DESPITE that Nigeria is contending with insurgency, banditry, kidnapping, moral decadence, corruption, injustice and other challenges, a Professor of Arabic Literature Aliyu Muhammad Jami’u, has said the future is not that gloomy.
However, for the aforementioned vices to become a thing of the past, there is a need for profound ideals and sound moral lessons in most Arabic literature to be adopted, internalised and imbibed by every citizen, Prof Jami’u said.
Jami’u delivered the 13th inaugural lecture of the Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai (IBBUL), Niger State. He spoke on: Nigerian Arabic Literature: Effective tool to combat societal challenges.
Addressing the audience in the school auditorium, Jami’u defined Arabic literature as writing produced both in prose and poetic form by scholars of Arabic language. He said Arabic literature was one of the most valuable literatures in the world because of its richness, vastness and contributions to social values.
Jami’u stressed that the use of Arabic literature in addressing societal challenges has proven to be more efficacious because of its approach to social and psychological dimensions, as well as the positive moral doctrines it strives to impact on the society.
He said: “Arabic literature teaches patriotism. It makes people in a society to cultivate the spirit of togetherness and mutual compassion for one another, hence they will learn to live harmoniously among themselves. These encourage them to see the need to fight for their common good irrespective of what it will cost them.
“Again, Arabic Literature helps in the infusion of piety and religiousness, formation of character, development of personality, promotion of social efficiency and happiness, preservation and spread of culture,” he said.
He explained that the emerging social issues in Nigeria call for deliberate and strategic attention of scholars and other relevant stakeholders to come up with effective ways of addressing them towards nation building.
Prof Jami’u, insisted that unless the government adopts the right approach to tackling insurgency, armed banditry, kidnapping and other social ills, the country will remain at the mercy of insecurity.
He, therefore, called on Nigerian Arabic poets, playwrights and literary critics to redouble their efforts in producing literary works that would help curb all forms of corrupt vices, while also reforming the society.
“The role of Arabic literature in peace-building cannot be over-emphasised. Stakeholders should revive the earlier Arabic literatures by engaging in mass publication of books and Arabic journals that encourage peace-making, especially in this era of constant conflicts.
“Assistance should also be given to Arabic institutes that are under the control of individual scholars (Ulama). Such colleges should be upgraded to fit into modern educational system,” Prof Jami’u strongly recommended.
In his address, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof Muhammad Nasir Maiturare, applauded lectures in the Department of Arabic Studies for making the learning of Arabic language easier and available to members of the university. This, according to him, is in line with management’s goal to make every staff and student proficient in at least one foreign language.
Leave a Reply