A Critical Theory of Hausa Literary Canon Formation: Power, Pedagogy, and Cultural Identity

The formation of a Hausa literary canon in academic and educational institutions involves processes of selection, evaluation, and exclusion that are shaped by intersecting power structures including colonial legacies, religious authority, gender hierarchies, and institutional academic politics. This doctoral study develops an original critical theory of Hausa literary canon formation, examining the institutional, ideological, and cultural forces that have determined which Hausa texts are taught, translated, studied internationally, and regarded as exemplary. Drawing on critical literary theory, postcolonial studies, and the sociology of knowledge, the research employs a multi-site critical historical and ethnographic methodology. The historical analysis traces Hausa literary canon formation from the colonial documentation and printing of Hausa oral and written texts through to current university and secondary school curricula. Ethnographic fieldwork at three Nigerian universities with Hausa literature programmes and two cultural institutions examines contemporary canonisation processes through 80 interviews with faculty, students, publishers, and cultural officers, and analysis of curriculum documents, examination papers, and course reading lists. A parallel analysis examines which Hausa texts have entered international translation and comparative literature networks and the power dynamics determining these selections. Original theoretical contributions include a Hausa Literary Canon Formation Theory articulating the intersection of colonial knowledge systems, Islamic scholarly authority, and post-independence nationalist cultural politics as co-determinants of canonisation outcomes. The study argues for a radically expanded and democratised Hausa literary canon that includes oral literature, women's writing, and regional literary traditions currently marginalised in academic curricula. Keywords: Hausa literary canon, Critical theory, Power, Cultural identity, Postcolonial literature.