The home of hospitality as it is fashionably called, Katsina State was carved out of the old Kaduna State on Wednesday, 27th September 1989 by the then military Head of State, Maj. General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB), GCON. Katsina is primarily a Hausa-Fulani state and it comprises of two emirates; the Daura and the Katsina Emirate. Clans between the prince of Baghdad Bayajidda and Daurama gave rise to the originators of Daura, Katsina, Kano, Zaria, Rano, Biram, and Gobir. This article seeks to tell you some of the amazing places to visit in Katsina State.
Katsina like any other state has so many tourist attractions whose origin can be traced back to hundreds of years. Some of these tourist attractions are the Katsina Emir’s palace, Daura Emir’s palace, Kusugu Well, Old KTC, Gobarau minaret, National museum, Katsina city gates, and so on. Below are some 6 places to visit in Katsina:
Places to Visit in Katsina State
1. Katsina Emir’s Palace
The Katsina Royal Palace also known as ‘Gidan Korau’ is one of the lovely places to visit in Katsina. It is a huge complex located in the centre of the historic city. It is a masterwork of Hausa architecture which serves as a symbol of the culture, history, and traditions of the Katsina people.
According to historical account, the palace was built in 1348 AD by Muhammadu Korau, who is believed to have been the first Muslim emir of Katsina. This explains why it is traditionally known as ‘Gidan Korau’ (House of Korau). It is one of the oldest and among the first generation palaces, along with Daura, Kano, and Zazzau (Zaria).
The palace’s compound is divided into three sections; the living quarters of the emir and his family which is called ‘Soro’ and ‘Barga’, the yard where the emir’s stable is located, where his servants and slaves also live. More so, there is also a place called ‘Gidan Ganye’; this is where the royal garden and the emir’s guest house are located.
The main gate leads to ‘Kofar Soro’, while the gate at the backyard is called ‘Kofar Bai’ (which is now gone). The emir’s residential quarter in the middle of the palace is a large compound built in traditional architectural style.
The palace’s buildings are made of conical-shaped and sun-dried clay bricks (known in Hausa as tubali), mud, and local rafters known as ‘azara’. The wall of the house is about 90 centimetres at the base and is plastered with high-quality clay mixed with cow dung and grass.
There also exists in the stunning palace, a mosque, a clinic, and a children’s playground. Attached to the ‘Babban Zaure’ reception are, is the emir’s inner compartment in which he sits with his senior councillors to receive state officials and other prominent people. At the northwest end of the compound is the old council chamber (tsohuwar majalisa), which was built by Emir Dikko who reigned from 1906 to 1944.
Bordering this building to the south is the new council chambers (sabuwar majalisa) which was built by Emir Usman Nagogo (1944-1951). The elegant emir’s palace is not only an outstanding piece of architecture that enchants tourists, but also a symbol of Islamic authority, a heritage of traditional Hausa architecture, and an enduring monument of organized society.
2. Emir of Daura’s Palace
The Emir of Daura’s palace as one of the places to visit in Katsina State is a beautiful structure located at the centre of the town, built by Magajiya Daurama shortly after moving the capital of the kingdom from ‘Tsohon Birni (Old City) to the present day Daura city.
The palace was constructed in the typical Hausa architecture, using sun-baked bricks, mud, local rafters, and ‘Makuba’, a local colourant.
The Palace also contains a large ‘zaure’ which is the main entrance and several inner chambers.
3. Kusugu Well Daura
The mythical Kusugu well in which a serpent called Sarki was slain by Abu Yazid Bin Abdullahi, popularly known as Bayajidda, is also one of the places to visit in Katsina as it serves as the major tourist attraction in Daura town.
During the reign of Queen Daurama of Daura, the major source of water for Daura residents was the Kusugu well. But people were only allowed to fetch water once a week, that is on Friday of every week because of a mythical snake that lives inside the well.
