# On Misrepresentation of Identities | sada malumfashi | TEDxMinna

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbqbTxq-yto
Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/vbqbTxq-yto
Generated: 2026-03-04T17:03:16.776+00:00

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## Quick Overview

Sada Malumfashi, a Nigerian writer and filmmaker, discusses the misrepresentation of identities, particularly focusing on the Hausa identity, arguing that the colonial imposition of the Northern Nigeria Protectorate in 1900 erased pre-existing political entities like the Sokoto Caliphate and the Kanem-Borno Empire, leading to a manufactured, singular identity narrative.

**Key Points:**
- The speaker, Sada Malumfashi, is a writer, filmmaker, and curator whose work focuses on documenting the identity and cultural world of the Hausa people.
- Malumfashi grew up speaking Hausa, but upon moving from Kaduna to Sokoto, he realized that the identity he knew was not the singular, stable entity he had been taught, contrasting with the English spoken by his new friends.
- The British proclamation of the Northern Nigeria Protectorate in 1900, which bundled millions of people from various entities like the Sokoto and Kanem-Borno Kingdoms, created an administrative shortcut that erased prior complex identities.
- The term 'Hausa' became popular in the 1960s through Lagos-based newspapers needing a label for the Northern political establishment, which was then repeated until it became a perceived singular identity.
- The speaker argues that the hyphenated identity (e.g., Hausa-Fulani) is not about culture but about political convenience, often used to maintain power structures dating back to colonial demarcations.
- He poses questions to the audience regarding how many identify as Hausa-Fulani or solely Hausa, highlighting that these modern labels often erase deeper, older identities like those associated with the Kanem, Zazzau, or Kanuri.
- The talk concludes by emphasizing that history remembers language, but often erases the complex origins and distinct identities of people bundled together by colonial or political fiat.

![Screenshot at 00:19: The speaker, Sada Malumfashi, introduces his background as a writer and filmmaker dedicated to documenting the cultural world of the Hausa people, setting the stage for his critique of identity representation.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/vbqbTxq-yto/00-00-19.jpg)

**Context:** This TEDxMinna talk, titled "Beyond the Noise," features Sada Malumfashi, a Nigerian writer, filmmaker, and founder of Open Arts. The presentation centers on the concept of identity, specifically challenging the monolithic representation of the Hausa identity in Nigeria. Malumfashi uses his personal experience of moving between regions and his background in Hausa literature to illustrate how colonial boundaries and subsequent political narratives simplified and misrepresented the complex, layered identities that existed in Northern Nigeria prior to 1900.

## Detailed Analysis

Sada Malumfashi begins his talk by introducing himself as a writer, filmmaker, and curator focused on the identity and cultural world of the Hausa people. He shares a personal anecdote about moving from Kaduna to Sokoto, where he struggled to communicate with peers who spoke English, realizing his monolithic understanding of his identity was incomplete. His first lesson was that the identity he imagined—one language, one people, one identity—was unstable. He details how the narrative of a single Hausa identity was constructed, contrasting with the complex realities of the region. He points out that many distinct political entities, such as the Sokoto Caliphate and the Kanem-Borno Kingdom, existed before the British declared the Northern Nigeria Protectorate in 1900, grouping millions of people together. The term 'Hausa' became popularized in the 1960s by Lagos-based newspapers needing a simple label for the Northern political establishment, a simplification repeated until it became the perceived default identity. Malumfashi argues that hyphenated identities, like Hausa-Fulani, are often a product of political convenience rather than cultural reality, designed to fit colonial administrative boundaries or post-colonial political structures like the Northern People's Congress (NPC). He challenges the audience to consider which identities are erased by these broad labels, noting that many groups like the Kanuri, Zazzau, and others were subsumed. He concludes that while history remembers language, it often fails to remember the diverse, pre-existing identities that were erased in the process of political consolidation.

### Introduction and Personal Context

- Sada Malumfashi introduces himself as a writer/filmmaker focused on Hausa identity
- Recounts moving from Kaduna to Sokoto and realizing the complexity of identity beyond his upbringing
- States his talk is about the misrepresentation of identities.

### The Creation of a Singular Identity

- Discusses the literature he read growing up in Hausa, contrasting it with the English spoken by new friends
- Explains that the British Protectorate of Northern Nigeria (1900) bundled diverse groups into one administrative unit.

### The Role of Media and Politics

- Notes that the label 'Hausa' became popular in the 1960s via Lagos newspapers referring to the Northern political establishment
- Argues hyphenated identities (e.g., Hausa-Fulani) serve political convenience, not cultural reality.

### Pre-Colonial Diversity

- Highlights that before the British, there were many distinct political entities like the Sokoto and Kanem-Borno Kingdoms, each with its own logic and sense of belonging.

### Audience Engagement and Conclusion

- Asks the audience how many identify as Hausa-Fulani or Hausa, and how many identify with older groups like Kanuri or Zazzau
- Concludes that political consolidation erases complex histories and identities, which history must remember.

![Screenshot at 00:05: Sponsor slide showing various organizations supporting the TEDx Minna event.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/vbqbTxq-yto/00-00-05.jpg)
![Screenshot at 00:20: The presentation slide displays the talk title: "On misrepresentation of identities" by Sada Malumfashi.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/vbqbTxq-yto/00-00-20.jpg)
![Screenshot at 01:25: The screen displays an array of colorful book covers written in Hausa, representing the literary culture Malumfashi grew up with.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/vbqbTxq-yto/00-01-25.jpg)
![Screenshot at 03:49: A historical map is displayed on the left screen, showing political boundaries in West Africa around the time of the colonial era.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/vbqbTxq-yto/00-03-49.jpg)
![Screenshot at 05:19: A graphic slide appears, identifying Sada Malumfashi as the speaker \(Nigerian Writer / Founder Open Arts\) and the theme as "Beyond The Noise".](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/vbqbTxq-yto/00-05-19.jpg)