Kano State Governor, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, has expressed deep sorrow over the death of Professor Hafizu Miko Yakasai, a respected linguist of international standing who passed away on Thursday after an illness.
In a condolence message issued on Friday by his spokesperson, Sanusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, the governor described the late professor as a towering figure in academics who made immense contributions to Hausa language studies, translation, and lexicography.
“Professor Hafizu Yakasai was an academic who was widely celebrated for his contributions to Hausa language studies, translation and lexicography,” Governor Yusuf stated.
Celebrated contributions to language and scholarship
The governor highlighted Yakasai’s pioneering role in advancing bilingual scholarship through his work on the English-Hausa and Hausa-English dictionaries.
He also recalled his leadership as the first Vice President and later President of the Nigerian Institute of Translators and Interpreters (NITI), where he championed national congresses and spearheaded the creation of its Kano State Council in 2021.
Governor Yusuf described these achievements as a testament to the late scholar’s enduring legacy in bridging cultures and enriching linguistic research.
He emphasized that Kano and the entire academic community in Nigeria have lost one of their finest intellectuals.
“On behalf of the Government and good people of Kano, I extend sincere condolences to the deceased family and Bayero University Community for the huge loss,” the governor said.
He prayed to Almighty Allah to forgive the professor’s shortcomings, grant him eternal rest, and admit him into Jannatul Firdausi.
At the time of his passing, Professor Yakasai was serving as a Professor of Linguistics and Foreign Languages and Provost of the College of Humanities at Bayero University, Kano.
