MBA Collection

These are the original handwritten manuscripts either written by the authors, their students or those interested individuals. It is highly advisable not to move with the original copies to avoid excessive tear and wear.

These colored copies are made out of the original manuscripts. It is solely for the purpose of representation especially when moving about with the copies for the purpose of exhibition.

These are black and white bound photocopies of the entire collection. This is intended to indicate how voluminous the collection is. They are:

•       Shēhu Volume I
•       Shēhu Volume II
•       Naana, Raji, Taanu, Hassan and other identified scholars (Volumes, I and II)
•       Other scholars not identified (Volumes I and II)

This catalogue contains all the necessary individual information on all the manuscripts for those interested to know the details of the collection. The catalogue contains information related to both Arabic books and Arabic/Ajami Fulfulde Poetry. They are (196 Items), ranging from fulfude poetry (115 items) to Arabic poems and other write-ups (81 items).

This indicates the initial development of the collection. It serves as a sample of how the transliteration or transcription looks like. It contains more than 40 poems of the collection as volume 1 of 574 pages.

These are some transliterated poems selected for one reason or the other, based on the subject matter being referred to. For example:

•       74 Samples of Fulfulde Poems, showing a page of each of the 74 poems.
•       Selected Poems for Mawlid celebration.
•       20 Selected Poems for Contemporary Fulfulde Poetry
•       27 Fully Selected Poems as part of 74 Samples
•       102 Samples (Extended 74 Samples) for Recitation
•       Dada Fāɗimah Aminu, a reciter of Nana Asmau’s Poems
•       Lomto Fulfulde (Fulfulde Noun Classes Poems)

·        Syllabus for UniMaid Students for contemporary Fulfulde Poetry.

These contain written works done by experts related to Fulfulde Poetry, Fulɓe and their culture. They are:

•       The challenges of Nomadic Education by Hamidu Alkali, OFR, BUK 1988
•       The Fulɓe in Nigeria (Their various clans and location, by Alhaji Garba Sa’id. (BUK 1985)
•       Fulfulde, the language and its speakers, by Anneke Breedveld, Ph.D. Leinden (Netherlands) 1995
•       Pastoralist under pressure? Fulɓe Societies confronting change in West Africa, 1999.
•       Influence of Arabic Poetry on the composition and dating of Fulfulde Jihad Poetry in Yola, Adamawa State, Nigeria. By Anneke Breedveld, Leiden (Netherlands) December, 2009.
•       Assorted papers (selected)

By Dr. Abubakar B. Mohammad of Bauchi (late)

This is an international journal that was published based on one of the papers presented in Northwestern University in US on 30th April, 2012. It is on Muslims responses on British Colonialism. Brill publication in spring 2013 Ref. Islamic African N-W University.

These are samples of fully transliterated and translated works done by the proprietor of MBA collection. They are:

•       Baabuwol kire – Chapter for forgetfulness
•       Duuniyaayel – The Little World
•       Siyar Annabiijo – Biography of the Prophet (PBUH)
•       Yimre Tawhiidi – Poem for Oneness of God (Allah)
•       Allah  Jaalnam – Oh, God (Allah) make me Victorious
•       Alaamaaji Girbuki – The Signs of Collapse (of Leadership)
•       Tabital pulaaku – The Essentiality of Pulaaku Concept
•       Yimre Barka – Congratulatory Poem
•       ɓataakewal Iwngol Kalifooniya – A letter from California
•       ɓataakewal Iwngol Illiyooyi – A letter from Illinois
•       Congratulatory poem (Yimre Barka)

·        Combined Fulfulde/English Poem (Yimre Kornesin)

These are the authorships of the Proprietor of MBA collection to guide learners of Ajami, both in Arabic and Roman Ajami. They are:

•       Ajami literacy by M.B Abubakar
•       Ajami literacy (small hard copy)

·        Overview of Arabic Ajami Literacy

These contain collected written work done by experts related to learning through Ajami. They are:

•       Arabic for non-Arabs
•       Copy of Arɗo newspaper

·        Example of list of old Fulfulde  words to be used in modern time

These are Fulfulde Poems composed by the proprietor of MBA collection different from those in the collection. They are:

