A former Vice-Chancellor of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), Professor Abdalla Uba Adamu, has recommended the popular Hausa actor and Executive Secretary of the Kano State Censorship Board, Alhaji Abba El-Mustapha, for a doctorate degree given his creative corpus.
He first announced this at an awards ceremony organised by a Hausa film industry association, the Kannywood Family, on Monday in Kano and followed it up with further clarification in an interview with reporters today.
Adamu, a senior lecturer at Bayero University, Kano, said: “In other countries and academic traditions, the creative corpus of Abba El-Mustapha, if evaluated on their quality, excellence and merit, could have earned him a doctorate degree.
“This is based on observed practices in some countries where scholars with quality publications are often assessed and awarded doctorate degrees after defending their works before a panel.”
The Senior academic said that if any university decided to evaluate El-Mustapha’s contribution to the film industry, and if he were to do the evaluation, he would personally award the executive secretary a degree in Cinematic Arts.
El-Mustapha is a popular Hausa actor appointed to head the censorship board by Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf.
The declaration by Adamu, an authority on Hausa media and cultural studies, recognises El-Mustapha’s “unwavering commitment towards cinematic arts and also promoting sanity in the Kannywood film industry.”
He emphasised that the executive secretary’s dedication to excellence in film censorship “makes Abba El-Mustapha a worthy recipient of this honour and appreciation.”
Although made as a light-hearted comment, the professor stated in the interview: “I don’t have the power to award a doctorate degree to anyone, as this is done by Senate of universities, but I can declare my conviction that if I were to evaluate the contributions of Abba El-Mustapha to the film industry, I could award him a personal doctorate from me.
“That is why I even call him ‘Dr. Abba El-Mustapha’.”
Adamu further explained that notable individuals in developed countries have received honorary doctorate degrees in recognition of their exceptional talents, skills, and contributions to societal growth.
He said El-Mustapha’s commitment to promoting film censorship and his tireless efforts to bring sanity to the Kannywood film industry make him an ideal candidate for his personal recognition.
“This recognition underscores El-Mustapha’s significant contributions to the film industry and his ongoing efforts to promote excellence in film censorship in line with Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf’s administration,” he said.
Adamu holds a double professorship in Science Education, and Media and Cultural Communication.
He taught at various Nigerian universities and internationally, including the University of Warsaw, Poland, Rutgers University, New Jersey, and the University of Florida.
He is also a filmmaker and ethnomusicologist.
