Recently, we have seen the rise of TEDx events taking place most often in different parts of the world. In Northern Nigeria, performance poets are also recognized for their immense contribution to the society through their creativity, hence the need to pave the way for them to appear on the TEDx stage.
Here’s a list of 10 performance poets from Northern Nigeria who have appeared on the TEDx stage:
1. Sa’id Sa’ad
Sa’id Sa’ad is a Nigerian writer and poet from Maiduguri. He won the Peace Panel Short Story Prize 2018 and NFC Essay Prize 2018. He co-authored the poetry collection, ReUnion. His radio dramas were translated into over 5 languages and produced in 4 Sub-Saharan African Countries. The Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka commended on “his passion” for writing. And in 2021, the Nigerian Prize for Literature Winner Soji Cole – in an interview – described him as “a highly intelligent writer.
In March 2022, he made his first TEDx appearance at the TedxPompomari which held in Damaturu, Yobe state. He spoke on Inclusive Poetry and Universal Storytelling – talking to the audience on the need to do poetry that’s inclusive for everyone. That poetry which even the hawkers in the street could listen, feel, and get connected to. However, also telling stories that are universal to every human.
In July 2022, Sa’id graced the stage again at TEDxKangere in Bauchi with a mind-blowing performance.
2. Maryam Bukar Hassan
She is famously known as Alhanislam. A poet and spoken word artist who has performed at major festivals and events which includes the Ake Arts and Book Festival, Lagos International Poetry Festival, and the Kaduna Book and Arts Festival.
She is the founder of Deen-at-Heart, an organization that focuses on the moral re-engineering of the youth. She is a renowned motivational speaker, and also an active core member of the creative clan.
At the TEDxArgungu, she appeared on stage to give a speech on how Poetry Called Her at the age of thriteen. “It’s a calling that I do not regret,” she said. She’s ever grateful to her late mother, Hauwa Maina, a prominent name in the Hausa film (Kannywood) industry for helping her realized her dream and for also making it a reality.
3. Maryam Gatawa
She is a poet cum entrepreneur. A graduate of Economics from the Bayero University, Kano. She lives in Kano, Nigeria and is a passionate lover of the Arts. Some of her work has been published in the African Writer Magazine, Praxis Magazine, Ink Sweat and Tears, PIN Quarterly Magazine, Tuck Magazine, Better Than StarBucks, Anthology Of Best New African Poets 2017, The Arts Muse Fair, Kalahari Review as well as in other local papers.
When not writing poetry, she talks to her parrots or plays snooker, watches Netflix, or reads other poets. At the TEDxAminuKanoWay, she appeared on stage to perform her poem “Across The Horizon” which sent goosebumps and touched the hearts of the audience.
4. Abdulkareem Alhassan Saidu
He is popularly called by his pen name Muftiey. A spoken word artist, poet, and phototoonist. He is currently the President of Biological Science Students Association of Nigeria, Al-Qalam University Katsina Chapter. He hails from Kaduna State.
He started writing spoken words and poetry in 2009 and since then he has been actively involved in youth development and empowerment, arts, and poetry resurrections within the northern states.
He co-convened the first Poetry hangout and Art Exhibition in Katsina State. He has also performed at various events such as the Abuja Literary Society (ALS), Young African Leaders Initiative(YALI), Arewa Developers Summit, 4th Alqalamists Festival, Katsina Book and Art Festival, and many other platforms in Abuja, Katsina, Kaduna, and Niger state respectively.
He has appeared on three TEDx stages; TEDxKangiwa (Awakening The Giant), TEDxKangiwa (Resilience), and TEDxModojiRoad – where his first performance was titled “Awakening the Giant” featuring other female poets (Maryam and Amal) the second one was titled “I Am Green” also performed together with (Phartemah and Shifah). The last one was a solo performance. Muftiey is a passionate and resonant poet, performer and writer.
5. Hafsat Abdullahi
She is a writer and an award-winning spoken word artist who is a member of the Hill-top Creative Arts Foundation, a fellow at the True My Voice Community and Enactus Nigeria. She has won many contest in her field of art.
In 2017, she emerged as the overall winner at the Nigerian Festival of Teen Artist (NIFESTEENA). In 2021 and 2022, she won more notable contests which includes emerging as the overall spoken poetry contest winner at the Abuja Literary Society Grand Slam, the Association of Nigerian Authors Slam, and Benue Book and Art Festival Poetry Slam. She was also awarded winner of the Youth Act On Edu by World Bank, Fashion Killa of the year by Teen County Africa, inaugurated by Frontline Youth Creativity Initiative as an Anti-SGBV ambassador. She has also emerged a finalist at an oratory competition organized by ‘We Inspire Africa’ and the spoken wars powered by Lacasera in Lagos.
Hafsat has worked with Haandz Media in collaboration with the NGW (Northern Governors Wives) of Nigeria led by the First Lady of Nigeria. She has also worked with Just Art Animation in collaboration with Cartoon Network as a voice-over artist. She was invited by UNICEF to perform a spoken word piece to launch the fight against female genital mutilation also by LEAP Africa to commemorate their 20th anniversary. She is currently working at Just Art animation as a voice actor and spoken word artist.
