The Pivotal Role of Trainers in a Society: A Metaphor of ‘Teacher Uban Karatu’ in Dan Maraya Jos’s Praise Song

Cite this article as: Oumarou, A. I. (2025). The pivotal role of trainers in a society: A metaphor of ‘Teacher Uban Karatu’ in Dan Maraya Jos’s praise song. Sokoto Journal of Linguistics and Communication Studies (SOJOLICS), 1(3), 234–239. https://doi.org/10.36349/sojolics.2025.v01i03.030

THE PIVOTAL ROLE OF TRAINERS IN A SOCIETY: A METAPHOR OF ‘TEACHER UBAN KARATU’ INDAN MARAYA JOS’S PRAISE SONG

By

Dr Adamou Ide Oumarou

adamouideoumarou83@yahoo.com

Faculté des Sciences de l’Education (FSE), Université Djibo Hamani de Tahoua (UDH/T)

Abstract

Based on data presentation and analysis as theoretical support, this paper examines Teacher, Father of Learning (Teacher ubankaratu), a celebrated praise song by the Nigerian oral artist Dan Maraya Jos. Drawing on a literary translation and close reading of the lyrics, the study explores how the song elevates the teacher as the foundation of all professions and a moral guardian of society, while simultaneously critiquing the neglect and poverty that often characterize the teaching profession in the world, in Nigeria particularly. Situating the work within the Hausa oral tradition of praise poetry, the analysis highlights the useof metaphor supported by repetition, and moral imagery to articulate the cultural philosophy of education for both training and nation-building. References to figures such as Doctor Bunza, as well as to global centers of learning, expand the song’s scope from the local to the international, underscoring the universal relevance of teachers. The paper argues that Dan Maraya’s performance is both celebratory and critical: it praises the selfless labor of educators while drawing attention to their marginalization. More broadly, the song reflects African oral traditions that frame teachers as leading light indispensable to both personal development and collective progress.

Keywords: Dan Maraya Jos, Hausa oral poetry, teachers, Nigeria, education, nation-building

1. Introduction

Praise poetry in Africa has long functioned as both celebration and critique, combining artistic performance with social reflection (Barber, 2007; Furniss, 1996). Among the Hausa of Northern Nigeria, oral artists (mawaƙa) have historically used their songs to recognize patrons, praise communal values, and comment on pressing social issues. In the twentieth century, Dan Maraya Jos (1946–2015) emerged as one of the most influential Hausa musicians, transforming traditional praise singing into a vehicle for modern social commentary. Nicknamed “the Little Orphan of Jos” because he lost his parents early, he mastered the single-string lute (kòkà) and used it to perform songs that highlighted the dignity of ordinary professions, the struggles of the marginalized, and the importance of cultural memory (Furniss, 1996).

One of his most memorable compositions is Teacher, Father of Learning (Teacher ubankaratu), a song that celebrates educators as the foundation of all knowledge and professions. The song is at once a praise poem, a social critique, and a philosophical reflection on the meaning of education in postcolonial Nigeria. This paper provides a literary translation, textual analysis, and cultural commentary on the song, situating it within Hausa oral tradition, African educational thought, and the politics of nation-building.

The paper adopts data presentation and analysis as a theoretical underpinning. To do so, we collected, transcribed, translated and analyzed the above-mentioned song. The aim of the paper is twofold: (1) it shows the pivotal place of teachers in the society and (2) it highlights the paradox of difficult life condition the majority of teachers are facing. It therefore answers two fundamental questions: (1) what is the place of teachers in the society? (2) are they treated in accordance to their true value?

2. Literature Review

African praise poetry has been widely studied as a genre that balances aesthetic form, historical record, and social commentary (Barber, 2007; Yankah, 1995). In Hausa society, praise poetry (waƙaryabo) historically celebrated leaders, warriors, and patrons, but modern performers expanded its scope to include ordinary workers and broader social themes (Furniss, 1996).

Teachers occupy a central symbolic place in African cultures. In Akan philosophy, the proverb “the one who teaches you is your father” expresses the moral and social authority of the teacher (Yankah, 1995). In Yoruba culture, the olùkó is revered not only for intellectual training but also for shaping moral conduct. Similarly, Hausa thought frames the teacher as ubankaratu (“father of learning”), emphasizing both intellectual and ethical guidance (Abubakar, 1990; Yusuf, 2003).

