Zamfara ANA was only inaugurated in January), hosting Nigerian writers was no mean feat. While the Musa Zubairu Mailayi-led Local Organising Committee (LOC) deserved kudos for a job well done, the state government, led by amiable governor, Mahmuda Aliyu Shinkafi which shouldered the cost of hosting, also deserved commendation.

By that gesture, the state government made good its promise to the national executive and the state chapter at the inauguration of Zamfara ANA early in the year to make a difference in the annals of ANA convention. Perhaps, Zamfara was challenged by the fact that at the 2007 convention in Owerri, no one gave it a chance. Relatively unknown, inexperienced and with no pedigree in squaring up to such a big challenge, writers and lovers of literature were hitherto skeptical about its chances of hosting the event successfully.

Meanwhile, the state government not oblivious of the importance of such an event as a platform to sell the state to the outside world against the background of its Sharia compliance, seized the bull by the horn by throwing its full weight behind the programme.

To Alhaji Yahaya Shafi Dangana, playwright and Senior Special Assistant to Niger State Governor on Research and Documentation, Zamfara 2008, “ is another milestone in the recognition accorded literary writings by Northern leaders.”

Dangana, who wrote The Royal Chambers, COJA 2003 drama, attributed the successful hosting to the visionary ANA national executive led by Dr Wale Okediran and the pragmatism of the local organizers. His words, “ one cannot but salute the leadership of the national executive in terms of sensitising the people about Literature and why literary creativity must be supported. More importantly, Zamfara, Dangana continued, had thrown a challenge to next year’s host, Niger State, not to compromise whatever may hinder a successful hosting.”

His kinsman and former ANA President, Alhaji Abubakar Gimba, said that the confab signaled a budding rapport between government and writers. Interestingly, the imperative to correct government’s perception of writers as radicals and rascals was one of Okediran’s priority attention when he mounted the saddle in 2005. To a large extent this effort has yielded fruit, considering government’s positive disposition towards writers, recently.

It was against this background that an excited Gimba said “ we’re very happy because government is beginning to respond and give supports to Literature. Even if not from the point of view of the convention, the fact is that such gestures would encourage our young ones and educational development in this part of the world.”

On how ANA could free itself from penury, the award-winning novelist, charged future hosts to strategize and plan within the resources available to it, however, he considers it the duty of every government to lend hands of support.

Before then, an atmosphere of warmth, camaraderie, had pervaded the venue of the opening ceremony held at the Jibril Bala Yakubu State Secretariat Complex, Gusau. Outside the hall, the atmosphere was no less convivial. There was exchange of banters by old folks as they move round a mini book fair outside the hall. Some delegates also posed for individual and group photographs.

Meanwhile, the day’s proceedings did not kick-off until the arrival of the Deputy Governor, Alhaji Mukhtar Ahmad Anka who led other dignitaries to the occasion. Inside the multi-purpose hall, the sonorous voice of a female Hausa-Fulani singer set the tone for the commencement of the programme. Dignitaries who later occupied the high table comprised, former ANA Presidents, Odia Ofeimun, and Abubakar Gimba, Chairman of the occasion, Hon. Mohammad Takori, ANA president, Wale Okediran, and Zamfara Chairman, Ibrahim Tudu. Also on the rostrum was the keynoter, Professor Tanimu Abubakar, the representative of the Emir of Guasau, Alhaji Muhammadu Kabir Danbaba (OFR) and representative of the Governor of Marabi, Niger Republic Alhaji Minasara Abdul.

A remarkable aspect of the opening ceremony which, also showcased cultural performances, choral music, poetry recitation and the launch of the Zamfara ANA Anthology of poems, Maza Faran was the Deputy Governor’s speech.

Apparently speaking the mind of his boss, Governor Aliyu Shinkafi, who was unavoidably absent, Anka’s speech was a re-affirmation of the state government’s benevolence to the writers’ body. He recalled how the interface between Zamfara ANA and government had enhanced reading culture, and growth of knowledge in the state. Anka, also acknowledged the need to discover and nurture creative talents in youths. While he charged writers to devote their pen to correcting societal vices, he announced a donation of two buses, a 14-seater Toyota bus for the state chapter and an 18-seater for the national body. This was in addition to the promise to build a writer’s village, equipped with a library, and conference hall and residency for the state branch. At the awards dinner the next day, Governor Shinkafi confirmed the donation of the bus when he told the gathering that the national exco members would leave the city with the 18-seater bus.

Before then ANA president, Wale Okediran and Zamfara ANA chairman, Ibrahim Tudu had in their speeches reviewed their activities in the current year.

Okediran reeled out a series of engagements, notably the four-legged celebration of the golden Jubilee of Chinua Achebe’s celebrated novel, “Things Fall Apart.” He also mentioned the parley with the Kano State Censorship Board over some grey areas in the sanitization of the production and distribution of Hausa Literature and films. Okediran also recalled unto mind, the convocation of the 1st Northern Nigeria Writers Summit in Minna, in May.

Moreover, Okediran shared the cheering news over the association’s land in Abuja. He had words of commendations of the former FCT Minister, Modibo Umar for renaming the FCT Cultural edifice after the doyen of Nigerian Literature, late Chief Cyprian Ekwensi, and writing off the N22 million land rent fee on ANA’s land in Abuja. At last, respite may have come the way of the association as Okediran told the gathering that the Minister of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation, Prince Adetokunbo Kayode had agreed to collaborate with the association to put up a befitting writers’ village on the land.

Tudu, on his part eulogized Governor Aliyu Shinkafi for his goodwill towards members of the state branch. In his short yet, success story, Tudu reminisced how a toddler branch, inspired by state, did great things. The chairman listed among others, government’s donation of a twelve-seater bus to the chapter, a land for the construction of writers’ village and offer of financial assistance to prospective writers, towards getting their works published.

The opening ceremony built to a climax with the keynote address by Professor Tanimu Abubakar of the Department of English, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. Entitled Literature, Identity and Civilization, the keynoter who delivered an abridged version of the work, examine the link between history, civilization and literary development in the Northern part of the country, dating back to the 16th and 17th centuries. The scholar observed the trend in Northern Nigerian Literature, “ from the fusion of Islamic cosmology and secular matters contained in the works of 17th Century Jihad poets, and the vibrant secularity of the works of Saadu Zungur, Muazu, Hadeja and Aliyu Akilu.

Essentially, Tanimu Abubakar’s paper explored history to examine the evolution of Northern Nigerian Literature, through different stages of Nigeria’s and global socio-political and economic developments before setting an agenda for contemporary pen-merchants.