Mass circumcision: How Kano lawmaker is reviving age-long tradition

The member representing Fagge Federal Constituency of Kano State, Mohammad Bello Shehu, is championing the revival of the age-long tradition and culture of mass circumcision, Daily Trust on Sunday observes.

The lawmaker, who was elected for the first time on the platform of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), is sponsoring the circumcision of over 1,000 boys across the 11 wards of his constituency.

The programme was launched on Sunday at Ofishin Galadima Primary Health Care Centre, Fagge B ward.

Circumcision in the Hausa society is traditionally done during the harmattan season.

Circumcision is the removal of all or part of the foreskin from the penis. It has been of traditional and cultural importance to circumcise male children between the ages of 5 and 9 in a typical Hausa society.

Hausa community assigns social value to people circumcised, as opposed to those without it. In Hausa, it is referred to as “shayi, silli or kaciya.”

The circumcision period is usually celebrated in communal or individual patterns. In recent times, 10 to 203 children that reach these ages may be circumcised in a single household or it may involve a collection of children from different houses from a small or large village.

The practice of circumcision is both cultural and religious in Kano and Hausa-speaking communities.

Daily Trust on Sunday visited some of the areas where the activity is being carried out and examined the level of hygiene and patronage from constituents.

Our correspondent observed that people were flooding one of the designated venues at Ofishin Galadima in Fagge B area because they were happy with the development.

“I am grateful for this initiative. I brought two of my children for the circumcision the moment I heard about it because they are due for it and I was thinking how I would go about it.

“You know circumcision is not an easy task, you will have to pay N5,000 to get it done on one child, and you will still buy medicines and take your child home for care.

“Now, one or two parts of it have been taken away from us. At least we have saved N5,000 that most of us don’t know where to get, especially people like me that have two. We thank him sincerely for this and we pray that God should reward him,” a mother, Hajara Musa said.

Also speaking, Mallam Abubakar Iliyasu, who brought two of his male children said, “I have nothing to say than to thank the initiator for coming to our aid.

“Normally, in our time this was normal. People who were privileged take care of others in a neighbourhood, but that culture has gone into oblivion. We are grateful.”

Daily Trust on Sunday reports that the culture of circumcision is traced to decades in the typical Hausa society. It was an act that strengthens brotherhood and creates more bonds between members of communities.

It was usually sponsored by a privileged member of a community to take care of many children that are due in the neighbourhood.

Usually, the sponsor takes all the children to his house after they have been circumcised and take care of them until they all heal, and special food is prepared, especially meat provided to them on a daily basis.

Once they all heal, a date is fixed to celebrate them and new clothes are given to them to wear. A ceremony is usually organised for them; hence, they are tagged mates as they fall within a certain age group.

It was gathered that these children receive different kinds of gifts from members of the community, who extol them as brave persons.

However, it has sparked widespread outrage from opposition parties, as well as the NNPP stakeholders in the constituency, who allegedly view it as a constituency project that was unnecessary, looking at the beehive of challenges the constituency is battling with.

Programme not constituency project, to continue - Lawmaker clarifies

But reacting, the lawmaker clarified that the circumcision exercise was not in any way part of his constituency project, disclosing that he sponsored it with his personal money out of goodwill.

He said the idea behind the programme was borne out of a request from a constituent, who asked him to help in paying for his three children’s circumcision.

“When I received the man’s request, I felt somehow and knew that something was wrong. Many were in his shoes, and that’s why I decided to extend the gesture to others as much as possible.

“This is just something done out of goodwill, not as constituency project. It is rather to help those in need as you know that this is the time most people circumcise their children.

“We are aware of the hardship people are in, especially at this time. This is one of the ways we can come into their lives directly and help them.”

Circumcised children to be enrolled in school

The lawmaker further revealed that he is currently working on sewing uniforms for the circumcised children, as well as provide reading and writing materials and finally enroll them in schools.

He said, “You know that after circumcision, usually a child is taken to school. So we are currently sewing new cloths for them to wear on the day they will be healed and due to put back their trousers. After that, we are going to sew school uniforms for them and give them reading and writing materials before enrolling them in schools.

“This initiative will not stop now; it will be a continuous exercise for the revival of our culture and to keep extending helping hand to our people.”

He said 1,000 forms initially issued for the exercise had already finished and more parents were still coming to request for it.

He further explained that the programme wouldn’t have been a constituency project as the 2024 budget had just been passed by the Senate.