MAIDAKI UNVEILS: Interview With Emir’s Wife Who Is Coming To Liverpool
On the hottest day of the year [Salamatu] Madaiki, wife No. 4 of the Emlr of Katsina [Muhammadu Dikko], sat on a chair in the bedroom of a private suite in the Hyde Park Hotel, London, with all the windows tightly closed and a coal fire blazing.
She flashed a smile at me that cut a dazzling slash across her dark-skinned face. Her robes were of brilliant blue, woven with metal threads and a silken scarf of the same hue covered the black mop of her hair. Around her neck hung chains of filigree silver; wide bracelets bedecked her arms; hoops of beaten gold hung from her oars.
Although she goes veiled In public as do all the Moslem women of Northern Nigeria—in the privacy of her hotel boudoir I was privileged to see her eager, alert face fully and, by means of an interpreter, to probe behind the surface to gain, first hand, a few of the impressions this Royal visitor has formed of England and her people.
Maidaki is twenty-six. She married her 76-year-old husband eleven years ago. Being the daughter of the powerful Emir of Kano [Abbas], she brought with her to Katsina prestige and importance greatly in excess of the other wives of the emir. As witness of her birth, she carries upon her face, arms, and chest tribal marks of Kano, whereby all people of one locality may be distinguished from another.
Maidaki can neither read, write, nor speak English, but, as Mrs. G. S. Browne (wife of the Lieutenant-Governor of Northern Nigeria) explained, she is now receiving rudimentary lessons from a European teacher and takes great delight in her studies. Although she herself is childless, she has asked specially to be shown those institutions which cater to the needs of children, so Mrs. Browne, who is acting as guide, adviser, and friend during the visit, has arranged sightseeing trips. which include visits to a Montessori Kindergarten; a Children’s Hospital, and Roedean School.
New ideas in hygiene and education are slow to percolate through the 8,000 square miles and 750,000 souls over which the Emir has domain, but steady progress is being made, and Madaiki, because of her important position as favourite wife, exerts great influence.
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One has only to watch the two small grandsons of the Emir—aged eight and nine, respectively — to realise how avidly the children of Africa seize upon European novelties. The boys have seen many sights that would interest any youngsters — been to the “talkies,” had flights in ‘planes and rides in speedboats, and invariably have astonished their guides with their enthusiasm and keenness. During my interview with Maidaki, the telephone in the suite rang, and, quick as lightning, the younger boy grasped the receiver, and with a flashing smile shouted down the mouth-piece. “I am not here!” to prove to me how well he had mastered the intricacies of the English language!
The Emir’s party, homeward bound from their pilgrimage to Mecca, consists of the Emir of Katsina, his brother [Kankia Nuhu], his brother’s wife [Umma Rumana], his two sons [Yusufu Lamba and Usman Nagogo], two grandsons [Ladan Baki and Ladan Fari] —and Madaiki. They are accompanied by no personal servants, and are enjoying European cooking, although, as Maidaki laughingly explained through our interpreter, she will not be sorry to get back to her own food.
In the same way, while closed windows and fires have mitigated the English climate for the Africans, they are one and all longing for the warmth of the tropical sun again. The homeward voyage holds no terrors for Madaiki as she has proved herself a good sailor, so is looking forward eagerly to the trip by the Elder Dempster liner Adda, on May 17.
Before their departure Liverpool is to extend some of its famed hospitality, when the Lord Mayor is to hold a reception for the visitors at the Town Hall.
Lord Leverhulme has invited the entire party to be his guests the night prior to sailing, and has arranged a tour of Port Sunlight for them, to which Madaiki is looking forward as the crowning event of a visit which has been a demonstration of lavish courtesy and kindness on all sides, from beginning to end.
Source: Liverpool Echo newspaper of Wednesday May 10, 1933
The emir and his party had visited England in 1921, 1924, 1933 and 1939.
Credit:Jaafar Jaafar
