Recently, scholars versatile in both old Borno and modern Borno traditions converged in Maiduguri to re-evaluate the artistic values of the kingdom and territory. SADIQ ABUBAKAR examines the scope of the gathering.
Borno Books and Arts Festival popularly known as ‘BOBAFEST’, is a festival of arts and creativity in the state which celebrates and displays excellent arts, culture, storytelling and creativity on the cultural heritage of old Kanem Borno Empire.
This year’s Borno Book and Arts Festival 2022 was designed and held in Maiduguri, the state capital from November 23 to 27 2022 and it dwelt on the theme: ‘Narratives’. Here, the festival presented activities in the form of panel discussions, workshops, poetry, local musical performances, arts exhibition, cultural display and a book drive.
The theme, ‘Narratives’, sought to have discussions around issues that promote positive narratives about the state, its people, creativity, culture and literature while erasing negative narratives such as the extremists’ narratives that have bedeviled the state for over a decade with devastating effects on the libras and property of the populace as well as threatening their living condition including socio-economic activities and livelihoods.
It also sought to create a safe environment, a space for artists, innovators, creative minds, professionals and brains or thinkers to fashion out, deliberate, debate, comment or dialogue on the possibilities of crossing the red carpet from negativity to positivity by way of changing the narratives of Borno’s culture, art, tradition, value, norm, custom, belief and history as a ravaged state or territory made so by insurgency that had engulfed the region for over a decade.
This is more so as the state is on the verge of recovery through the post insurgency rebuilding processes of resettlement, rehabilitation and reconstruction of various communities touched by the crisis in so many ways especially in the areas of education, arts, technology, entrepreneurship or vocational skills, political, cultural, social, poverty, unemployment , beliefs, media and communication, economy, health, industrial, agricultural and basic infrastructural development and other subject matters.
Gathering touched many aspects of Borno culture
Guests at the historic festival which was the first of its kind in the history Borno Empire or dynasty include authors, poets, singers, comedians, actors, actresses and creative artists of the Theatre Arts fame from numerous parts of the state and it’s environs. These all honourably graced the festival by witnessing all the activities that were lined up for the festival which also symbolised happenings in Maiduguri.
The 2022 festival on the theme, ‘Narratives’ also as part of activities presented activities in form of panel discussions, creative writing workshops, poetry and local musical performances, arts exhibition, cultural displays and book drives. It also added flavour to the aroma and juicy intellectual and natural creative atmosphere of the state.
The festival presents activities in the form of panel discussions, workshops, poetry and local musical performances, art exhibition, cultural display and book drives.
The event and theme further sought discussions around issues that promote positive narratives of Borno state, its people, creativity, culture and literature while erasing negative narratives such as the extremists narratives that have bedevilled the state.
The three days event took place at Armani Event World Conference Hall Maidugiri Borno state consecutively on 25th, 26th and 27th November, 2022 as it highlighted group photographs, dance performances, entertainments, displays, exhibitions, books and papers presentations as well as poems among others.
A plunge into history
It would be recalled that Kanem Borno was under the African Trading Empire ruled by the Sef Dynasty that controlled the area around Lake Chad from the 9th to the 19th century. Its territory at various times included what is now southern Chad, northern Cameroon, North-eastern Nigeria, eastern Niger, and southern Libya.
In the late 14th century, the Bulala people forced the Sef to abandon Kanem and the capital was moved to Birni Ngazargamu in Bornu, west of Lake Chad. It remained there even after Kanem was retaken in the early 16th century.
Under its able rulers of the 16th century (Muḥammad Dunama, ʿAbd Allāh, and especially Idrīs Alawma, who reigned (1571–1603), Kanem-Borno (thereafter sometimes called simply Borno) was extended and consolidated.
At the beginning of the 19th century, the Fulani of Nigeria disputed Borno’s suzerainty over the Hausa states to the west of Lake Chad and drove Mai Aḥmad from his capital in the year 1808.
They were expelled by the intervention of Muḥammad el-Kanemī, a scholar, warrior, and diplomat of Kanem to whom Aḥmad had been forced to appeal for aid. Obliged also to assist Aḥmad’s successor, Dunama, against the raiding Fulani, el-Kanemī assumed implicit control of Bornu but was never able to reestablish its power. The Sef Dynasty however died out in 1846.
