History of Gaskiya Ta Fi Kwabo, Nigeria’s First Hausa Newspaper

Updated: Feb 3, 2022
By Bello Abdullahi
Origin of the Ancient Hausa Music Kidan Shantu

Origin of the Ancient Hausa Music Kidan Shantu

The Hausas have been performing Kidan shantu since before they even come into contact with other people, making it an ancient tradition. The connection to people, however, has caused some alterations to the structure and flow of the Kidan shantu. Kidan shantu is...

Ebira Pet Names That Will Gladden Your Partners Heart

Ebira Pet Names That Will Gladden Your Partners Heart

Ebira pet names are for people whose partner is an Ebira person. Are you in a relationship and want to express romantic feelings for your significant other? You need to name your love. You want to be able to call them by name, and you want to be able to express your...

30+ Hausa Romantic Names You Can Call Your Partner

30+ Hausa Romantic Names You Can Call Your Partner

These romantic Hausa names are the best way to show your spouse how important they are to you in an endearing way. These names make your spouse know they matter and are very special to you. As a Northerner, how do you develop romantic Hausa names for your significant...

30+ Southern Kaduna Names That Are Easy to Remember

30+ Southern Kaduna Names That Are Easy to Remember

Southern Kaduna names are easy and simple to recall. Even though some names are just too complicated and difficult to pronounce, here are a few southern Kaduna names that are easy to remember. Kato AchigabaJanet DuniyaYohanna GagarauBintu MutuwaBala BwachatBakam Allah...

Gaskiya ta fi Kwabo, an ingenious northern newspaper, which arguably created the standard of contemporary Hausa writing, which mixed both the Hausa form of writing using Arabic letters known as Ajmi and the Roman form of writing in order to carry along to two kinds of literates in the colonial Hausa days.

Gaskiya Ta fi Kwabo is said to be a documentation of the Hausa people and the perspective they held regarding World War II. The newspaper became the longest indigenous language newspaper that existed in Nigeria.

What is the Meaning of Gaskiya Ta Fi Kwabo?

Gaskiya Ta Fi Kwabo, a term coined for a Hausa based newspaper and periodicals which means “Truth is worth more than Kobo”.

The concept of the newspaper started in 1936 when the government of Northern Nigeria wanted to find a better means of passing information and the newspaper was officially launched in January 1939 and immediately started publication right after, which was under the auspice of the Gaskiya corporation, which was earlier known as The North Regional Literature Agency (NORLA).

When Was Gaskiya Ta Fi Kwabo Founded

Gaskiya Ta fi Kwabo was founded in the late 1936, when the government overseeing Northern Nigeria was interested in ways to reach out to its citizens about their various activities. This became imminent when rumors began to spread around the country that the British colonial masters were intending to handover Nigeria to Hitler, who was on his world conquest.

To curb the wide spread of fear and rumors flying around the country, a suggested solution was to create a medium of disseminating information in a way that would be easily comprehendible by most citizens in the North, which was how Gaskiya Tafi Kwabo came about.

Gaskiya was important for providing information about World War II to Nigerians, and the stand the British were taking and planning to take in order to curb the tension that was consuming the minds of the populace.

The headquarters of the newspaper, was in Zaria which was where the Gaskiya Corporation was situated, and where the periodicals were also published. The paper played a great role in increasing the popularity of the war happenings and the effort the Government was putting towards the war effort during the early 1940s.

The first Editor of the news paper was Mallam Abubakar Imam Kagara, who was a well versed and incisive man and was just the perfect fit for the job. He did an almost perfect job that the newspaper, Gaskiya Ta fi Kwabo is argued now to have set a standard in Hausa writing; from spelling, to the grammar implored in the periodicals, as well as the style and vocabulary used.

The New Nigerian Corporation (now New Nigerian Development Corporation – NNDC), which was a company set to take over the management of companies and entities in Northern took over the management of the Newspaper in January 1966.

For How Long Did Gaskiya Ta Fi Kwabo Last?

Gaskiya Ta fi Kwabo has the longest life span of all indigenous language to have set up a newspaper outlet. It operated entirely in Hausa from 1939-1965, and in 1965, the Gaskiya corporation had an English version titled Nigerian Citizen. In 1966, after which the NNDC took over amongst many things changed the name to New Nigerian. In the sense of being purely a Hausa based newspaper, it lasted for over 26years before taking another form.

