Reactions as Emir of Zazzau declares, ‘Fulanis are Nigeria’s best educated’

By KEMI KASUMU

“The Emir may be right. The Hausa and Fulanis are well educated and document their family history in their languages. The Emir is not talking about western education. The Yoruba should copy the North in documenting their family heritage in Yoruba language. Education doesn’t mean ability to read and write in English.” Dele Aworinde said.

A statement by the Emir of Zazzau, His Royal Highness Ambassdor Nuhu Bamali, that the Fulanis are the best educated Nigerians and that they do not by character carry carry AK-47 weapons has sparked reactions in a section of the social media public.

The Emir had urged Nigerians to stop generalising and blaming the entire Fulani ethnic group for acts of banditry, killings, and abductions, emphasising that such behaviour is against the core values and culture of the Fulani people.

He cautioned that the misdeeds of a few “bad eggs” should not be used to label the whole tribe.

Emir Nuhu Bamali, who was speaking at a cultural event organised by the Fulani Development and Cultural Organisation (FUDECO) on Saturday October 12, addressed the accusations linking Fulani herdsmen to violent activities.

He highlighted that Fulani tradition encourages peace, stating that a true Fulani man carries only a stick and a cutlass to care for his animals — not weapons like AK-47s.

“Carrying an AK-47 is not part of the core values of a Fulani man. A Fulani man is expected to carry his stick and cutlass to cut grass for his animals, but definitely not an AK-47, nor to kill or maim people,” the Emir said.

Bamali also spoke proudly of the Fulani’s contributions to education, asserting that they are among the best educated in the country.

“Fulanis are very enlightened people, very well educated. The best educated people in this country, I believe, are the Fulanis; I am not being biased,” he stated.

He encouraged the Fulani to continue upholding their cultural values and remain proud of their heritage. “I am very, very proud to be a Fulani man. All my ancestors, left and right, were Fulanis. So there is no way I will not be proud of my heritage, my culture, and everything,” Bamali said.

The Emir stressed that events like the FUDECO forum, which gathered participants from across Nigeria and neighboring countries, were vital in correcting misconceptions about the Fulani people and promoting their true identity. He expressed hope that these discussions would help put an end to the negative stereotypes surrounding the community.

“Our prayer is that all the nonsense going on about banditry and other things would stop. The bad eggs we have in every tribe in this country need to stop that rascality,” Bamali added.

Reactions

Apparently to debate the Emir’s claim, Ayoade Ojeniyi, a core Yoruba man with pride of his culture, posted a reaction on his verified Facebook timeline night of Sunday October 13, 2024.

Referring to the publication he wrote, “Fulanis are the best educated in Nigeria. . . . . Emir of Zauzau” and then began to make his own reaction underneath saying, “Just imagine that claim, Yorubas are far far ahead courtesy of the foundation laid by Awo in 1955 Free Primary Education. Today in Ekiti/Ondo area, it no longer how many graduates do you have in your family but how many Profs, Medical Doctors, SANs, Chartered Accountants etc !!!”

Responses

Responding, his fellow Yoruba interlocutors, who refused to be clouded by ethnic sentiments, made their thoughts public.

One of them was Dele Aworinde, who said, “The Emir may be right. The Hausa and Fulanis are well educated and document their family history in their languages.

“The Emir is not talking about western education. The Yoruba should copy the North in documenting their family heritage in Yoruba language.

“Education doesn’t mean ability to read and write in English. No. If you can read and write in your language, you are an educated person according to UNESCO.

“An ordinary Hausa man knows what goes on all over the world through his transistor radio.”

In his own response, another interlocutor, Bashir Adefaka, said, “And where is the proof in Yoruba way of life that they possess what you claim? They are angry to see themselves in their own cultural attire. They know who colonised them but want to or they always fashion their life after the same people that bought them for bottles into slavery, pushed the sick among them into the sea and padlocked their mouths in their sugarcane plantation and all that. They hate to be spoken to in their language. What more?”

NA Adebiyi came in with a very relegating comment saying, “I don’t think the emir of zazau is talking about western education. He is probably referring to education about cow routes from aghadez in Morocco to Durban in south Africa. He cannot be talking about the same western education and comparing his nomadic family that live in the bush with other Nigerians who live in organised societies in urban centers. Definitely NOT.”

He was however countered by Bashir Adefaka, a media practitioner in Nigeria who said, “Definitely NOT. He (the Emir) is talking about education in all its ramifications. Western, and to them there is no western education. What you have is education came from the Arab world call it the East. He that has facts doesn’t care who atacks his position, but the costly mistake the attacker can make is to argue with either half or no knowledge at all. When did Western education enter Nigeria? Early 19th century. In the 11th century, a royal visitor to Sokoto met the Sultan on the throne, reading a book about them of the West, and was shocked. That explains it. I love Professor Abuodun Ayodele of the University of Ibadan. When he visited Sokoto in 2019, he said to me, “Prince, if you have not moved closer to these Fulani people, don’t form opinion about them.”

“Now, by your saying that the education the Emir is talking about here is about cows, it is still part of the problem the Yoruba have. To gloat over nothing and still prove to be something. Among us South here, leave even the North, Igbo of East have continued to lead in WAEC. Fulani are great in all education both of how to worship their Lord and relate morally among humanity, animals and plants (Islamic call it the scriptures) and education about trade (sciences, arts and commercials),” he said.

Lukman Iyanda did not mince wordscto say, “Fulani and Hausa are well educated in many fields. Although, they used Arabic in their Sudied. They know much in Geology, Psychology , Medicine, Engineering and many other things. But, they can only read mostly in Arabic.

“English is like Arabic and Spanish and French.

“Just recently I began to respect and Admit Anyone who Studied Yoruba in University.
Same way most people Don’t regard other Language apart of English.”