Yusufu Bala Usman (1945 – 24 September 2005) was a Nigerian historian and politician, who was one of the scholars who shaped Nigerian historiography. He was the founder of the Centre for Democratic Development, Research and Training at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.

Life

Usman was born in 1945 in

Musawa Musawa is a Local Government Area in Katsina State, Nigeria. Its headquarters is in the town of Musawa. It has an area of and a population of 171,714 at the 2006 census. The postal code A postal code (also known locally in various Englis ...

in Katsina Province,

Colonial Nigeria Colonial Nigeria was ruled by the British Empire from the mid-nineteenth century until 1st of October 1960 when Nigeria achieved independence. Britain Lagos Treaty of Cession, annexed Lagos Colony, Lagos in 1861 and established the Oil River ...

. His father was ''Durbin Katsina'' (a traditional title with kingmaker status in the

Katsina Emirate The history of Katsina State, Katsina stretches over a millennium. It is part of the Hausa Kingdoms, Hausa Bakwai states, believed to be founded by the descendants of Bayajidda according to legend. Throughout its history, Katsina has been govern ...

) and a brother of Sarkin Katsina Usman Nagogo. His mother was a daughter of Sarkin Kano

Abdullahi Bayero Alhaji Abdullahi Bayero (; born Abdullahi ɗan Muhammad Abbas; 1881 – 23 December 1953) was Emir of Kano from 1926 until his death in 1953. Under the British colonial system of indirect rule, he oversaw the administering of the Kano State, Kano ...

. He attended Musawa Junior Primary School, Kankia Senior Primary School, Minna Senior Primary School and Government College, Kaduna. He then went to study at the University Tutorial College and then at

University of Lancaster Lancaster University (officially The University of Lancaster) is a collegiate public university, public research university in Lancaster, Lancashire, England. The university was established in 1964 by royal charter, as one of several new univer ...

where he completed his studies with a degree in History and Political Science. He returned to Nigeria in 1967 to become a teacher at

Barewa College Barewa College is a college in Zaria, Kaduna State, northern Nigeria. Founded in 1921 by British Governor General Hugh Clifford, it was originally known as Katsina College. It switched its name to Kaduna College in 1938 and to Government College ...

, Zaria where he taught until 1971. Usman started his graduate studies in 1970 at Ahmadu Bello University, earning his PhD degree in 1974. He started lecturing at the university as a part-time lecturer before being promoted to full-time. During the Nigerian Second Republic, he was briefly the Secretary to the Kaduna State government under the PRP led Balarabe Musa administration.

Academic career

Usman was a major figure among post colonial historians at Ahmadu Bello University, his outlook on African history involves support for the use of oral and linguistic sources along with written and archaeological sources. He felt all sources are subject to bias and that increased scrutiny of oral sources for distortions and colourings was not extended to many written sources by European writers. To him, the historian cannot be divorced from his education and molding as a scholar and the

historicity Historicity is the historical actuality of persons and events, meaning the quality of being part of history instead of being a historical myth, legend, or fiction. The historicity of a claim about the past is its factual status. Historicity deno ...

of the European writers likely influenced some of their writings. Some of his reflections on the writing of African history includes a critique of

Heinrich Barth Johann Heinrich Barth (; ; 16 February 1821 – 25 November 1865) was a German explorer of Africa and scholar. Barth is thought to be one of the greatest of the European explorers of Africa, as his scholarly preparation, ability to speak and wri ...

, a respected source among Western scholars, Usman thought Barth was too focused on the physical and genetic characteristics of those he was studying which he felt was a result of the dominant traditions of nineteenth century European history writing.

Contribution to history

Historical paradigm shift: He transformed the study of

African history Archaic humans emerged out of Africa between 0.5 and 1.8 million years ago. This was followed by the emergence of modern humans (''Homo sapiens'') in East Africa around 300,000–250,000 years ago. In the 4th millennium BC written history ...

from a focus of tribal studies to a more dynamic understanding of identity and historical processes

Major works

# For the Liberation of

Nigeria Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It covers an area of . With Demographics of Nigeria, ...

(1979) # The Transformation of

Katsina Katsina State ( ; 𞤤𞤫𞤴𞤣𞤭 𞤳𞤢𞥁𞤭𞤲𞤢) is a state in the northwestern geopolitical zone of Nigeria. It is bordered to the west by Zamfara State, to the east by Kano and Jigawa states, and to the south by Kaduna St ...

1400-1883 (1981) # Nigeria against the I.M.F (1986) # The Manipulation of Religion in Nigeria (1987) # Co-author of Minority Report and Draft Consultation for the

Federal Republic of Nigeria Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It covers an area of . With Demographics of Nigeria, ...

(2019) # Edited Several Significant Historical works.

Key position and organisations

* Director of Research for the people's redemption party. * Contributed to various governmental committees and was involved in international deplomacy. * Participated in the Nigerian Labour Congress and other political movements.

Family

Usman left behind a wife and six children upon his death.

References

Sources

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Usman, Bala 1945 births 2005 deaths 20th-century Nigerian historians Academic staff of Ahmadu Bello University Historians of Nigeria Nigerian socialists Nigerian political scientists Nigerian Fula people Nigerian Muslims People from Katsina Nigerian Marxists Nigerian educators Royalty of Katsina