Barau Awards Scholarships to Preserve Hausa Language, Culture

• Deputy Senate President urges Ghanaian, Nigerian youth to modernise heritage, acquire skills

Sunday Aborisade in Abuja

Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Jibrin Barau, has awarded scholarships to two members of the Hausa community in Ghana to study Hausa Language at undergraduate or postgraduate levels in Nigerian universities, as part of efforts to preserve the language and cultural heritage of the people.

Barau, who made the gesture at the weekend while attending the 2026 World Hausa Day celebration in Accra, Ghana, also challenged young people across Africa to take ownership of their cultural heritage and deploy it towards building a more prosperous future.

The event, organised by Hausa Youth Ghana at the Forecourt of the State House in Accra, brought together members of the Hausa community and other stakeholders to celebrate the language, culture and historical contributions of the Hausa people.

The Deputy President of the Senate, who was the Guest of Honour, said the scholarship initiative was intended to support education while strengthening efforts to preserve and promote the Hausa language across generations.

He urged the youth to pursue quality education, acquire modern skills, embrace innovation, establish businesses, create opportunities for others and contribute positively to the communities in which they live.

Barau, who is also the First Deputy Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, said the survival of the Hausa language depended largely on its transmission from one generation to another.

He therefore charged young people to take the lead in preserving, promoting and modernising the language rather than allowing it to lose its relevance in an increasingly globalised world.

In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ismail Mudashir, Barau described World Hausa Day as an important platform for celebrating the rich heritage, language, culture and identity of the Hausa people.

He said the celebration also provided an opportunity to promote friendship, unity and mutual understanding among communities across national borders.

According to him, Hausa was not merely a means of communication but had, for centuries, served as a bridge connecting people across West Africa.

He noted the language had played important roles in commerce, scholarship, diplomacy, literature, traditional institutions and social interaction.

“Hausa is much more than a means of communication. For centuries, the language has served as a bridge among people across West Africa and played significant roles in commerce, scholarship, diplomacy, literature, traditional institutions and social interaction,” he said.

The Deputy President of the Senate stressed the widespread use of Hausa across national boundaries demonstrated the depth of the historical, cultural and social connections among African peoples.

He particularly highlighted the longstanding relationship between Nigeria and Ghana, saying both countries had maintained strong ties through trade, education, migration, culture and diplomacy.

Barau said, “Ghana and Nigeria share a long history of interaction in trade, education, migration, culture and diplomacy.

“The Hausa community in Ghana has also continued to make meaningful contributions to the social and economic development of the country while preserving its cultural heritage,” Barau said.

He commended Hausa Youth Ghana for organising the World Hausa Day celebration and for its sustained efforts to promote the Hausa language, culture and heritage.

The initiative, he said, represented a significant contribution towards strengthening the relationship between Ghana and Nigeria.

Barau further urged Hausa youth in Ghana and across Africa to take pride in their heritage while simultaneously acquiring the knowledge and skills required to compete in the modern economy.

He challenged them not to view cultural preservation as an obstacle to modernisation, but rather as an asset that could be combined with education, innovation and entrepreneurship to create opportunities and improve society.

The scholarship award, according to him, was part of the broader responsibility of leaders and institutions to ensure that indigenous languages and cultural traditions were passed on to future generations.

The Deputy Senate President also extended warm greetings to the government and people of Ghana, reaffirming the importance of the enduring friendship and strong bilateral relations between Ghana and Nigeria.

Barau attended the celebration alongside the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Army and Chairman of the Northern Senators Forum, Senator Abdulazeez Yar’Adua; Chairman of the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFUND, Senator Muntari Dandutse; and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Basic and Secondary Education, Senator Lawal Adamu Usman.

The World Hausa Day celebration has further highlighted the transnational character of the Hausa language and its enduring influence across West Africa, particularly in countries with long-standing historical, commercial and cultural links with northern Nigeria.