•       Fulfulde poetry by M.B Abubakar, volume.1
•       Fulfulde poetry by M.B Abubakar, volume.2
•       Other Poems selected from the 2 volumes
•       Other Poems on Drafts – Uncompleted

These are some selections out of Fulfulde poems by M.B Abubakar that were used for special occasions. They are:

•       Yimre Barka, 50th anniversary of Lamiɗo Aliyu Musɗafa, being on the throne – 2003.
•       Adamawa Emirate Bicentenary (duuɓi 200) April, 2009.
•       Resistance led by Lamiɗo Zubairu (Taltalɗi) July, 2009.
•       The 12th Lamiɗo Fombina, June 2010.
•       Seyo meetol Galadima Adamawa, May 2015.
•       Tabital pulaaku at Yagoua, Cameroon – in December, 2009.

·        Tabital Pulaaku at Kano International Conference – in March, 2016.

These are Hausa Poems composed by the proprietor of MBA Collection Some on request (e.g., Hajiyar Kusada) and some due to the nature of the subject matter (e.g., BBC Poems and those on Politics). They are twenty-two (22) in number contained in 235 pages. There are others related to Hausa (e.g. translation from other languages to Hausa).

These are some selections out of Hausa poems that were used for special occasions. They are:

•       Kafuwar BBC Hausa, African Service at fifty (50).
•       Hajiyar Kusada in 2002.
•       Anniyan shiga siyasa, Buhari 2002.
•       Ziyartar BBC Bush House in 2009.

·        BBC Hausa at sixty-five (65) in 2022.

English-Fulfulde, Fulfulde-English dictionaries and other bi-lingual books relevant for translation and comparative analysis are as listed below:

•       An English-Fulfulde Dictionary, by Paul K. Eguchi, Osaka, Japan, 1986.
•       A Fulfulde-English Dictionary, by Ibrahim A. Mukoshy, First Published 2014.
•       Stories of old Adamawa, by R.M. East, 1937.
•       Piirtol deftere Risaalah, nder Fulfulde, Fiistaande, by Abubakar M. Kabri, March 2013.
•       English-Fulfulde Terms, Mathematics, Primary Science, Politics and Law. Edited by Garba Kawu Daudu, BUK, 2009.
•       REFLECTIONS: An Anthology of Fulani (Fulbe) Oral Poetry, by Bappa U. Amin, 2004.
•       The Coronation of Alhaji (Dr.) M. Barkindo Aliyu Musdafa 12th Lamido of Adamawa, 19th June 2010 at Yola.
•       Cheniido, 2nd edition, Modibbo Raji’s Poem for the Womenfolk, by Zalikha’u Bello Ahmad, Ph.D. 2008.
•       L’ENSEIGNEMENT DE LA CULTURE PEULE PAR LES PROVERBS, Vol. I, by Dahirou, 2004. (Conference at Yagoua, Cameroon in Dec. 2009.)
•       Soditirki Dereeji, nde Abdullahi B. Foduye, Fassirɓe e Fulfulde: M.S. Abdul-mumin, Ph.D. A.A. Jungudo, MA.

·        Asliire: Tazyinul-waraqāt (Arabic).

The following books are relevant for the development of the Collection, especially for vocabulary and other dialects.

•       Fourth Fulani Readers, Published in 1934 by Adamawa N.A. (wurti diga ɗereeji ɗi Captain F.W. Tylor hefti).
•       Dunndehi Nyallirki, nde Buba Hāmidu, 1985, ha Cairo (Qaahira)
•       Mbuddine Ndiyam Haa mi ngaawo, nde Buba Hāmidu, 1986 ha Cairo (Qaahira).
•       Wamnde turtirnde jawmum nde Buba Hāmidu, 1987, ha Cairo (Qaahira).
•       Deftere Allah, Yaounde, 1995.
•       Jannde e Binndi, 2, 1995, Niger.
•       Dunndehi Nyallirki, F.C.E. Yola, ha Yola, 2001.
•       Nde Ngonnoomi Nder Reedu Daada’am, F.C.E. Yola, 2001.
•       Ganyo Gonndaaɗo, by A’ishatu Bobboi Jauro, Zaria, 2004.
•       Taale Teale, Garba Kawu Daudu, Kano, 2007.
•       Yimre Bushra’u, Muhammad Tukur bii Binta, 2010, Kano.
•       Early writers of Fulfulde Poetry by M. B. Abubakar (re-compiled in……….).
•       Other authors of Fulfulde Poetry (Contemporary) apart from M.B. Abubakar are:

v Ustaz Ahmad Kaduna

v Malam Abubakar M. Kabri.

