Arewa House | |
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Gidan Arewa | |
General information | |
Address | Rabah Road, Kaduna State |
Country | Nigeria |
Arewa House (Hausa: Gidan Arewa) is centre for research and historical documentations under Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, located in Kaduna, Kaduna State, in Northwest Nigeria. It is also serves as a center for historical documentation and research of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria. [1] [2] Dr. Shuaibu Shehu Aliyu is the current Director of the House. [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]
Arewa House is the center for historical documentation and research of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria. Located at No. 1 Rabah Road, in the Residence of the late Premier of Northern Nigeria, the House was established in 1970 as a centre for Research and Historical Documentation under the directorship of Professor Abdullahi Smith who died in 1984 and was succeeded by Dr. Bashir Ikara in 1986. [8] The center is concerned, not only with research and documentation of the history and culture of the people, but also with contemporary studies on Policy, Peace and Leadership. The aim of the House therefore is to serve as a center for documentation and research in history and contemporary challenges. [9] [10]
Though under the authority of Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Arewa House has an independent Board of Trustees and Governing Council. It is headed by an executive director, who runs the day-to-day activities of the House. [11]
As a center for historical documentation and research, Arewa House is concerned with procuring, preserving, analyzing and discussing issues of national and International interest and in particular with issues of specific interest to the development of northern Nigeria. The history of Arewa House as a Center for Research and Historical Documentation goes back to the year 1970 when the “History of Northern Nigerian Committee” was given the responsibility of writing a book on the history of northern Nigeria. This was after the dissolution of the three regional governments in the country and the creation of twelve states, which also led to the establishment of the “Joint Interim Common Services Agency” (ICSA) to oversee the joint assets and liabilities of the six newly created northern states. It was in this respect that the residence of the late premier of the Northern region, Sir Ahmadu Bello Sardauna, was formally approved to serve as an office for this project with the name “Arewa House”.
A distinguished scholar, Professor Abdullahi Smith, founding member of the Dept. of History, A.B.U. was appointed as its first director. In 1975, the control of Arewa House was transferred to Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria on the orders of the then Federal Government of Nigeria. Under Professor Smith, a solid foundation was set that made Arewa House a unique place for research and historical documentation in the whole of West Africa. Arewa House has a core collection of books and manuscripts including higher degree dissertations from various Universities in Nigeria and abroad. These dissertations cut across different fields of study, most particularly humanities and social sciences. Most of these dissertations are of thematic interest to the study of Northern Nigeria. These collections are further strengthened by a rare collection of Arabic manuscripts, Premier's office records, government publications, Newspapers and other serial publications, which are housed in the Archives.
Arewa House welcomes research students and provides research affiliation to students from all parts of the world conducting research on any aspects of the state and society in Northern Nigeria. Notably is also the established external center for regional development AREWA Center for Regional Development (ACRD) - which was founded in June 2016 based on the United Nations (UN) documents of UNCRD - ECOSOC resolutions 1086 C of 18 June 1971 for the people of the northern region of Nigeria popularly known in Hausa language as “Arewa”. [12]
Arewa House has a moderate and affordable accommodation for researchers and non-researchers who are duly registered with it. Other facilities include a Conference hall, Training rooms, Bookshop and a Restaurant.
Arewa House is structured in four major departments for effective management which are Research, Library, Archives and museum. Arewa Museum houses cultural artifacts, photographs and books which are accessible to the public. It contains Nineteen satellite galleries which exhibit the culture and people of Northern Nigeria and also chronicles the life of Ahmadu Bello. It is presently the centre for historical documentation and research of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria. [13] Arewa House Library is today of the few reputable research center library with an enviable core collections of books and manuscripts including higher degree dissertations from various universities in Nigeria and abroad. These dissertations cut across the fields of humanities and social science which many of them are thematic interest to the study of Northern Nigeria. the library also have special collections from prominent Nigerians who has donated there collection to make impact in the Northern - Nigeria. Arewa House Archive has rare collections of Arabic manuscripts, the late premier office records, Government publications and newspapers, gift and donations from Central Bank of Nigeria(CBN), individuals and other serial publications. [14] [15]
Kaduna State is a state in the northwest geopolitical zone of Nigeria. The state capital is its namesake, the city of Kaduna, which was the 8th largest city in the country as of 2006. Created in 1967 as North-Central State, which also encompassed the modern Katsina State, Kaduna State achieved its current borders in 1987. Kaduna State is the fourth largest and third most populous state in the country, Kaduna State is nicknamed the Centre of Learning, owing to the presence of numerous educational institutions of importance within the state such as Ahmadu Bello University.
Northern Nigeria was an autonomous division within Nigeria, distinctly different from the southern part of the country, with independent customs, foreign relations and security structures. In 1962, it acquired the territory of the British Northern Cameroons, which voted to become a province within Northern Nigeria.
