For every comes true dream, struggle is provided 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. Glory be to God Almighty, after a PGD program in Nigerian Language, he is currently studying Master Degree in Linguistics with Nasarawa State University NSUK.
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 guide 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 backout or 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 and Nupe Professor, 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 spray 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) Aishatu 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 newspaper. This time, it is a monthly publication.
In the year 2018, precisely January, Manarakis was invited by the former CPS Alh. Mahmud Abdullahi to come and serve as a Nupe Radio Broadcaster and Presenter. This is what he does that sent his name to locality, I mean grassroots or villages in KinNupe despite that he is not a Journalist by profession but a Community influencer. Sha, we are grateful to Prestige FM Radio Minna for availing my brother an opportunity to serve as a media man and show his wealth of Nupe Language experience.
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, Advanced Diploma and a Masterclass. 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 Masterclass experience in Foundational Indigenous Education. He proceeded to joining edX platform where he applied for a Foundation Honourarium and without any delay due to his track records, he was honoured with a special recognition of Nupe Language on 25th October, 2020. That not all, Smart International Academy London invited him for an interview over Indigenous Language. His mode of papers quickly sent messages to the team and he was considered immediately amongst the high level people with distinguished ability. He was honoured with honorary Professor of Training and Education Skills TES on this day 17th Feb, 2021 through the promotion of Nupe Language.
In the same year 2021, Manarakis took a pro-bono service with Niger State College of Education, Minna, where he teaches Nupe Language from Pre-NCE and now 200 Level. I am sure, he is restless about the Inclusion of Nupe Language to Primary, Secondary and Tertiary Institutions across Niger State.
Congratulations my be-beloved blood brother. I congratulate you because you have arrived. 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. Sha 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, Founder & Director ILLEC).
* Aisha H.I Manarakis is the First Nupe Female Novelist.
14th AUGUST, 2023
