THE CONTRIBUTION OF B.B.C HAUSA IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF WOMEN LITERATURE IN 21ST CENTURY: REFLECTION FROM HIKAYATA COMPETITION

Abstract

B.B.C Hausa is one of language services broadcasted by B.B.C World service since 13 March 1957, dedicated in providing information, enlightenment and ample opportunities to their listeners especially the vulnerable ones. Hikayata programme is an annual literary competition organised by B.B.C Hausa services in Hausa speaking nation of West Africa.  It was started in 2015, where young Hausa women participate and compete with short stories of not more than one thousand, five hundred words. Apart from awards of honour and prizes of huge amount of money to the winners (1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd), the competition opens window to such young women to acquire the skills of writing especially artistic writing. Though no theme is given in the competition, women are at the liberty to write on the themes of their choice but naturally most of them writes on the challenges of women in Hausa society of today where issues affecting women such as gender violence, poverty, insecurity, and unemployment are the most written themes received by BBC Hausa in the last five years of the programme. This paper brings out the relevance of this programme in developing fictional writing among Hausa women as well as addressing the challenges of women in Hausa society especially in the area of education and writing.