People continue to starve until one day when a person who was believed to be a Baghdadi prince, who goes by the name Abu Yazid Bin Abdullahi while traversing African countries arrived at Daura. After lodging in the house of one old woman, he requested water, but was not given enough water to satiate his thirst and was also told that there is no more to give him due to the presence of a snake in the well that obstructs residents from fetching water unless on Fridays.
Upon hearing that, Bayajidda then requested to be shown the well so that he can go and fetch the water by himself. He was cautioned about the tricky snake but did not heed the warning as he went ahead to the well and luckily, he slew the snake after a fight.
The well from time past has become a tourist site in the Daura Kingdom and the sword that was used to kill the formidable snake is in the custody of the Emir of Daura His Highness. Both the well and the sword can still be seen by tourists today.
The Gobarau Minaret is 50 feet or a 15-meter minaret located in the centre of Katsina city. As an early representation of Muslim architecture in Katsina, the tower has become a symbol of the city.
It is the first tallest building built in the ancient city of Katsina, to serve the function of a surveillance tower for spotting enemy invaders as they approached the city during communal war inherent in that era.
The Minaret which according to Katsina state history and culture bureau initially stood at 122m i.e. 400ft before the main body of the tower collapsed. So it is therefore then reduced to stand at the present height of 17.11m with a base of approximately 83.36sqm.
The building was designed and built to reflect the Timbuktu type of architecture depicting the civilization and craftsmanship of the 14th-century inhabitants. Originally built as the central Mosque of Katsina town, it was also later used as a school. By the beginning of the 16th century, Katsina had become a very important commercial and academic center in Hausaland, and Gobarau mosque had grown into a famed institution of higher Islamic education.
Gobarau continued to be Katsina’s Central mosque until the beginning of the 19th century AD when Sarkin Katsina Ummarun Dallaji (1805-1835) built a new mosque, which was later demolished by Muhammadu Dikko (1906–1944), who built the famous Masallacin Dutsi, which is still used up to this day.
5. Katsina City Gates
Constructed about 900 years ago during the reign of King Murabus, the Katsina city wall as one of the places to visit in Katsina State encircles the city and has several different gates for passage. The ancient gates of the city walls continue to amuse visitors to the town and are something that faraway tourists have heard about and wish to see.
Some of these gates are Kofar Kaura (kofa means gate), Kofar Sauri, Kofar Marusa, Kofar Durbi, Kofar Kwaya et cetera.
Conclusion
All the above-mentioned places are amazing places to visit in Katsina State you should at least once visit as a Northern Nigeria.
Tell me in the comments section below which you would love to visit soon. Thank you.
In this article, I am going to show you some strategies to guide you on how to grow your Twitter account within a very short time. One might obliviously be wondering on how on earth would the number of Twitter followers be of any service to him. Well, this write-up is going to unravel to you the benefits of having a large audience on Twitter.
Social media in this era is enormously important in our day-to-day activities. Practically, all the businesses in the globe have at this moment resorted to using social media for the advertisement of their goods and or services. It is therefore significant for a business to have a considerably huge number of social media followers if it has to succeed.
We, therefore, find it worthwhile to share with you, 10 proven procedures to help you grow your Twitter account within a short time.
How to Grow Your Twitter Account Quickly
1. Tweet Regularly and Consistently
Unlike some other social networking sites where 2 to 3 posts per day would be sufficient for someone to remain in the race, Twitter requires that you post much more than that. Given the nature of the platform such that it moves quite quickly in a way that tweets only last for a few minutes on one’s timeline, it is, therefore, crucial for someone to post more frequently in a day at least 8 to 15 times a day.
Note that you’ll have to be posting meaningful and relevant content on your timeline. Filling up your Twitter timeline with fresh and meaningful content lets your followers know that you’re active, engaging, and well, worth following.
2. Optimize Your Profile
Another strategy on how to grow your Twitter account in a short time is by optimizing your profile. This is by filling in all the necessary information to convince potential followers to follow you. The best way of doing that is by concisely optimising your bio.
Make sure that you fill your bio with the right and a convincing message about yourself or your brand. This will attract relevant followers to your account; people with shared interests with you and those looking to connect with someone with your type of idea or services you provide.