Scholars of Nigerian education (Taiwo, 1998; Fafunwa, 1974) have noted the paradox that teachers are celebrated as indispensable while enduring systemic neglect, low pay, and inadequate recognition. Oral poetry often becomes a forum to articulate this contradiction, allowing performers like Dan Maraya Jos to use art as a subtle form of protest (Yahaya, 1988).

This background provides the framework for analyzing Teacher ubankaratu as both a celebratory praise song and a critical commentary on Nigeria’s educational and political systems.

3.      Data Presentation and Analysis

The Role of the Teacher in Hausa Culture

In Hausa culture, the metaphor of the teacher as uba (“father”) carries strong resonances. Parenthood in Hausa is not merely biological but also moral and social: the uba is responsible for discipline, guidance, and the welfare of the child (Abubakar, 1990). Extending this imagery to the teacher (ubankaratu) highlights the role of educators as custodians of both knowledge and moral character.

Hausa proverbs reinforce this cultural logic. The saying Ilmi haske ne (“Knowledge is light”) equates education with illumination, while Wanda bai koyiba, bai saniba (“He who has not been taught, does not know”) insists that knowledge transmission requires a teacher (Yusuf, 2003). Dan Maraya taps into this worldview when he insists:

0008	Wanda kaganshi du wagen nan	Whoever you see in this world—
0009	Babba ne da yaaro	Old or young alike—
0010	Badan akwai teacher ba	Without the teacher,
0011	Shima bazaiiyaba	None could find their way.

The universality of the statement emphasizes that every person, regardless of age or achievement, owes their capacity to the foundational work of educators.

Translation and Literary Structure of the Song

The literary structure of Teacher, Uban Karatu follows established patterns of Hausa oral performance: invocation, thematic announcement, rhythmic repetition, and alternating affirmation with critique. The song opens, from line 0001 line 0004, with invocations of God and the Prophet, thereby grounding the performance in an Islamic moral universe (Last, 1967). Such an opening signals to listeners that what follows carries both cultural and spiritual legitimacy.

Immediately thereafter, the theme is stated with precision in line 0005: “This melody belongs to the teacher; this theme is about the teacher.” This explicit announcement is characteristic of Hausa poetic clarity, ensuring the audience remains oriented to the subject.

Repetition and parallelism intensify the message. The refrain from line 0058 to 0062, “The labor of this world, the order of this world, the governance of this world—without the teacher, no one could manage it” universalizes the teacher’s role. By structuring praise in cumulative triads, Dan Maraya magnifies the indispensability of educators, while also ensuring that his words are memorable in oral transmission.

Thus, the literary structure embodies the dual function of Hausa praise poetry: it simultaneously honors and critiques, celebrates and exhorts.

 

The Teacher as Caregiver and Moral Guardian

 A central theme in the song is the teacher’s responsibility beyond the classroom. Teachers are portrayed not merely as transmitters of information but as vigilant caregivers. When a child fails to attend school, the teacher notices, follows the child home, and checks on his well-being. This imagery reflects Hausa communal values, where education is understood as a collective responsibility.

The metaphor of washing the garment (yawankeriga) vividly captures the teacher’s transformative role. Just as washing removes dirt to restore dignity, so too does teaching cleanse ignorance and refine moral character. This recalls the Qur’anic school tradition in Northern Nigeria, where the malam was charged with shaping both intellect and piety (Last, 1967).

By framing teachers as moral guardians, Dan Maraya underscores their function in producing not only knowledgeable individuals but also ethically grounded citizens. Education here becomes a moral enterprise as much as an intellectual one. Beyond intellectual training, the song emphasizes the teacher’s caregiving role:

0023	In yayi aji ka gane	If the child attends the class,
0024	Yaro yazankaratu	You see him grow in knowledge.
0025	Idan ko dan ka	And if your child
0026	Ya kwanabiyu	Misses two days,
0027	Bai zocikinajiba	And does not come to class,
0028	Teacher ka gaane	The teacher will notice,
0029	Zai bi shihargidansu	He will follow him home,
0030	Ya duubalafiya tai	And check on his well-being.

This echoes Hausa communal values, where education is collective responsibility and teachers act as extensions of the family. The metaphor of “washing the garment” (yawankeriga) describes how teachers refine both mind and character.Dan Maraya’s song therefore situates teachers within a long genealogy of moral guardianship in Hausa culture.

The Sacrificial Dimension of Teaching

One of the song’s most striking critiques concerns the economic condition of teachers:

0042	Sannan yasamuaiki	And then find a good profession.
0043	Malan a kwon a tashi	Scholars will rise with honor.
0044	Wani teacher ko baidakeke	Yet some teachers, Even without a bicycle, Still endure—
0045	To mi yasahakanan	Why is it so?