Abdullahi Smith was a scholar of West African history and culture. He was particularly interested in Arab influence in Nigeria. Professor Smith was the first Director of Arewa House personally picked by its founder Ahmadu Bello.
Sir Ahmadu Bello, famously known as Sardauna of Sokoto, was a conservative Nigerian statesman who was one of the leading northern politicians in 1960 and served as its first and only premier from 1954 until his assassination in 1966, in which capacity he dominated national affairs for over a decade.
Mohammed Bello was a Nigerian Jurist who was the Chief Justice of Nigeria from 1987 to 1995.
Muhammadu Ribadu was a Nigerian politician, who was the first Minister of Defence after independence. The son of a district head from Adamawa's Balala district, he was educated at a Qur'anic school before proceeding to the Yola Middle School for conventional education.
Barewa College is a college in Zaria, Kaduna State, northern Nigeria. Founded in 1921 by British Governor General Hugh Clifford, it was originally known as Katsina College. It switched its name to Kaduna College in 1938 and to Government College, Zaria in 1949 before settling on Barewa College. It is one of the largest boarding schools in Northern Nigeria and was the most-celebrated post-primary schools there up to the early 1960s. The school is known for the large number of elites from the region who attended and counts among its alumni include Tafawa Balewa who was Prime Minister of Nigeria from 1960 to 1966, four heads of state of Nigeria. The school is located along Gaskiya road in the Tukur -Tukur area of Zaria.
Chief Sunday Bolorunduro Awoniyi was a Nigerian politician and tribal aristocrat. He was the Aro of Mopa, Kogi State, formerly Kabba Province. Popularly called ''sardauna", Awoniyi was a founding member of the Peoples Democratic Party, from which he was expelled and later recalled. Awoniyi was also chairman of the national executive council of the Arewa Consultative Forum—pan-Northern Nigeria group.
Shehu Ladan was a Nigerian lawyer, philanthropist and oil and gas management strategist from Kaduna State. Who has contributed to the socio-economic activities of the state and Nigeria at large in different capacities. He was the immediate past Group Managing Director of NNPC in Nigeria.
Aminu Abdullahi Shagali is a Nigerian politician, academic and a public servant. He is the current commissioner of Ministry of Housing and Urban Developments. He served as the special adviser on political matter to Gov. Nasir El-Rufai and the same capacity in APC Gubernatorial campaign for the 2023 general elections.Moreover, he served as the speaker of the 5th Kaduna Assembly.
Alhaji Hassan Lemu, OON, was the private secretary of late Ahmadu Bello, Sardauna of Sokoto, the Premier of Northern Nigeria.
Yahaya Abubakar Abdullahi is a Nigerian politician and an associate professor. He is the Senator representing Kebbi North Senatorial District of Kebbi State at the 9th National Assembly. He was Senate Majority Leader of the Nigerian 9th National Assembly.
Idris Shaaba Jimada is a Nigerian academic and the Director of Arewa House in Kaduna. He is a professor of history and the deputy dean of the Faculty of Arts at Ahmadu Bello University.
Abdu Gusau, Garkuwan Sokoto, MBE, OON (1918–1994), was a Nigerian civil engineer, and statesman who served as the Garkuwa of Sokoto until his death in 1994. He was the Chief estate engineer for Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria from 1967 to 1972 where he was in charge of estates, which included buildings, the campus road network and the water supply. Gusau also served as a principal engineer with Taylor Woodrow of London where he worked on building London Heathrow's airport terminal.
Andrew Andarawus Nkom is a Nigerian professor, educationist, administrator, and writer.
Muhammadu Bello KagaraHausa pronunciation:[MuhammadBelloKagara] was an educator, a writer and a royalist. He wrote the famous book novel known as Gandoki, the novel is a manuscript written during a literature bureau competition organized in 1933 by Rupert East. His book Ganɗoki was considered either first or second book to be published in the entire Northern Nigeria, the first or the second being Ruwan Bagaja by Abubakar Imam.
Hausa literature is any work written in the Hausa language. It includes poetry, prose, songwriting, music, and drama. Hausa literature includes folk literature, much of which has been transcribed, and provides a means of recording, preserving, and transmitting knowledge, especially in regard to social, psychological, spiritual, or political roles.
The Ahmadu Bello University is a public research university located in Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria. It was opened in 1962 as the University of Northern Nigeria.
Kashim Ibrahim Library is one of Africa's biggest academic libraries located on the main campus of Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria, Nigeria. It is commonly referred to as K.I.L. by the Abusites.
Abdullahi Mahadi was a historian, educationist, and former Vice-Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, GombStateStateStateStatete University, and Gombe State University of Science and Technology.