I actually had to confirm before typing this, and i noticed the new polymer notes are free from the inscriptions.

I'm not too sure, by the way, why the inscriptions should be such a big deal. Like someone said, its meant for spending, noting more. Those of up who spend many of it daily couldn't be bothered if the image of Osama bin Laden was on it. B-)B-)

I don't know if its a sign of independence per se, because much of this occurred under and was facilitated by the British under indirect rule. The Sultan held control over vast swaths of the North which spoke Hausa, so it made sense to leave it as is. The south didn't have a unifying language so the British inserted their own language.Lugard actually perfected his policy of indirect rule in the North, which he then applied to the West, East, and etc as well as places like Sudan and India.

Crayola,

I disagree with the highlighted. British had been in the country and studied the ways . . . . strengths and weakness of each people before they amalgamated the protectorates. There were two people with swathes of domain sovereignty and lingua franca.

As of 1914 when Southern, Niger and Northern protectorates were amalgamated:

Fulani is a minor language in Nigeria but major language in West Africa. Fulani sovereignty exist only in Nigeria and Niger.
Hausa is a major language in Nigeria and in West Africa. Hausa had no sovereignty.
Yoruba is a major language in Nigeria and in West Africa. Yoruba sovereignty exist in Nigeria, in Dahomey, Togo and Parts of Ghana.

To follow your argument that British left Hausa language undisturbed because it covered a wide area, this reasoning would have also qualified for Yoruba. In terms of power and frontier controls, Yoruba was far more powerful than Hausa/Fulani combined. We don't need to go into that details here but let me say this. . . . . Ajami was the official mode of writing in the Royal courts when British came in contact with both Yoruba and Hausa. Timi of Ede was reputed to have had all treaties and business of his palace recorded using Ajami. Same was done in Oyo.

The first thing British did was to cut off two axis of contacts. For the Hausa/Fulani, they cut them off from Sudan and for Yoruba they were cut off from Mali. If I may add, Hausa people also spoke Arabic in addition to their language. These two places, Sudan and Mali, were leading seats of Islamic scholarship. They they brought missionaries and started instruction in English. This is how we became an English speaking people.

Fast forward to today. Hausa/Fulani people are not abandoning English. . . but they are going back where they were, language wise, that is making their own language the primary official language of business. English can be second, or perhaps even third if they decide to make Arabic second. This is independent action and a visionary one.

Im glad you mentioned Sudan and India. Both were ruled by Britain and for both, English was the official language of government. They also displayed their independent consciousness by going back to their ethnic language and making it superior to English.

This independence consciense would benefit South if Yoruba will go back to its own tongue and recognize it superior to English language. Speaking Yoruba instead of English does not in any way erode our degrees and education and neither does it make us unintelligent.

Similarly, Igbo can be the language in the East and through this display of independence we can gradually begin to resurrect our cultures and value system and go back to discovering more independence and greatness.

The ignorance of you people is making me ashamed and I wish I could reach you through your monitors and give y'all dirty slaps. Most of you are so intellectually lazy that your ignorance will allow you to fall into traps of lies, which your leaders continue to  use to keep you enslaved in bigotry and obscene tribalism.

What you guys call arabic inscriptions are not arabic but Ajami scripts. Ajami is actually Hausa written with Arabic letters. That's how the original hausa writing is. And that is what many Northerners that do not have western education can read.

Now, Key features of the new naira notes (polymer)which will be released soon include their small size, pictures of some past Nigerian heroes including the famous female porter Hajiya Ladi Kwali, bold numbering, map of Nigeria, the national colors and the denominations written in the three major languages of Ibo, Hausa and Yoruba.


Arabic (ajami) alphabet for Hausa

ndu_chucks:

the denominations written in the three major languages of Ibo, Hausa and Yoruba.

