Former president John Dramani Mahama has underscored the role of language in cultural identity and in fostering unity.
He identified that aside its centrality to cultural identity, language serves as the means for communicating values, beliefs, and customs.
Citing specifically, the Hausa language, he said it, “equally, and if not most importantly, plays the social function of fostering unity, identity, and social solidarity."
The views were expressed in his keynote speech at the 2022 edition of the World Hausa Day durbar of chiefs that took place on August 26 at the forecourt of the State House.
Mahama also took time to educate the public on the role Hausa has played throughout Ghana’s history from pre colonial times to the present day.
The 2022 World Hausa Day celebration started weeks back largely with social media conscientization and media appearances by key organizers.
The gathering at State House was the main event but it was preceded on Wednesday by a public lecture at the Islamic University College of Ghana, IUCG.
Other activities lined-up for this year’s World Hausa Day include, a traditional wrestling competition (Dambe) on Friday August 26, 2022 and a Soccer Gala on Saturday August 27, 2022.
This year’s celebration will be climaxed on Sunday, August 28, 2022 with a Durbar which will have full participation from people across the various Zango communities in Accra.
World Hausa Day is an internationally recognized day set aside to celebrate the culture and language of Hausa people worldwide and their contribution to global peace and development.
Hausas are blessed with rich and attractive culture and the language is widely spoken in Africa especially West Africa and other parts of the world. Hausa history and culture is usually on full display at events around the celebration.
With respect to this year’s celebration, the Hausa people in Accra under the leadership of Sarki (Chief) Hamisu Bako, the Chief of Zango of Accra, organized series of activities which started with the August 24, 2022 commemorative lecture in honour of Mallam Naino, the first Hausa/Muslim to establish a ‘Zango’ in Accra.
The event was graced by Sheikh Mustapha Ibrahim of ICODEHS, Zongo Chief for Greater Accra, Chief Yahya Hamisu Bako, Alhaji Osman Yunus who is Technical Advisor at the office of the Vice President and several other dignitaries.
John Dramani Mahama