WHERE ARE KANO'S INDEPENDENT VOICES? – A RESPONSE

 WHERE ARE KANO'S INDEPENDENT VOICES? – A RESPONSE

By Tijjani Sarki

October 18, 2025

Dear Raji Bello,

Thank you for your well-articulated and courageous piece. Your reflections are not only timely but necessary, especially at a time when Kano, one of Nigeria’s oldest and most influential cities is being pulled in multiple directions. Your concern as a non-indigene is deeply appreciated and understood, given Kano’s far-reaching influence on political, religious, intellectual and cultural affairs across the northern region.

I completely agree with your central thesis: the absence of neutral, independent voices in Kano’s public discourse is alarming. And while this silence may be partly due to fear, fatigue, or disillusionment, it is also a byproduct of the city’s evolution into a cosmopolitan state,  a reality that comes with both opportunities and complications.

COSMOPOLITAN CITIES AND THEIR CHALLENGES

Kano today resembles other great urban centres throughout history places like Cairo, Istanbul, Lagos, and even New York. These are cities that grew through commerce, migration, intellectual exchange, and cultural plurality. Their size and significance turned them into microcosms of their wider regions, just as Kano is for Northern Nigeria.

However, such diversity often brings ideological polarization. In Cairo, for example, we saw periods of intense ideological clashes between religious and secular voices during and after the Arab Spring. In Lagos, political tribalism and economic inequality often strain civic unity, yet the city continues to assert itself as Nigeria’s economic engine. Istanbul has had to balance its Ottoman Islamic legacy with the demands of a modern, secular republic. These cities all faced internal struggles, yet their resilience came from the ability of their citizens to rise above personal interests and think collectively.

Kano is no different. Its vast religious, commercial, and political influence means that what happens here will echo across the region. Therefore, it must not fail this test of time.

A CALL FOR A NEUTRAL CIVIC CONSCIENCE

As you rightly stated, Kano is increasingly split into ideological “camps”: Kwankwasiyya vs. Gandujiyya, Sanusi vs. Aminu, Sufi vs. Izala/Salafi, and more recently, the divide around scholars like Sheikh Abduljabbar and Malam Lawal Triumph. These divisions have created a dangerous vacuum where independent thought is either silenced or dismissed as irrelevant.

And yet, the greatest danger is not the loudness of the partisan voices, but the silence of the thoughtful ones. Where are the neutral business leaders? The technocrats? The civil society coalitions? The academia? We cannot allow populism and sentiment to consume the civic space. If we do, then Kano may well lose the very legacy it is known for.

It is important to note, however, that efforts to raise neutral, civic-minded voices in Kano have not been entirely absent. In fact, visionary initiatives such as the Kano Unity Forum, Kano Concerned Citizens Initiative (KCCI) and Kano LEAD (Daruwana) stood as beacons of hope. These platforms anchored by respected patriots like the late Alhaji Bashir Othman Tofa and Hajiya Aisha Ibrahim Dankani sought to provide exactly the kind of independent, non-partisan voice Kano desperately needs. They aimed to bridge divides, raise civic awareness, and advocate for peaceful, values-based leadership. Sadly, these initiatives were either suppressed, sidelined, or ridiculed, often by state political forces uncomfortable with unaligned influence, or by certain members of our own society who exhibit a misplaced sense of superiority or inflated entitlement. This "I'm more relevant than you" or "it's my turn to speak for Kano" attitude has quietly undermined collective efforts and fractured unity. Until we confront and overcome this priority complex, the belief that only certain voices are legitimate or superior, true neutrality and progress will remain elusive. These failed or stifled efforts are a reminder that good intentions alone are not enough, they must be matched with humility, collective buy-in, and institutional support.

We must remind ourselves that great cities are not defined by the absence of conflict, but by how they manage and transcend it. A mature society must allow space for dissent, dialogue, and neutral engagement. We cannot continue to view every issue from the lens of “for” or “against.” Not everything is a battlefield. Some issues require mediation, not confrontation.

ECONOMIC HARDSHIP AND APATHY

Another layer of the problem, often ignored is the perceived economic hardship and resulting civic apathy. Many of our people have withdrawn from public discourse not because they lack wisdom or care, but because they feel their voices no longer count. This “I don’t care” attitude is a symptom of deep systemic fatigue. People are struggling to survive, and so politics, religion, and social dialogue become background noise.

But this is precisely why independent voices are even more critical. When ordinary people feel abandoned, someone must speak for the whole, not just for a faction. Neutral voices become the moral compass during turbulent times.

MORAL DECAY  OUR GREATEST THREAT

While political and religious divisions are worrying, my greatest concern lies in the moral decay spreading across our communities. There is a growing sense of indiscipline, moral laxity, and disregard for collective values, not only among the youth but also among the elders who should lead by example.

In Kano today, disrespect is often mistaken for activism, and recklessness disguised as freedom. We must put our house in order, and this begins with the reclamation of our moral and social ethos. If we do not address this decline, then no amount of political restructuring or religious debate will save us.

We cannot afford to allow external actors whether local opportunists or external interests to help demolish our empire from within. Rather, we must stand together to build a stronger, more united city. A city where differences are acknowledged, even celebrated, but not weaponized.

A PLEA TO MY PEOPLE

Let us bury our egos, our sectarian sentiments, and personal ambitions for the greater good. Let us be ourselves, a people known for tolerance, dignity, learning, and enterprise. Let us understand that no great city matures without growing pains, but great cities also do not collapse under the weight of those pains. They adapt. They reform. They rise.

Kano can rise again, but only if her people choose the harder, nobler path of truth, neutrality, and unity.

With deep appreciation for your bold and necessary words,

Tijjani Sarki

Concerned Bakane

October 18, 2025