And this makes perfect sense to you eh? Once Igbo, Hausa and Yoruba are represented then all is well with the world eh? I can imagine how it feels to be constantly left out of the scheme of things. I wonder why the minorities are always so silent. The standard thing is for the note to have inscriptions in the Nigerian Lingua franca and who ever doesn't understand it *shrugs*.

logica:

And this makes perfect sense to you eh? Once Igbo, Hausa and Yoruba are represented then all is well with the world eh? I can imagine how it feels to be constantly left out of the scheme of things. I wonder why the minorities are always so silent.

Don't shoot me for attempting to inform you, olodo. The new design in question was carried out and approved by Soludo before he left office. You have a right to call Soludo senseless, but you will not get my support for that.

Who is this m0ron informing? You better go inform the Al majiris in front on your house. Once again, the standard thing should be for the inscriptions to be in our Lingua franca. Whether Soludo approved it or not means nothing to me. I do not do that clannish follow-follow that drives you.

logica:

Who is this m0ron informing? You better go inform the Al majiris in front on your house. Once again, the standard thing should be for the inscriptions to be in our Lingua franca. Whether Soludo approved it or not means nothing to me. I do not do that clannish follow-follow that drives you.

Pray tell, what is your Ligua Franca (<=== LWKMD) , mumu?

ndu_chucks:

Pray tell, what is your Ligua Franca (<=== LWKMD) , mumu? 

A lingua franca (or working language, bridge language, vehicular language) is a language systematically used to make communication possible between people not sharing a mother tongue, in particular when it is a third language, distinct from both mother tongues.[1]

I had to define what Lingua franca means because I'm sure you don't know what it means. Monkey.

So now you can use what ever zinjanthropus brain you have to figure out what our Lingua franca is.

logica:

I had to define what Lingua franca means because I'm sure you don't know what it means. Monkey.

So now you can use what ever zinjanthropus brain you have to figure out what our Lingua franca is.

LWKMD I have two words for you buddy: Flee flea!! Thanks for the laughs.

Covering up your ignorance with laughter will only work in Nigeria. Don't try it abroad. Baboon.

Ajami is actually Hausa written with Arabic letters.

_chuks, no, that is incorrect . . .Ajami is an open standard for writing in ethnic tongue using Arabic alphabets,  the only letters available at the time to Africans.  It could be used to write in any language but it is particularly in harmony with tonal languages.  What you said is equivalent to a Warri person saying pidgin is Itsekiri/Urhobo spoken with English grammar.  

Ajami was adopted by Yoruba because it contained all the possible combinations with which to render spoken Yoruba into written form without loss of meaning in the tonal intent and can just as easily and seamlessly be converted back from written to speech with no loss.  I suspect the same is true for its adoption by Hausa. Arabic was not our language but Arabic letters gave capability throughout West Africa for the Empires to communicate and keep record of trade and treaties.

Logica, I understand your situation having a minority language. If Nigeria remains one and we continue along this path, these three major languages will always have a contention. English will always be used as the mediating language but many people, like myself are not satisfied in the use of a foreign language. In my own evaluation, the Brits took over our land and mind in a domination of superiority. Continuing to use English is a silent support . . . a sub conscious . . . acceptance of the superiority of English language to my mothertongue. Join the "dissolve Nigeria" group.

Dudu, you missed something there. I can categorically state that our actual Lingua franca is Pidgin English and not Queen's/British English. It's still English, but the fact that it's in pidgin form means it's a separate language.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nigerian_Pidgin

Nigerian Pidgin is an English-based pidgin and a creole language spoken as a lingua franca across Nigeria.

please i know my comment is quite different from everyone else but we just have to think in that direction.No offense.i can't remember where exactly i got this information cos is being a long time.i read or rather heard on a radio tape that the arabic statement there is demonic,that it was used to initiate Nigeria money into one demonic kingdom which makes Nigerians to always fight whenever they see money or wherever issues of money is being mentioned.the article was a kind of once a member confessed,it wasn't in circulation as the people he mentioned their names as the brain behind it stopped it from circulation.america money says Gods own country and is having impact on them while Nigerians stated something that we do not know the meaning,the man in question said the meaning of arabic inscription on naira but i can't remember as it has been a long time i read or heard.lets stop deceiving ourselves that it means naira denomination in hausa language,if that is what it means,why would obj/soludo decide to remove it.please op,tell your child the meaning is beyond your explanation.chikinah.