3. Have Professional Profile Picture
Some people ignore the importance of profile pictures and end up putting something irrelevant. You must set up a credible profile such that whoever visits your page will know that you are legit and trustworthy. Upload a personal profile picture if it happens to be your personal Twitter account. Ensure that the picture is clearly recognizable with your face visibly identifiable.
Also do not forget to change your Twitter profile header’s background from the default blue background to something meaningful. Like something about you, a picture of you, or even a quote about you or your brand.
4. Frequently Relevant and/or Trending Hashtags
Utilization of relevant hashtags in your tweets is a great way to get more views from new and potential followers. But it is imperative to note that not all the hashtags that you see or come to your mind are worth using.
Therefore you need to find the one that is relevant and has the potential of making your tweets reach a larger audience of people with presumably an interest in your content.
5. Attend to Mentions, Replies, and Retweets Almost Instantly
If you really want to grow your Twitter account quickly, you should be actively engaging back with your followers by responding to their comments and mentions on tweets on your feed or theirs.
This will help you build an active and engaging Twitter handle, which means more retweets and therefore more followers.
6. Find the Right Time for Your Tweets
In trying to find out some good ways on how to grow your Twitter account quickly, you don’t have to spend all day searching or tweeting randomly. All you have to do is to find out the right time your followers are likely to be more active on the platform. This will help you have engaging tweets which will, in turn, lead to more retweets and likely more followers as a result.
Let say, for example, most of your audience or your followers are busy during the day. It is therefore not good advice to tweet during working hours. Tweeting during non-working hours such as in the evening or during the weekend is highly likely to help you keep an engaging Twitter account.
7. Retweeting Some of Your Old Tweets
The habit of retweeting some of your tweets, most especially your best tweets is a sure way to expand your reach and as such the opportunity to gain more followers. Asking your followers to retweet (call to action) do at times tend to be a good way to increase your retweets. Retweeting other people’s content, especially those relevant to your niche is also a good way to build an engaging account which will ultimately result in gaining more active followers.
8. Follow The Relevant People
Following people with interests similar to yours is a popular strategy so many people have been using in getting more Twitter followers. Though this might not be a very effective way, such that you may end up following someone without him following you back, it is still a proven strategy that has worked for some people.
9. Include Images and Videos in Your Tweets
Tweets containing visual contents such as videos and or photos were found to perform better in reaching the target and desired audience than those with only plain text. Using stunning images in some of your tweets is a great way to grab the attention of your target audience.
A tweeted thread with a captivating and relevant photo is highly likely to get more engagement than the one with only plain text. Tweets containing visual content receive more likes, shares, and retweets than those without them. This is because our brains respond so quickly to images as it tends to be an irresistible attention drawer on Twitter and other social media platforms.
So proper usage of attractive photos or videos in your tweets is yet another powerful method for you looking for how to grow your Twitter account quickly.
10. Share your Twitter Account to Other Social Media Platforms
Another tested and effective method of growing a Twitter account is by simply sharing your Twitter account or profile link on other social media platforms. Sites like Facebook and Instagram are good outlets to amass huge valuable followers, most especially if you have a large following or friends on any or both of them.
Conclusion
Growing a Twitter account is not a day job, it is a gradual process that requires patience and dedication. Do not think of taking shortcuts such as relying on some shady tools to amplify your network with bogus followers, it’s meaningless.
So take up these 10 easy tips delineated above to successfully grow your Twitter account.
Don’t forget to tell me how it went in the comments box.
It is quite apparent that people nowadays manage to use their smartphones to perform almost every task that is traditionally known to be done on a computer. For instance, photo editing which was normally done using computers has now been made easy and can be done using smartphones thanks to the tons of android photo editors, most especially the free android photo editors available on the net.
An android photo editor is a mobile phone software specifically developed for the purpose of editing pictures on mobile devices. Tons of free android photo editors out there that offer varying astonishing editing features you can use to perform so many things like designing flyers for advert purposes. This will save you the cost of having to necessarily hire a professional graphic designer.