The NDDC set up a corresponding plant in the Southern part of the country in March, 1973, alongside that of Kaduna. They concurrently sold the newspaper in both Kaduna and Lagos which improved the wide distribution of the paper.

However, when 12 states were created in the North by the Federal Government in July 1967, possession and control of the company became that of the Northern states, and was temporarily under the Interim Common Services Agency (ICSA). The Federal Government in 1975 took full control of the company and was placed under the Federal Ministry of Information.

It is currently under the 19 Northern states as it was handed back to them in 2006.

Achievements and Success

Gaskiya Ta fi Kwabo has recorded tremendous success from its inception. Amongst them is the ability to reach a wide range of readership from the populace, thanks to the creative idea of introducing the Ajmi scripting of Hausa letters. Also, amongst their many achievements is the role they played in the Nationalistic fight.

Gaskiya Tafi Kwabo became a popular outlet to discuss contemporary issues, as was well utilized by one of the front liner Nationalist, Sa’adu Zungur, to mention a few and how it became an outlet to educate people.

It was also a landmark achievement through the successful establishment of the Gaskiya Tafi Kwabo, on the clear reason that it was the first attempt by the Government to set up a newspaper.

Popular Reads

Everything on JUMIA

0 Comments

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Whats new?
30+ Christian Hausa Names You Should Know About

30+ Christian Hausa Names You Should Know About

Christian Hausa names are mostly names of prophets or their companions or Arabic-derived names pronounced and written in Hausa. There are also infrequent names that are from original Hebrew that are written in Hausa. Christians bear Muslim names that don’t have...

15+ Unisex Hausa Names You Can Name Your Child

15+ Unisex Hausa Names You Can Name Your Child

Have you ever wondered how to find a gender-neutral name for your baby? One of the many ways you can do that is to name your baby with unisex Hausa names. Some people might want to consider a unisex name for their baby. This does not necessarily mean that the name has...

How NASA Space Station in Kano Helped Put the First Man on The Moon

How NASA Space Station in Kano Helped Put the First Man on The Moon

Did you know that a NASA space station in Kano state in Nigeria was crucial to the success of the Apollo mission, the first mission which landed a human on the moon? Let me tell you how it happened. How NASA Space Station in Kano Helped the Apollo Mission In 1958 at...

The Forgotten Story of Kabo Air

The Forgotten Story of Kabo Air

Kabo air was one of the Nigerian charter airline companies popular in the 90s to 2000s. The Kano-based airline which provided Hajj charter services is now largely forgotten. What happened? Here is the genesis. Origin of Kabo Air Kabo Air was established in February...

100 Kanuri Names and Their Meanings in English

100 Kanuri Names and Their Meanings in English

Kanuri people are one of the ethnic groups in North-East Nigeria, with a lot of cultural heritage and rich history. With an estimated 3 Million speakers in Nigeria alone, mostly in Borno and Yobe states, the Kanuri people are one of the largest ethnic groups in the...

50+ Fulani Names and Their Meanings in English

50+ Fulani Names and Their Meanings in English

Fulani names in Nigeria are very unique. From the female Fulani names to the Fulani male names, each has its own meaning. The Fulani are one of the cultures that have not abandoned their traditions just like the Hausas have their traditional Hausa names hence still...

The Intriguing Story of Fulani Dress Styles

The Intriguing Story of Fulani Dress Styles

The Fulani dress styles are very beautiful and well-recognized, just like the Hausa royal attires. The Fulani culture itself is a well-known diverse and rich one. The Fulani are a member of a pastoral and nomadic people of mixed African and Mediterranean ancestry with...

The Evolution of Polo in Northern Nigeria

The Evolution of Polo in Northern Nigeria

The general metamorphosis of Polo in Northern Nigeria is as fascinating as the sport itself. It started as a sport only the elite male royals partook in. Now, a mark that any member of society can decide to participate in really talks about how polo has evolved and...

Explore more

You May Also Like…

No Results Found

The page you requested could not be found. Try refining your search, or use the navigation above to locate the post.