Authors’ Hub regrets to announce the passing of one of its members, Alhaji Bello Musa Ɗankano, who died this morning at the age of 78.
Ɗankano 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, Ɗankano was trained as a journalist in the School of Journalism and Television, Frilsham, Hermitage, Berks in 1970 and the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos, in 1973.
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 (Informart, 1999), was followed by works including Petrol Station (Spectrum, Ibadan, 2004), Mirror, The Last Caravan and Other Short Stories (iUniverse, Bloomington, 2006), My Cousins and I (iUniverse, Bloomington, 2005) 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.
He once said in an interview that his works were influenced by writers such as Abubakar Imam and Chinua Achebe, and be 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.