You might have been looking for a perfect application for your project but finding it difficult to get the one that best suits your needs. So many other people out there might be having issues similar to yours. In honour of that, we decided to compile a list of the top 10 android free photo editors to use in 2021.
10 Free Android Photo Editors
1. Fotor
Fotor Photo Editor is one of the most incredible free android photo editors to use in 2021. The Powerful, user-friendly and globally accessible app Fotor, is widely known for its amazing photo collaging feature. It also has in addition, some basic photo editing tools such as red-eye removal, the use of stickers and overlays, cropping, photo deblurring, aperture addition and so on. Fotor has also a web and desktop version of the app.
Canva is a free android photo editor, used mostly in creating social media graphics, posters, Instagram stories, video collages, other visuals and lots more. There exist in the app, some predefined templates for users to use. The software is absolutely free to use.
Nevertheless, there is a paid version of the app like the Canva Pro and Canva for Enterprise for additional capabilities.
VSCO is a free android photo editing software (with and in-app purchases if need be) and also a social networking app just like Instagram. It is best known for its unique and massive collection of preset filters. VSCO filters enhance your photos without distorting the quality or making the photo look too filtered.
It has many other features than just filters, many of the standard features that come in most editing apps, like tools to fix exposure, contrast, and straighten and crop pictures, and they’re all available for free without having to buy VSCO X.
Google-owned free android photo editor known as Snapseed is a free photo editing app that comes with so many extraordinary features and presets that are quite convenient to use. The app has some good photo editing features that are inherent to desktop photo editing software. You can adjust things like contrast, shadows, brightness, saturation, and many more.
PhotoDirector is a photo editing application designed specifically for the purpose of enhancing the look of your photos. It allows you to vivify your photos using some special effects built into the app. You can also easily remove undesirable objects, change the background of the photo, and many more outstanding features.
Photo Effects Pro is a remarkable free online photo editing app to use in 2021. This app is easy and fun to use with numerous elegant features. Some of the things you can do with this app include the addition of frames, texts, speech bubbles, fixing of photos, adjustment and application of filters to your photos in a web browser.
Pixel Lab is the most amazing free android photo editor with which you can practically do almost everything that has to do with photo editing and graphics design. It has several astounding features, some of which include; creation and customization of text, 3d text, different shapes, stickers, background removal, a wide selection of presets, fonts, stickers, backgrounds, you’ll be able to create stunning graphics and amaze your friends straight from your phone.
Pixel lab is absolutely free to use. Get pixel lab app on your phone.
8. PicsArt
PicsArt is a free android photo editor with so many promising features to give your edited photos a perfect look. Some of the best features this app is known for are the background erasing feature, background changing, unwanted objects removal, adding filters to images, customized texts with over 200 font styles and lots more.
LightX is one of the best free photo editors that has almost every feature a good photo editor should have. LightX app has some fascinating features such as photo background removal and changer feature, photo collaging, good stickers, frames for your pictures, cartoon making a feature, blurring of images, portrait photos making, changing of hair colour, splash effects, and many more.
With LightX photo editor, you can as well put text on your photos and can also create a customized text for your works. Get it from thestore.
10. Adobe Photoshop Express
Adobe Photoshop Express is one of the best quick free android photo editors someone can have on his smartphone. It has a lot of classic features such as automatic correction of contrast, exposure, white balance, removal of red-eye effect, adding text, preset crop shapes as well as adding shadows and many more. Photoshop Express also has hundreds of filters within its library. Download Adobe Photoshop Express here.
The above-listed apps are the best free photo editors we deem everyone should have in his smartphone. Similarly, if you know or have an idea about any good photo editor which you think should be included in this article, please endeavour to let us know about it by dropping a piece in our comment box.
It is quite sure that you must on several occasions have heard of ‘stock photos’, ‘stock images’, and or ‘stock imagery’, and you keenly want to know about what they are and what are they used for. Your inquisition ends here as we have all the answers to your questions. This article is a compilation of the best free stock photos sites to use in 2021.