Perhaps the most poignant critique embedded in the song concerns this socio-economic marginalization of teachers. Dan Maraya juxtaposes the professional success of doctors, engineers, and scholars with the poverty endured by many teachers, some of whom lack even the means to own a bicycle. In mid-20th-century Nigeria, the bicycle was a modest but vital symbol of mobility and respectability. Its absence dramatizes teachers’ deprivation in stark terms.

This imagery reflects a national crisis. Since independence, Nigerian teachers have frequently endured underpayment, poor working conditions, and diminished social status (Taiwo, 1998). By embedding this lament within a praise song, Dan Maraya critiques the state without descending into overt confrontation.

The song thus articulates the sacrificial dimension of teaching. Teachers “do not work for money” but for the survival of the nation. This portrayal simultaneously dignifies their labor while exposing the structural failures that exploit such sacrifice. The paradox is deliberate: teachers are praised as national servants even as their poverty indicts the society they sustain.

By articulating this contradiction, Dan Maraya performs the dual function of the oral artist: praise and protest (Yahaya, 1988). His respectful tone maintains cultural propriety, yet the critique is unmistakable.

Doctor Bunza and the Modern Face of Knowledge

The mention of “Doctor Bunza” functions as a cultural reference and symbolic device. Historically, Dr. Bunza (likely referring to Abdalla Uba Adamu Bunza, a distinguished Hausa scholar) represents intellectual accomplishment within Hausa academia. By invoking this name, Dan Maraya provides a good example of what teachers make possible: the transformation of local pupils into global scholars. This reference also situates the song in a modern context, linking traditional praise poetry with contemporary educational achievements.

The reference to “Doctor Bunza” anchors the song in contemporary scholarly achievement. Dr. Malami Bunza represents the success attainable through education. His inclusion exemplifies what Barber (2007) calls the African performer’s ability to “bridge the local and the global,” linking village life to global intellectual networks.

Further references to Yemen, Russia, America, and London widen the scope of the song, situating Hausa education within a global geography. This universality reinforces the claim that teachers are essential for both local development and global mobility.

Teachers as Nation-Builders

The climactic verses of the song elevate teachers to the status of architects of civilization. Engineers, road-builders, and artists, all require teachers before they can exercise their skills. This rhetorical framing establishes teachers not as one profession among many but as the foundation upon which every other profession is constructed.:

0053	Injiniyagidaje	The engineers who build houses,
0054	Masu kerahanya	The ones who construct the roads,
0055	Da masu zaanezaane	The artists who design with vision—
0056	Ba dan akwai teacher ba	Without the teacher,
0057	Su ma ba sa iyaba	None of them would succeed.

This elevates teachers from mere employees to foundational nation-builders. Here, education is positioned as the very basis of governance and societal stability. In postcolonial Nigeria, where corruption and instability often undermine national progress, such a declaration is both aspirational and implicitly critical.

Furthermore, comparative African traditions reinforce this claim. In Akan, Yoruba, and Hausa societies, teachers are symbolically equivalent to fathers of knowledge (Yusuf, 2003; Yankah, 1995). Dan Maraya’s song thus articulates a pan-African philosophy: that teachers are silent architects of civilization.

4. Conclusion

Teacher, Father of Learning is a masterpiece of Hausa oral poetry. Through metaphor, repetition, and moral imagery, Dan Maraya Jos elevates teachers as the foundation of all professions and the guardians of future generations. At the same time, the song critiques their material deprivation, highlighting the paradox of a society that depends on teachers yet fails to reward them adequately.

By blending traditional praise structures with modern references, Dan Maraya bridges oral tradition and contemporary educational discourse. His song is not merely entertainment but cultural philosophy—insisting that without teachers, “none could manage the world.”

Future research could explore comparative readings of teacher-praise songs in other African oral traditions, or study how contemporary Nigerian musicians continue Dan Maraya’s legacy in addressing educational challenges through music.

References

Abubakar, S. (1990). Hausa culture and oral tradition.Triumph Publishing.

Barber, K. (2007). The anthropology of texts, persons, and publics: Oral and written culture in

Africa and beyond. Cambridge University Press.

Fafunwa, A. B. (1974). History of education in Nigeria. George Allen & Unwin.

Furniss, G. (1996). Poetry, prose and popular culture in Hausa. Edinburgh University Press.

Last, M. (1967). The Quranic school in Northern Nigeria. University Press.

