Guest Columnist By Sale Rusulana Yanguruza
As normalcy gradually returns and the hearts of the victims of the Maiduguri floods heal and, September 21, 2024, marked the International Day of Peace, it becomes necessary for us to put pen to paper and acknowledge the resilience of the Maiduguri people, the Borno state capital, and how it deserves its moniker, “Home of Peace.” It’s necessary to acknowledge and honour the courageous and tenacious history of the people of Maiduguri in overcoming challenges and obstacles.
Looking back at its historical context, the name Maiduguri originates from two Kanuri words: Maiduwuri, a combination of “Mai” and “Duwuri.” In the Kanuri language, Mai refers to a king or leader, while Duwuri translates to thousand. Literally, Maiduguri (Mai+Duwuri) means Thousand Kings. Borno state where Maiduguri is located was created on February 3, 1976.
Before and after its establishment, Borno state has been blessed with diverse Islamic clerics, including Sheikh Abulfatahi, Sheikh Sherif Ibrahim Saleh and Shiekh Abba Aji Maiduguri, among others.These esteemed scholars have trained and instilled Islamic knowledge to thousands of their students in Nigeria and neighbouring countries like Cameroon, Chad, and Niger. Some notable Islamic scholars who came to Maiduguri for the reason of acquiring Islamic knowledge included Sheikh Albani Zaria and Sheikh Jafar Adam Kano, among others.
Indeed, the people of Maiduguri are known for their kindness and hospitality, accommodating individuals from various parts of Northern Nigeria, Nigeria and the world at large. In my childhood , everyone who memorised the holy Quran by heart in our community would often speak about how Kasar Gabas (Maiduguri) was blessed with Quranic schools.
Evidence of this statement can be seen in Maiduguri’s impressive performance in national and international Quranic competitions. Almost every year, children from Maiduguri participate and excel in these events, they often surpass participants from other countries, including the United Arab Emirates. Without a doubt, there is peace in the mind of those who read and teach Qur’an.
Initially, climate change, according a research published in an academic journal titled: Urban Drought And Floods In Maiduguri: Twin Hazards Of A Variable Climate by John O. Odihi reveals the alarming trends in Maiduguri’s climate history. His study analysing data from 1940 to 1994 indicates that Maiduguri experienced an extended and severe drought, significantly impacting negatively in agriculture and productivity, business activities, and food security. The drought in Maiduguri had affected various aspects of life in Maiduguri.
On September 13, 1994, Maiduguri experienced its first historic flood which displaced many people. This happened as a result of the lack of official interest and preparedness to address flood-related issues.
Unfortunately, immediately after the people of Maiduguri recovered from the first historic flood and drought, insurgency broke out in July 2009, lasting nearly two decades. The Boko Haram insurgency in Maiduguri led to serious economic setbacks for the state. However, due to the resilience of the people of Borno state, the North-east has bounced back remarkably.
If you visit Maiduguri today, you would hardly notice the devastating impact of the security challenges. New schools have been built, and numerous development projects have been initiated, that transformed the state. I can confidently refer to them as the most resilient people in the country that encountered many challenges and overcome it within a short period of time.
Aftermaths, another tragic incident happened last year that posed another biggest challenges to particularly business owners in Maiduguri. The fire incident have destroyed and burnt the Monday Market, the central market of Maiduguri, leaving millions of naira in losses and no single shop standing. Oh Allah, see the resilience of Maiduguri people! make it beneficial to them in this world and hereafter.
In just one and a half year, Maiduguri has been ravaged by another disaster, the recent devastating flood that affected about two-thirds of the Maiduguri city. This calamity and disaster destroyed houses and even the central market, which was recently rebuilt by the state government after last year’s fire incident. What is remarkable is how Maiduguri residents have become resilient in the face of adversity.
During the recent flood, I saw a heartening video on Facebook of a lecturer, Malam Musa Usman, who met his former student struggling to escape the water but, despite the chaos, his smile and courage were very inspiring. That’s the unwavering, unbroken spirit of Maiduguri people resiliency, in the face several obstacles, often faced. On this day of international Peace let’s remember the resilience of the people of Borno state “Home of Peace”. May the Home Peace and Peace in Heart be a reality to all of us.
Sale Rusulana Yanguruza is of the Department of Mass Communication, Borno State University and can be reached at salesaifullahi931@gmail.com