But before that…
What are Stock Photos?
Stock photos are comprehensive high-quality photos, paintings, and icons, usually created without any particular intent on the ground. In addition, it can be used for various purposes such as the use in properties adverts, products packaging, in personal or commercial projects, for publication in magazines, blogs, websites, and many more. They are then licensed, usually for a fee, and uploaded on stock photo sites, to individuals or organizations. They are used in marketing materials, websites, packaging, book covers, and more.
A photo they say is worth thousands of words. This assertion can be affirmed if someone has truly the right photos and had also put them into use in a reasonable manner. For instance, Social Media posts containing photos tend to perform better in reaching the target and desired audience. Social media is a niche comprising a dense population of people with varied intuition and diverse conceptions. Therefore, it is imperative to note that using startling high-quality images in some of your posts is a great way to grab the attention of your targeted and desired audience.
A tweeted thread with a spectacular photo is highly likely to get more engagement than the one with only plain text. This is because our brains respond so quickly to images as it tends to be an irresistible stalemate on social media. More so, the human brain can recognize a familiar object in a matter of few nanoseconds. This makes images the perfect way to communicate in modern-day communication means.
Can I Use Stock Photos for Free?
Most stock photos you see online are copyrighted. The photographer usually retains the ownership and intellectual property over the photo. Therefore, one cannot use such images without asking permission from the rightful owner, which at times requires paying some royalties or attributions.
In light of the fact that most of the online resources offering stock imagery services do so for a fee, we decided to do research and we were able to come up with a list of at least 10 free stock photos sites. But it is important to note that most of them have their respective drafted terms of usage that you may be required to adhere to.
10 Free Stock Photos Sites
1. Pixabay
Pixabay is one of the best free stock photos sites for all your photo-requiring projects in 2021. It offers copyright-free images, videos, and music that can be used anywhere.
All contents are released under the Pixabay License, which makes them safe to use without asking for permission or giving credit to the owner.
2. Freestocks.org
Freestocks.org has a collection of free high-resolution stock photos. All photos on freestocks.org are free and licensed under CC0 (Creative Commons Zero).
This gives you every right to modify and use them in your personal and commercial projects, only that you cannot sell the photos.
3. Unsplash
Unsplash is one of the best websites offering free stock photo services. All photos on Unsplash can be downloaded, modified, and used for either commercial or non-commercial purposes for free.
You don’t have to seek permission before you can use any of their photos. Though you can decide on your own to show a little attribute to them.
4. StockSnap.io
All photos on StockSnap are free to use for both personal and commercial projects. Photos here have been released under Creative Commons – CC0. CC0 is a license that allows you to download, modify, and distribute photos for whatever purposes.
You can do all that without having to ask for permission.
5. Kaboompics
All photos on Kaboompics can be used freely for commercial and noncommercial use. Giving credit or attributing to them is by choice, though it’s always appreciated.
You can also download and modify their photos the way you like.
6. Picography
All photos on Picography are absolutely free to use as they all come with a CC0 license. This means that you can download, modify, and use their photos for personal or commercial purposes.
You can do that without having to ask for permission, or give attribution to the creator of the work.
7. PicJumbo
PicJumbo offers a variety of free images for any kind of use free of charge with no registration required. You can also get new free images by subscribing to their newsletter.
The site also offers premium stock imaging services.
8. Pexels
Pexels is one of the best free stock photos sites in the world and is my personal favourite. All their photos are license-free and completely free to use. Giving credit or attribution to the photographer or Pexels is not necessary but always appreciated.
You are free to download and modify any of their photos and/or videos and use them as you like.
9. Reshot
Reshot is a free online library of a handpicked free stock photos, illustrations, and icons you may not necessarily find anywhere.
This site is originally built for startups, freelancers & makers who are sick of tacky stock photos. Their photos are free to use commercially and editorially and no attribution is required!
10. Canva
Canva is an online graphic design tool that is used to create social media graphics, presentations, posters, documents, and other visual content. It also offers free stock photos.
