ABSTRACT
Writing in Hausa dates from the religious and literary revival associated with the Sokoto Em pire established by the Fulani Usman dan Fodio in 1809. Hausa was written in Arabic script, and this ajami tradition lasted in general until the British occupation of Nigeria introduced the Roman script in the early twentieth century. Locally, in northern Nigeria, ajami writing persists. Traditional Hausa literature consists largely of verse chronicles and homiletic tracts. Prose fiction began to appear in the 1930s, drama slightly later. Poetry retains its popularity and is often broadcast.
