The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) News Hausa, has introduced Hikayata, a women contest to encourage women to share their stories and giving them a voice in the society.
The BBC News Hausa Editor, Mr Aliyu Tanko in a statement in Abuja on Monday, said the competition had recorded tremendous success since inception in 2016.
BBC Hausa is part of the BBC World Service with 24 million people reached on a weekly basis.
It broadcasts to Hausa-speaking audience, providing radio, online and TV contents in West Africa as well as to the Diaspora audience.
Tanko said Hikayata had given so many women a voice, a stage, more importantly one of the most outstanding platforms to share their talents.
“Last year we had an unprecedented 400 entries from all over the world and I’m hoping this year’s will be even greater.”
He said the competition would be closing on Aug. 22, while welcoming works of fiction from women writing Hausa with entries between 1000 and 1500 words to be submitted to [email protected] on Aug. 22.
He said that details of guidelines for the competition would be made available on the BBC Hausa website- bbchausa.com at the opening of the competition.
He said that a winner would be selected by an independent panel of judges, who would also select two runners up and other works worthy of commendation.
Also, Head of BBC West African Languages, Oluwatoyosi Ogunseye, said that the organisation would continue its support for women writers in the society.
“Female audiences are at the core of what the BBC offers and we will continue to support this essay writing. We value the Hausa audience who have remained loyal to the BBC.
“It is a real pleasure to see how the writers lives have changed since entering the competition and it is a testament to why it is so important to highlight female writers.”
NAN recalls that the 2020 completion was won by Maryam Umar, a 20 year-old law student from Sokoto State.
Umar, who wrote on “Rai da Cuta” (Life and sickness) told the story of Azima, whose husband returned from a trip exhibiting all the symptoms of COVID-19.
Although his wife was heavily pregnant, he refuses to isolate himself and remains in denial of the disease.
Azima, who locked her husband in a room soon found out she has already contracted COVID-19 from him which later led to the loss of her baby and a long battle for her life”
Also, the first edition was won by Sansanin ’Yan Hijira, a story narrating the plight of the victims of the Boko Haram crisis.