One advantage of using Canva is that you can quickly turn an image into a custom graphic to use on social media or your blog.
Conclusion
These are some of the best copyright-free stock photos sites that would help save your time in designing professional photos. It also saves you the cost of having to hire a professional photographer for your projects.
If you still feel the risk of using these free images in your works, most especially in commercial projects, you can then try their premium features for a certain token. But be rest assured that the sites are safe to use and are truly reliable.
Tell me which of the free photo sites will you be visiting soon in the comments section.
Naming ceremony in Hausaland is a postnatal occasion that is conventionally performed after a child is born, just like in other cultures. For a long, Hausa names were usually derived from Muslim names. At times, the names can also be derived from situations surrounding the birth of a child. For instance, “Anaruwa” is a name given to someone who is born while it’s raining or during a rainy season.
So also, a name can be derived from the day of the week the child was born, e.g. “Danjuma” is a name given to a boy who is born on a Friday. “Danladi” is a name given to a boy who is born on a Sunday. “Talle” is given to someone whose mother died during or shortly after his birth.
Naming Ceremony in Pre-Religious Era
Naming ceremony in Hausaland as an age-long tradition has been in existence for hundreds of years long before the arrival of any religion into the land. Traditionally then, assigning a name to a newborn baby was usually done by seven elderly persons of the community, where they separately go to the bush and find a Kenaf plant (Rama) onto which every one of them inscribe his desired name on its wood (sillen rama).
The Kenaf woods carrying the inscribed names would therefore then be tucked and presented to the neonate’s mother to make a choice, whichever one she picks would be the name of the baby.
Wankan Jego in Hausaland
“Wankan Jego” involves bathing by the mother using a clump of leaves doused in a hot water two times a day following delivery for at least 40 days. The mother is assisted by an elderly woman called “Ungozoma” who usually comes from within the family or neighbourhood.
After taking the bath, she remains in a well-heated room with a fire glowing underneath a specially constructed dried mud bed “Gadon Kasa”, which can retain heat for several hours. All this is done according to the tradition, to derive away cold which is believed to be the cause of many diseases.
Naming Ceremony in Hausaland During The Religious Era
The naming ceremony in Hausaland with the advent of Islamic religion has undergone some cultural modifications. It is held on the seventh day after a child is born. Three days after delivery, family and friends present their gifts to the mother. A portion of a certain food is known as ‘Kauri’ is made and distributed to family and friends and on the sixth day after childbirth, notice is sent to family, friends and other well-wishers reminding them about the naming ceremony the following day.
Seven days after the delivery, the men comprising family, friends and other well-wishers gather and stay in front of the house together with the father of the neonate, while the women stay inside with the mother.
The naming ceremony begins with the arrival of the Imam who is in charge of the prayer session for the naming event, and the child’s name is subsequently given to him by his father as the Imam offers prayers, the name of the child is announced publicly.
“Aqiqah” for the Newborn Baby
The aqiqah is traditionally held on the seventh day after the child’s birth, but it may also be postponed (often the 7th, 14th, or 21st day after birth). The word ‘aqiqah’ comes from the Arabic word ‘aq’ which means ‘to cut’. It refers to the act of slaughtering an animal to provide meat for the meal.
If one cannot afford the expense of performing ‘aqiqah’ at the time of the child’s birth, he can decide to postpone it to the time he can afford, so far that it is done before the child reaching pubertal age. An animal, usually a ram or sheep but mostly ram, is provided for the sacrifice on the naming ceremony day. 2 goats or 2 sheep are to be slaughtered for the male child, while a goat or a sheep is slaughtered for the female child.
Kolanuts, dates and some other foodstuff are also arranged and distributed. After all that, a traditional barber is called to shave off the baby’s hair and if need be, gives the baby a particular tribal mark.
Nowadays, especially in the urban areas, the majority of the people prefer conducting the naming ceremony of their children in mosques, usually after ‘subhi’, the Muslims Morning Prayer.
This might be attributed to the views of some scholars that the traditional naming ceremony in Hausaland is not in conformity with the Islamic teachings.
