Boubou Hama (1906 – 29 January 1982) was a

Niger ) , official_languages = , languages_type = National languagesNational Assembly of Niger The unicameral National Assembly (''Assemblée nationale'') is Niger's legislative body. The National Assembly may propose laws and is required to approve all legislation. History The National Assembly was established through reforms of the Col ...

under

President of Niger This is a list of heads of state of Niger since the country gained independence from France in 1960 to the present day. A total of ten people have served as head of state of Niger. The current head of state of Niger is the President of the Re ...

, Hamani Diori.Un film retrace la vie de Boubou Hama, père de la culture nigérienne
APA (Dakar), 2010-04-08. He died in Niamey, in 1982.

Life and works

Hama was born at Fonéko, a small Songhai village in western Niger. He studied at the École normale supérieure William Ponty and began his career as a teacher, in the mid-1920s becoming the first French-trained primary school teacher from what would soon become Niger. As a writer he worked in many genres including history and theater. His writing gained international attention when his autobiography ''Kotia-nima'' (published with the support of

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

in 1971) won the Grand prix littéraire d'Afrique noire. His essay on African education won the Senghor Prize in the same year. His histories are said to place a great value on oral literature.

Political career

Hama had been one of the founders of the Nigerien Progressive Party (PPN), a regional branch of the African Democratic Rally (RDA), and rose to become a close adviser of party leader and Deputy to the French National Assembly Hamani Diori. Following independence in 1960, the PPN became the ruling and sole legal party in Niger, and Hama became President of the

National Assembly of Niger The unicameral National Assembly (''Assemblée nationale'') is Niger's legislative body. The National Assembly may propose laws and is required to approve all legislation. History The National Assembly was established through reforms of the Col ...

from 1961 to 1964. He was also one of the most prominent, and perhaps most powerful, members of the PPN politburo, which became the effective ruling body of the nation. One writer has called Boubou Hama the " eminence grise" behind Diori's rule. The

met in largely ceremonial yearly sittings to ratify government positions. Traditional notables, elected as parliamentary representatives, often unanimously endorsed government proposals. Diori was re-elected unopposed in 1965 and 1970, but overthrown by military coup in 1974.Samuel Decalo. Historical Dictionary of Niger (3rd ed.). Scarecrow Press, Boston & Folkestone, (1997)

References

BOUBOU HAMA: Enseignant, écrivain et homme politique nigérien
collection of works by, and short biography of, Boubou Hama. Soumbala.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Hama, Boubou Presidents of the National Assembly (Niger) Nigerien non-fiction writers 1906 births 1982 deaths Nigerien educators Nigerien Progressive Party – African Democratic Rally politicians Grand Crosses with Star and Sash of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany People from Tillabéri Region 20th-century non-fiction writers