Open Arts the curators of the Hausa International Book and Arts Festival (HIBAF) have announced the fifth edition of the festival with the theme ‘Knowledge Production(s)’.

This will serve as a lens to examine the intricate and layered epistemologies of the Hausa people, exploring how indigenous knowledge systems have been shaped over centuries which has been deeply rooted in oral traditions, communal wisdom and spiritual practices. These indigenous frameworks will offer insights into the Hausa worldview, encompassing philosophy, governance, ethics, and the relationship between people and the environment. The default model of knowledge production in current neo-liberal models is inherently extractive. Most people are not deemed worthy of the process of knowledge production. Current knowledge systems construct totalizing narratives that reinforce existing patterns of power and dominance. Knowledge is on one hand, the main resource of late capitalism, and the production of new knowledge on the other has always been a part of anti-capitalist movements. As such, knowledge production(s), becomes both against and a part of neo-liberal capitalism. How then can we resist powerful forces in current dimensions of knowledge production(s)?

The arrival of Islam introduced new dimensions to Hausa knowledge production(s), exemplified by the adoption of Ajami—the adaptation of Arabic script to write Hausa and other African languages. Ajami became a powerful medium for documenting religious scholarship, poetry, history, and trade, blending indigenous and Islamic epistemologies in ways that expanded intellectual and cultural horizons. Later, European colonization and the imposition of Western knowledge systems added another layer, often marginalizing traditional literacies while simultaneously creating opportunities for dialogue and hybridization.

As digitization transforms how knowledge is produced, preserved and shared; indigenous systems such as oral histories, Ajami manuscripts, and traditional practices stand at the forefront of efforts to reclaim and reimagine African literacies. Digitized archives, oral storytelling platforms, and creative reinterpretations of historical materials ensure that the voices and wisdom of the past continue to inspire new generations, fostering a deeper understanding of Hausa identity and knowledge.

In this edition of the festival, we will engage the intersections of indigenous, Islamic, and colonial epistemologies in shaping Hausa knowledge. How do we situate knowledge production(s) about African literacies in an era of digitization and archival materials? How do we support the “ordinary” creation and sharing of knowledge and ideas? Through conversations, performances, recitations, translations and art exhibitions, the 2025 edition of the Hausa International Book and Arts Festival will explore Knowledge Production(s) as a means of literary and artistic development.

#HIBAF25 invites participants to reflect on the vastness of African Knowledge Production(s) by bridging the past with the present and examine how indigenous knowledge remains a dynamic and essential resource for cultural expression, intellectual growth, and global dialogue.

The festival will adopt a hybrid format, combining virtual and in-person engagements from 26th to 28th June, 2025. The opening day (26th) will take place entirely online, while the events on 27th and 28th will be held physically at Arewa House in Kaduna, Nigeria.

* * *

Wannan biki zai zama wata kafa ce ta binciko da ƙarin fahimta game da samuwar rumbunan ilimin Hausawa kowane iri, taƙaitattu ko masu zurfi, waɗanda ke tafe da labarin asalin al’ummar Hausawa, tare da nazarin yadda tsarin ilimin Hausawa na gargajiya ya samo asali da ci gaba da gudana a tsawon zamani. Muhimmin batu a wannan bikin baje-koli shi ne amfanin da ke tattare da rumbunan ilimin Hausawa, wanda ya samo tushe daga adabin baka da hikimomin Hausawa da addinai da yanayin zamantakewa da ke wakana daga zamani zuwa wani zamani. Rumbunan ilimin gargajiya da Hausawa suka wanzu da su, suna nuna fahimtar al’ummar Hausawa game da hangen da suke yi wa duniya da abin da ke cikinta, wanda ya ƙunshi falsafar rayuwa da shugabanci da ɗabi’u da alaƙar al’ummar da da muhallinsu.

Zuwan Larabawa da addinin Musulunci a ƙasar Hausa ya kawo sabon salo ga tsarin samar da ilimi ga Hausawa, wanda ake iya gani ta hanyar amfani da rubutun Ajami—wato rubutun Larabci da aka daidaita domin rubuta Hausa da wasu harsunan Afirka. Rubutun Ajami ya zama wata muhimmiyar hanya wajen adana ilimin Hausawa na gargajiya da na addini da waƙoƙi da tarihi da kasuwanci. Wannan tsari shi ya haifar da auratauya tsakanin tsarin ilimin gargajiya da na Musulunci cikin wani salo da ya faɗaɗa rumbun ilimi da al’adu. Daga baya, shigowar ‘yan mulkin mallaka, wato Turawan Birtaniya da assasa tsarin ilimin mulkin mallaka da shigar da ilimin Boko ya kasance wata sabuwar hanya ta shata sabon tsarin ilimi, wanda ya saɓa wa tsarin gargajiya amma kuma ya kawo waɗansu damarmaki na tattaunawa da haɗin kai tsakanin baƙi da ‘yan gida a cikin ƙasar Hausa.

Duk da tsawon lokaci da aka ɗauka ana ganin wannan haɗaka, muhimmancin waɗannan rumbunan ilimi na da, da na yanzu suna nan daram. Da kuma aka shiga tsarin zamanantakewar zamani ta dijital da yadda ake samar da ilimi da sarrafa da adana da watsa shi a doron ƙasa da yadda yake sauyawa da canza kamanni, inda tsarin ilimin gargajiya; da ya ƙunshi tarihin baka da rubutun Ajami da adabin gargajiya suka kasance sahun gaba wajen sake dawo da martabar tsarin ilimin Hausawa, sai abin ya kasance mai burgewa. Adana abubuwan tarihi ta hanyar kafafen dijital da dandamalin bayar da labarai na baka da sababbin hanyoyin fassara da kayan tarihi suna tabbatar da cewa muryoyin al’ummar Hausawa da hikimominsu na tsawon tarihi suna cigaba da yin tasiri, ga kuma sababbin tsare-tsare da suke ƙarfafa ƙara fahimtar al’adun Hausawa da juriyar al’umma ta fuskokin rumbunan ilimi da ke wanzuwa a yau.

Bikin Baje Kolin Littattafai da Fasahohin Hausa, karo na 5, (HIBAF 2025), zai gudana ne ta hanyar tattaunawar ga-mu-ga-ku da ta haɗuwa ta-ka da gabatar da wasanni da raye-raye ba baje al’adun gargajiya da waƙoƙin baka da rubutattu da fassara da zane-zanen fasaha domin ƙwaƙulo irin yadda Rumbunan Ilimin Hausawa ke taka rawa wajen ciyar da harkokin adabi da fasahohin al’ummar Hausawa gaba a doron ƙasa.

Wannan bikin baje-koli, #HIBAF25 na buƙatar mahalarta da su natsu su yi tudabbari da yin dogon tataccen tunani game da tsarin Rumbunan Ilimin Hausawa da muhimmancin su wajen warware matsalolin yau da kuma gobe. Ta hanyar danganta al’amurran jiya da na zamananci, bikin na neman jaddada yadda ilimin gargajiya ya kasance tushen da ba ya gushewa don bayyana al’adu da haɓaka tunani da gudanar da tattaunawa a tsakanin al’umma.