Hafsat has been featured on Daily trust Newspaper, UNICEF news feed, LEADERSHIP newspaper, World bank, The Tanzanian article, Literature Voices (LitVo), Splendor of dawn poetry channel, The Moveee magazine, and others. She has also volunteered on different developmental platforms like Minna Book and Arts Festival (Minna BAF), TEDx events, Enactus Nigeria, Tranquil Youth Organization of Nigeria, Hill-top Creative Arts Foundation, Abuja Literary Society (ALS), Minna Spelling Bee, Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), Frontline Youth Creative Initiative, and others.
At the TEDxMaitama, she performed a poem titled “Welcome to Nigeria” – through the poem she humorously exposes the typical Nigerian mentality/mindset. This compliments the fact that it takes one with a futuristic mindset to make futuristic decisions and whatever that is beyond these crossroads of decisions is determined by how good the quality of the decision would be.
Her performance questioned the mindset of the audience and how her words would affect their decisions in the future.
6. Yusuf Ramadan
He is a poet, activist, and the founder of YUMHAF Digital Innovation (YDI), co-founder of WISH (Words Inspire Spoken Hope). He is the head of ICT at Queens Science Academy, Kano. Yusuf is a strong advocate for Peace and unity, good governance, social justice and political hygiene. His professional interests focus on leveraging ICT and Theatre Arts to address problems facing his immediate environment. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from Usman Ɗanfodiyo University, Sokoto.
Yusuf performed his poem titled “When Shall We Be Free” at TEDxAminoKanoWay – talking about the broken glasses we wear as a country that’s blinded by corruption, insecurity, religious and ethnic conflicts, as well as other social problems. However, he was also in Damaturu at the TEDxPompomari which held in March 2022 to make his second TEDx appearance.
7. Hassana Danyerwa
Hassana goes by the pen name Janaan.Dy. She is a Maiduguri based writer and spoken word artist. She is also a mental health advocate and an Electrical and Electronics Engineer.
In her TEDxShehuri performance, she talked about the economic hardships, the mental and emotional stress, as well as phone addiction. She also talked about the insecurity in the country especially the North Eastern part and she emphasized about how; “people don’t just be, they become. How people can become whatever they choose to be.”
She currently lives in Maiduguri working towards advocating on the importance of mental health and as the creative director of FeelNHeal, an initiative for creating more awareness on mental health issues.
8. Aisha Umar Gimba
Aisha is famously known as the Chummy Poet. She is a poet, spoken word artist, avid bibliophile, and technophile from Potiskum in Yobe State. She holds a Nigeria Certificate in Education in Business Education from the Federal College of Education (Technical), Potiskum. Currently, Aisha is undergoing a degree program in Business Education at Federal College of Education (Technical), Potiskum in affiliation with Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi; diploma program in Frontend Web Development at AltSchool Africa.
Through poetry, she had the good fortune to be a member of highly effective community coalitions and advisory groups typical one among them is the Yobe Literary Society, where she is serving as the Sardauna (Deputy Secretary). One of her poems titled “African Lady” was cast at African Union Youth Summit 2020. She was awarded a Literary Personality Award as the Best Spoken Word Artist by the Yobe Literary Society at the Yobe Peace and Art Festival 2021. She was also a guest poet at the Northeast University Students Peace Conference 2022 by the Student Intellectual Club, Yobe State University.
Her tech enthusiasm led her to opportunities such as leading the prestigious Google Developer Student Clubs at her college; an Internship at FlexiSaf EduSoft; and the EveryGirl Fellowship of the KSH Foundation.
She’s a teacher who’s passionate about reading, writing poetry, photography, and the tech ecosystem. She sees teaching as the heart of her vocation which will manifest itself in any role she plays. She uses social media and other digital media channels to lend her voice.
At the TEDxPompomari, she appeared on stage to perform her poem “Once Upon a Story” which was composed according to the theme ‘Forge Ahead’. The poem stated the catastrophe faced by the communities of the Kanem Borno Empire, the mishap experienced by the communities during the Boko Haram insurgency, and how propitiously the young people there rise again on rebuilding the dreams that were long shattered while also bouncing back to stability.
9. Joseph E. Gadzama
He is a Pan-African, passionate writer, researcher, entrepreneur, and an advocate for social change. He co-founded the Writers’ Mind forum in Maiduguri.
He also holds a bachelor’s degree in Civil and Water Resources Engineering and a proficiency certificate in Ceative Thinking from Imperial College London.
He is very passionate about writing and telling the stories of African history, economic, and geography and also cultivating the younger generation in reaching their full potentials through writing and public speaking.
He offers literary consulting services to both the government and private sectors. He has been among the youths who are thriving to see they change the narratives of Borno in a more creative and innovative way.
Gadzama made his first TEDx stage appearance at the second edition of TEDxShehuri. He featured Hauwa Avoohida on a poem that captures the exploitation of Africa by Europeans and other countries. The poem depicts how African history was erased and not even included in our school’s curriculum. They however, talked about promoting love and peaceful coexistence among Africans as an amplifier for a prosperous continent.
10. Hauwa Musa Abubakar
She is a Wife, creative writer, spoken word artist, and a fashion designer. Her stage name is Avoohida. She is currently studying Chemistry in University of Maiduguri.
Her imaginary and visionary outlooks has earned her opportunities to participate and volunteer in so many pre-eminent campaigns in Maiduguri. She have also Performed alongside Joseph Gadzama at the TEDxShehuri.
Written by Yahuza Abdulkadir
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