Preserving Traditions: A Call for Thoughtful Naming, by Abdussamad Yahya Sufi
It is becoming the norm among Hausa-Fulani community, especially secondary school and tertiary institution students, to address each other by their surnames. Despite this contradicting our inherited culture, the habit is growing.
In past years, the Hausa-Fulani community held a special respect for names. Among elders, addressing each other by their direct names was avoided, and the title “malam” was prefixed. Those who had performed Hajj were referred to as Alhaji or Hajiya. Individuals in higher positions were addressed by their post titles. Among children, elders were addressed with terms like Baba, Kaka, Mama, Inna, Yaya, Kawu, and other names, depending on their status.
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During that era, a mother did not call her first daughter or son by their biological name. Children bearing their grandparent’s name received special respect in the family, with no one, including their parents, using their biological name but opting for a kind nickname as a sign of respect.
This practice existed before the emergence of Western colonialists who influenced our people with a different way of addressing one another. In today’s society, especially within institutions, students commonly refer to their friends or colleagues by their surnames, and none find it objectionable.
Even if this practice is accepted, when friends want to insult or use abusive language, they resort to addressing each other by their surnames without causing offense.
In conclusion, if this trend is not halted to preserve the dignity of parents, I strongly advise parents to consider giving their children their own surname. By doing so, when a child’s friends call them by their name and use insults, the impact of those words will be directed at the child rather than affecting the child’s parents.
Abdussamad Yahya Sufi | Passionate about Journalism & Media, 300 Level Mass Communication Student, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.
Email: abdussamadsufi744@gmail.com
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