v Dr. Abba Tahir

v Malam Ahmadu Soukairadjou

v Barrister Hafsatu Usman

The Languages include Arabic, English, French and Hausa etc. others like Swahili has similar features with Fulfulde, such as Noun Classes. The books at hand of that nature are as follows:

•       A first French (teach yourself books) by N. Scarlyn Wilson, Great Britain, 1968.
•       Swahili, (a complete working course) by D.V. Perrot, G.P. 1968.
•       An Introduction to classical Hausa and the Major Dialects, by Umaru Ahmed and Bello Daura, Zaria 1970.
•       An Anthology of Hausa Literature, by Neil Skinner, Zaria, 1980.
•       Kalevala e Fulbheya; Pular, Fulfulde, Alpha A. Diallo, 1983.
•       English-Arabic Pocket Dictionary, by Elias A. Elias (1983, a visit to Cairo by M.B. Abubakar).
•       A new Arabic Grammar, by J.A. Haywood and H.M. Nahmad, Lund Humphries, London, 2005, reprinted in Thailand in 2009.

·        Peter Roach English Phonetics and Phonology, A Practical Course, Fourth Edition (Audio CDs inclusive)

These books are also of great assistance to the development of the collection. They are listed below:

•       History of Yola (1809 – 1914) by Alkasum Abba, A.B.U. Zaria, 2003.
•       Sokoto Jihad by A.M. Kani (1405 A.H) 1995.
•       Studies in Fulbe Language, Literature and Culture (Proceedings of the 5th International Conference held at Bayero University, Kano) Edited by Garba Kawu Daudu, Kano, 2016.
•       Friday Discourse (110, 111 and 113) by Dr. Aliyu Tilde Tilde, 2007.
•       Fulfulde, the Language and its Speakers, by Anneke Breedveld, Ph.D. Leinden (Netherlands) 1995.
•       Muslim Responses to British Colonialism in Northern Nigeria as expressed in Fulfulde Poems by M. B. Abubakar.

·        A paper presented at Chicago Area Seminar of the African Studies of Northwestern University, Evanston Illinois, USA, 30th April, 2012.

•       1971 – A memorable poem titled, A letter from California.
•       2009 – Research on Endangered Languages Project, at SOAS, university of London
•       2010 – Recommended MA student to me by a professor from London
•       2011: Invitation by American University of Nigeria for the presentation of Fulfulde poetry
•       2011: Showing Dr. Anneke and Bashir presenting the program.
•       2012: Invitation to present 2 papers at Northwestern University in US.
•       2012: Notice for the presentation of the 2 papers at the Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois.
•       2012: Bashir, while presenting in one of the papers in US.
•       Acceptance of an Abstract to present a paper at the International Conference, at BUK
•       2021 – Acknowledgment for lecturing Fulfulde students at the University of Maiduguri during a sabbatical leave.
•       2024 – A certificate showing that my poem was 4th out of 25 poems for a competition at UDUS in Sokoto.

These are applications written to TETFund requesting for funds to undertake the development of this valuable and precious collection. They are:

•       Request to develop the entire collection within 3 years at a cost of N235,695,000. It was in 2016, when rate of dollars was US dollars was less than ₦200=
•       Request on the prescribed form (National Research Fund) for part of the collection for one year, estimated at N47,970,000, also in 2016.
•       Current request to establish a standard secretariat by the proprietor estimated at N348,604,966 and to be registered as a Centre for Research and Training under AJAMI DEVELOPMENT CENTRE (ADC) which may be affiliated to a university with time.
•       Other funding bodies are welcome for assisting the centre in one way or the other, for research, training and other long term studies under scholarships.

• Materials connected to writing on paper in those days.
• Some utensils for day to day use, relevant for women activities.