Literature

Role of the writer in environmental protection (interview)

Aliyu Salisu Barau, who was born in the ancient city of Kano, holds a Master?s degree in Land Resources and Development and teaches Geography and Environmental Science at the Federal College of Education, Kano. He has attended national and international conferences relating to environmental issues. In this interview with SUMAILA UMAISHA, he speaks about the writer?s role in environmental protection with particular reference to the Northern part of Nigeria.

Sumaila Umaisha: During the workshop on Literature and Environment organized by the Association of Nigerian Authors, ANA, in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, you defined some vital relationship between literature and environment. Could you summarize your explanations?

Aliyu Salisu Barau: In summary, literature is a common heritage of humanity and environment is also a common heritage of humanity. The environment gives us food, the air we breathe, the land that we live on and other things. Literature, on the other hand, educates us on how to shape our life, how to take care of our environment, which is part of our cultural heritage. In short, the two complement each other in sustaining humanity.

You spoke on the environmental issues in the North; what are the specific environmental problems of the area?

The major environmental problem in the North is desertification. The desert is fast encroaching on the land. Also, the cycle of drought that the area experiences intermittently is cursing a lot of hardship to the inhabitants of the area, terminating their means of surviving. If the land is not productive the people are bound to suffer.

Then, why is it that while the Southerners are always crying out about their environmental problems the Northerners seem to be passive?

That reflects the educational level of the Northerners. We are educationally disadvantaged. If you compare the level of awareness and educational level you will find a great difference. In terms of the number of media houses and coverage, the South is not the same as the North; they seem to be more vocal. I think that explains the why the other side is being heard loudly and the North is not.

There seems to be very few books on environment in the North; why is it so?

There are quite a number of academic works on the subject, but when it comes to literature works that cover the environmental aspect of the people, they are in short supply, they are not available. And I think it is a challenge to the Northern writers; it is important for them to write in a way that would draw public attention to the environmental problems in the area. Because if these problems are left unattended to they will become serious disaster in the near future. Environmental issues are serious issues not only in Nigeria and Africa but in the world in general. The Northern Nigeria is the food basket not only to the country Nigeria, but some other parts of Africa. They depend heavily on the Nigerian agriculture, so it is very important for the Northern Nigerian writers to wake up from their slumber, from the kind of attitude they have towards our environment. They should come up with works that portray the environmental challenges. When they do this then they will succeed in pushing the ideas to the doorsteps of the policy makers and, of course, to the mind of the general public.

(c) Interviewed by Sumaila Umaisha and published in the New Nigerian edition of 30/8/08

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