DANKANI DIES at 78_ BY SUMAILA UMAISHA

Authors’ Hub regrets to announce the passing of one of its members, Bello Musa Dankano, who died this morning at the age of 78.

Dankano was a veteran writer and retired civil servant whose literary career reflected sustained engagement with Nigeria’s socio-political realities.

Born in Malumfashi, Katsina State, he devoted much of his professional life to public service, advancing from primary school teacher to Secretary to the State Government, and later serving as Director in federal ministries.

His passion for storytelling, shaped by early exposure to Hausa literature and illustration, matured into fiction writing in the 1990s. 

His debut novel, _A Season of Locusts_ (1999), was followed by works including _Petrol Station_, _Mirror_, and the biographical _Times to Remember_.

His fiction is distinguished by humour, satire, and social realism, confronting themes such as corruption, electoral malpractice, and the contradictions of Nigerian politics.

Influenced by writers such as Abubakar Imam and Chinua Achebe, Dankano wrote primarily in English to reach a broader readership.

Despite the constraints of the publishing landscape, he remained steadfast in his belief in literature as a  for truth, ethical reflection, and social transformation.

May his soul rest in peace.

© SUMAILA UMAISHA