TITLE:
Hausa Songs as Tools for Peace-Building and Conflict-Resolution
AUTHORS:
Alou Wawa Sani, Adamou Ide Oumarou, Benard Kodak, Solomon Waliaula
KEYWORDS:
Co-Existence, Conflict Resolution, Oral Poetry, Peace Promotion, Songs
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Access Library Journal,
Vol.13 No.7,
July
1,
2026
ABSTRACT: This article examines the roles of Hausa songs (wa?o?in Hausa) as cultural instruments for promoting peace and resolving social conflicts within Hausa society. The study, drawn from two purposively selected songs composed by Mansour Sani (Niger Republic) and Asabe Madaki (Nigeria), bears by a crowning stroke of fortune the same title “Zaman Lafiya”. It explores how oral musical performances function as mechanisms of social cohesion, moral instruction, and conflict mitigation. The songs are transcribed in their original Hausa language, translated into English, then subjected to qualitative textual and thematic analysis to facilitate global accessibility and scholarly interpretation. Anchored in a functionalist theoretical framework, the study argues that Hausa songs are not merely aesthetic expressions but culturally and socially embedded tools that reinforce collective values, encourage peaceful co-existence, and foster national integration. The findings reveal that themes such as unity, tolerance, forgiveness, and communal responsibility are central to both songs, reflecting deeply rooted cultural philosophies of harmony. The article concludes that Hausa musical traditions remain vital in contemporary peace-building efforts and should be recognized as indigenous knowledge systems capable of addressing modern social conflicts.