For every comes true dream, struggle is provide constant. You can’t be who you want to be unless you work hard to realises your dream.
Of course my elder brother Honorary Professor Adamu Idris Manarakis was born without a silver spoon. He is so sticky in nature. Anything he feels money can do easily, he go for it through energy despite the fact that he has no money. He was never a literature student.
He studied Building Technology from Eyagi Bida, then Building Technology Education at COE Minna, then same Building Technology Education at his first Degree programme with FUT Minna. As a passionate lover of teaching, Manarakis ventured to teaching in our mother tongue Nupe Language. He picked the interest on learning Nupe Language when there was no teacher to guides him. Quite okey, no one has no teacher by the principal of Quran. So in Manarakis case, he was guided by Nupe books written by British Anthropologists, Nupe Historians, Nupe Researchers and so on.
As at 2010, Manarakis was already so compassionate about our Nupe Indigenous Language. He was inspired by an article he read written by a British Anthropologist; A.W Banfield. He took the idea to Facebook with a little poem. Interestingly, that Nupe poem fueled his energy to kick-start a research on Nupe Language.
The poem was loved by admirals on Facebook. He had about 400 likes and many comments. He later love literature but felt the decision to write in English was a bad one. He digressed to Indigenous Language. That decision he took wasn’t a bad one but so challenging. A lot of Nupe experts could challenge him to the core.
At a time he nearly get discouraged but the person I knew him to be whom eschew anger easily he was not deterred by any criticism, rather the both negative and positive criticism kept on growing him.
My brother in a recent time was known as a Nupe researcher. Some lovers of his Nupe programme call him a Nupe linguist, other people call him a crusader, while some fellows named him a rude teacher. He absolved all. That not just a tip to discourage him. He started writing a Nupe Mathematics book due to his encounter with a brother in 2012. He wanted to write a Mathematics book with the numerals invented in 2012 but due to his disagreement with the inventor made him to waste a year before he could invent his Numerals through consultations. He wrote the book for six years. As he writes the book, he teaches it on Facebook so that his followers will get used to the invented Numerals across the world. Gradually people became so passionate about his zealous.
He established a Foundation and named it after Etsu Nupe Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar Eduko Nupe Language Foundation, Minna & Bida where he felt could be a platform to spread Nupe Language. As a listener, he didn’t give BM Dzukogi’s advice to start a class at JAFLA a second thought. He grabbed it with all seriousness. On 19th November, 2016 Nupe Language began in a Classroom. The journey was like a nightmare. His motive was to get at least few people to join his four younger sisters to learn Nupe Language. To his surprised, a lot of people came to learn from him. Professor Tswanya the then Vice Chancellor of IBBU Lapai was the first professor to believe in his dream. He gave him some money to buy teaching materials.
He confessed that his prophecy on Nupe Language is already failed. A young man is here to teach Nupe Language with passion. Late Professor Tswanya actually said in his research work that Nupe Language will join the endangered languages to sweep-off but with this development of literacy, Nupe Language is out of the endangered languages. In 2017, the tireless Manarakis met Dr. (Mrs) Aishetu Ndayeko. The Bida princess picked interest in Manarakis artistic work. She give her candid advice on a daily and also backs it up with money. Her full support and advice brought about the start of a Nupe learning Centre in Bida.
She fund the transport fare monthly. In same 2017, Manarakis came up with the idea of Online Nupe Newspaper. He published just one and couldn’t continue due to his sole deficiency of money. He later reinstated the idea of Nupe Language. This time, it is a monthly publication. In 2019, Manarakis attended an international Conference of Indigenous Languages at Jos. His attendance was fully sponsored by Mr. Solomon Dakukum who is his Facebook follower. That conference at Plateau State, gave birth to establishing an Institute. The Institute was named: Indigenous Languages Learning Centre (ILLEC), Minna. He started from Basic and Proficiency programmes. He knew that he alone can not do it. He made some of his serious students a teacher to assist him as assistant instructor. As the classroom go on, so the idea of Teaching Online (WhatsApp Platform) sprouted in. I am one of the pioneer graduates of the first Nupe e-learning program. In short, today, ILLEC is already running Nupe Language Diploma. I am not surprised. My brother is a dreamer. A lover of his faith and a believer of small thing can transform. From my brother, I am a witness that one day Nupe Language will graduate PhD students.
My brother had a Mastering in Foundational Indigenous Education. He proceeded to joining edX platform where he applied for a Foundation Honourary Professorship and without any delay due to his track records, he was honoured with a Professor of Nupe Language on 25th October, 2020.
Congratulations my be-beloved blood brother. You are who we look up to in this crusade. Even those that disagreed with you will one day agree and life move on. Of course Etsu Nupe Alh. Yahaya Abubakar and other Etsuzhi in kinnupe reckon with your hard earned labour of teaching Nupe Language. You are just one I saw in a recent time in millions. If we had had people like you from beginning of kinnupe, by now we won’t be talking about Affiliation of Nupe Degree with ASSI University Cotonou. There is sense in patience. There is ability in disability. There is fora for disbelievers. None of the mentioned is a waste.
Just keep on, one day you shall be a University Professor. This honourary Nupe Professor is not a bad one but we hope to see more, by God’s Grace.
Congratulations Honourary Professor Adamu Idris Manarakis niw (Tashiru Nupe & Director ILLEC).
