Misbahu El-Hamza

In response to the World Health Organisation (WHO) declaration of the new coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEOIC) in January 2020, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) organised a 2-day simulation exercise for states on the outbreak response in Abuja.  On February 27, 2020, the first day of the exercise, Nigeria confirmed its first case of COVID-19 in Lagos, making it the  first confirmed case  in sub-Saharan Africa and the third on the continent  after Egypt and Algeria . “ On the next day of the exercise we found no one in attendance except a few of us because most of the major stakeholders have been deployed to Lagos for a cogent response ,” says Dr. Bashir Lawal Muhammad, the Kano State Epidemiologist and representative in the simulation exercise. “ The preparedness in Kano State started even before Nigeria recorded any case of COVID-19.  But with the first case through Lagos, we even became more v...

On April 11, 2020, exactly one month after the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared COVID-19 a pandemic, Kano State confirmed its first positive COVID-19 case. In the same month, the state witnessed what was described as “ mysterious ” deaths, claiming hundreds of lives including the Emir of Rano and seven professors from Bayero University Kano (BUK). Hajara Ibrahim  alias  Umma, 47, is a mourning mother of five who lost her husband amidst the  mysterious  deaths, in Hotoro, Nassarawa local government of Kano State. Initially, Umma didn’t believe that COVID-19 was real.  “Haven’t you heard what the scholars said?”  asked Umma, in a regretful tone, as she referred to a video she watched on her son Abdul’s smartphone. In the video, a bearded man was saying, “COVID-19 is a scam and a grand plot against Muslims”. Abdul said he got the video from a WhatsApp group to which he belonged. In a state like Kano, which was once the epicentre of the disease in North...

It was Friday, March 20, 2020, sun-scorched worshippers lined up the street of Alu Avenue through the barren Race Course Field in Nasarawa G.R.A, Kano State. As the worshippers began to disperse after observing  Jumu’a  (Friday special prayers) led by Dr. Bashir Aliyu Umar, Chief Imam of Alfurqan Mosque, an announcement came through; “ Henceforth, all Ta’aleem (study circles) in the mosque will be conducted remotely/virtually, so participants should follow and watch via the mosque’s YouTube and Facebook pages .  This is so we can manage inflow of persons and avoid much contact in an effort to address the risk of contracting or spreading the coronavirus. ” The mosque conducts three different Ta’aleem sessions on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. All sessions record a significant turnout of both men and women. Alfurqan Mosque was neither the first nor only mosque to adopt this measure of curbing the spread of coronavirus among worshippers in Northern Nigeria; Usman Bin Affan ...

The Emir’s speech in Minna recently was outstanding. As usual, this speech touches many ‘issues on jurisprudence, the decolonisation of education; the right to learn in indigenous languages, the responsibility of parents towards young children , early marriage, mindset, poverty and the need for religious preachers to stand for “truth” and “justice”.’ Anyone conversant with Sanusi Lamido Sanusi’s writings in the past knows that his philosophy on these pertinent issues only shift a little. Sanusi has been, as he admits, very controversial. Yet, one may ask, why the much attention (read concern) now? Much concern by him and, more attention by people at his philosophy. And I think there are two explanations to this. First is the timing and his medium of communication that changes now that he is an Emir. Sanusi was crowned Emir of Kano in June of 2014 after leaving CBN. The same year. Just a year after, the United Nations adopted the 17 Global  Goals (SDGs) with the aim of ending all fo...