Taiwo, O. (1998). The crisis of education in Nigeria. Journal of African Studies, 12(2), 55–74.

Yahaya, I. (1988). Oral traditions and social critique in Hausa society. Gaskiya Corporation.

Yankah, K. (1995). Speaking for the chief: Okyeame and the politics of Akan royal oratory.

Indiana University Press.

Yusuf, U. (2003). Hausa proverbs and their meanings. Ahmadu Bello University Press.

Appendix

Original audio, Copyright ℗ n.d., Ɗan Maraya Jos

N°⌛	Hausa Transcription	English Translation
0001	Allah Karimu mai yi	God the Generous, the Provider,
0002	Sarkin da bairinai	The King without equal,
0003	Mai gumi da dari	The One who gives sweat and laughter—
0004	Allah ka bamusa’aalbarkacinMa’aiki	O Lord, grant us success, for the sake of the Prophet.
0005	Wanankidinteacher ne	This melody belongs to the teacher,
0006	Wananbatunteacher ne	This theme is about the teacher.
0007	Teacher ubankaratu	Teacher, father of learning,
0008	Wanda kaganshi du wagen nan	Whoever you see in this world—
0009	Babba ne da yaaro	Old or young alike—
0010	Badan akwai teacher ba	Without the teacher,
0011	Shima bazaiiyaba	None could find their way.
0012	Wanda kaganshi du wagen nan	Whoever you see in this world,
0013	Babba ne da yaaro	The grown and the little ones,
0014	Albarkacin teacher ne	They all are blessed by teachers.
0015	Ba dan akwai teacher ba	Without teachers,
0016	Hakananbazaiiyaba	None could stand on their own.
0017	Idan ka haifi dan ka	When you father a child,
0018	Ka kai shi gun karatu	And you send him to school,
0019	Teacher isanyadai	It is the teacher who shapes him,
0020	Teacher iyanka farce	The teacher who begins the work,
0021	Teacher iyanka farce	The teacher who lays the foundation. He polishes the mind,
0022	Sannan yawankeriga	Like washing a garment clean.
0023	In yayi aji ka gane	If the child attends the class,
0024	Yaro yazankaratu	You see him grow in knowledge.
0025	Idan ko dan ka	And if your child
0026	Ya kwanabiyu	Misses two days,
0027	Bai zocikinajiba	And does not come to class,
0028	Teacher ka gaane	The teacher will notice,
0029	Zai bi shihargidan su	He will follow him home,
0030	Ya duubalafiya tai	And check on his well-being.
0031	Ga su DoctorBunza	See Doctor Bunza,
0032	To ai ga su Doctor Bunza	See them—Doctor Bunza!
0033	Bunzamaikasheni	Bunza, who astonishes me.
0034	Idan ka haifi dan ka	When you father a child,
0035	Ka kaishi gun karatu	And you send him to learn,
0036	Ikon ka kaishi gun karatu	When you truly send him to school,
0037	Yayi University	He may reach the university,
0038	Yage Yemen da Raasha	He may travel to Yemen and Russia,
0039	Ya gangaro America	He may descend to America,
0040	Sannan yasabkaRaasha	And return back Russia,
0041	Ya gangaro ta London	And return through London,
0042	Sannan yasamuaiki	And then find a good profession.
0043	Malan a kwon a tashi	Scholars will rise with honor.
0044	Wani teacher ko baidakeke	Yet some teachers,even without a bicycle, Still endure—
0045	To mi yasahakanan	Why is it so?
0046	Na gaanekuteachochi	I have understood you, teachers,
0047	Aiki dan dukkuke yi	The work you do,
0048	Ba dan kudikukeba	Is not for money.
0049	Taimakonkasakukeyi	It is service to the nation,
0050	Domin kurayayara	To raise the young,
0051	Sannan kurayamanya	And to shape the elders too.
0052	Ku raya yau da gobe	You nurture today and tomorrow—
0053	Injiniyagidaje	The engineers who build houses,
0054	Masu kerahanya	The ones who construct the roads,
0055	Da masu zaanezaane	The artists who design with vision—
0056	Ba dan akwai teacher ba	Without the teacher,
0057	Su ma ba sa iyaba	None of them would succeed.
0058	Aiki na duniyan nan	The labor of this world,
0059	Tsarin na duniyan nan	The order of this world,
0060	Mulki na duniyan nan !!!!!!	The governance of this world—
0061	Ba dan akwai teacher ba	Without the teacher,
0062	Kowabazaiiyaba	None could manage it!