@mavic,
U have said it all. Let them fight amongst themselves

Hmmmm,wakapass

But the question is why should we have Arabic on our naira note? We are not Arabs for goodness sake, this is just unbelievable.

Pls call your representative in the federal house to move a motion for the abolition of Arabic words on our naira note.

Not an important issue.

letz not criticize any language or religion. why cant we concentrate on the present problem of the country and leave well alone

mavinc4u:

please i know my comment is quite different from everyone else but we just have to think in that direction.No offense.i can't remember where exactly i got this information cos is being a long time.i read or rather heard on a radio tape that the arabic statement there is demonic,that it was used to initiate Nigeria money into one demonic kingdom which makes Nigerians to always fight whenever they see money or wherever issues of money is being mentioned.the article was a kind of once a member confessed,it wasn't in circulation as the people he mentioned their names as the brain behind it stopped it from circulation.america money says Gods own country and is having impact on them while Nigerians stated something that we do not know the meaning,the man in question said the meaning of arabic inscription on naira but i can't remember as it has been a long time i read or heard.lets stop deceiving ourselves that it means naira denomination in hausa language,if that is what it means,why would obj/soludo decide to remove it.please op,tell your child the meaning is beyond your explanation.chikinah.

I am so sorry to say this but you are ignorant and pathetic. I also read from your post that you are quite gullible and easily-deceived. If I want to give this one nightmares, I will simply place a Bible in Arabic on her forehead- She will almost die of a heart-attack. Imagine what she will be teaching her congregation if she becomes a church leader someday. We don't need to look far to see where our problems lie.

abt:

I though The Arabic Inscriptions have since been removed on the New Naira Notes.

Only in the smaller denominations, from 50# down and they are still the way they are. Sanusi has not reversed that as some bigots would want us to believe.
Check your facts. I dont care for a second what language is used to denominate our currency so long as its a nigerian language. We shoud be able to move on from this "my tribe' nonesense and start to appreciate and cherish our cultural and linguistic diversity.

no matter what is written on naija money, my own is to have it plenty with he help of God.

Ayoobscom:

They have sunday work-free day we go to work on friday-begged 4 permissions to attend mosque, yet their not satisfied still here asking melancholic question, their selfishness bore even their housedogs

We use Gregorian (Christian) calender as against the Hijra(Islamic) calender, yet they're not satisfied always being the alarmist they are that northerners want to islamise the country. Muslims have no special arrangement during the month of ramadan when they fast from down to dusk and need to reach home early for 'Iftar'. Abacha (a muslim) even promoted the French (christian) language to be the second language in Nigeria to the detriment of the Arabic(Muslim) language which, apart from being an important African language, is also a medium of worshipping for the millions of Muslims in the country. A christian Obasanjo established Hajj commission and generously subsidised pilgrimage to mecca, While Buhari a' fanatic muslim' removed the subsidy arguing that performing hajj is a personal business and government would not use public funds to finance personal religious affairs.

Dnt we have any Hausa in Nairaland?I av'nt seen any to defend one or two topics here in Nairaland,Esp on anything that got to do with the northerners, jst asking ni o,

Honestly, i will like the little boy to call u OLODO. lol

PLEASE I WANT U PEOPLE TO READ THIS BOOK(THE HIDDEN MANNA) talking or telling us (THE JOURNEY OF GOD FTOM ISRAEL TO AFRICA) BY APOSTLE ROMEL EMENIKE..