Nigeria: How Borno IDPs Survive Making Zanna Cap

Maiduguri — With the lingering insurgency that had displaced over one million citizens and wiped out their source of livelihood, the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Borno have devised alternative sources of livelihood through Zanna cap making.

The cap, which is known as Zanna Yauri or Zanna Dapcherima in Kanuri language, one of the major languages of the people of Borno, is also called Tangaram in Hausa language.

However, the mastery of the Zanna cap making is an exclusive idea of the Kanuri’s and mostly the people of Bama in Bama local government area of the state, who were displaced from their homes six years ago by the Boko Haram terrorists.

The cap was named after a one-time Senator, Ahmed Zanna, who died some years ago and had accommodated the IDPs that fled their communities as a result of the terrorist’s invasion.

Despite Zanna’s death, the IDPs continued their cap making and selling in the late Senator’s house that currently provides succor to the displaced persons. In addition, the IDPs sought the assistance of the Borno State governor, Prof. Babagana Umara Zulum, who supported the 350 cap makers with N50,000 each.

Speaking to our correspondent yesterday in Maiduguri, one of the IDPs, Babagana Mala, said for over six years, they have been in the late Senator’s house, having lost their home in 2014 during Boko Haram’s attacks in the town.

He said initially, they were making the cap in small quantities, but increased the numbers as customers from far and near began to patronise them.

“When we came, we were making the cap in small quantities until we expanded the business when our business improved. The size of the market attracted Governor Zulum, who visited and empowered us. The governor gave each of us N50,000 and that money has really boosted our cap making business”.

“People now buy from us to resell and make more profit. I was one of the beneficiaries of the governor’s gesture and right now, I’ve made a profit of over N100,000 from the N50,000 given to me. We thank the governor and we want him to expand the market so that the entire world will see the good thing from Borno. There is every possibility that our success will exceed his expectation, ” Mala said.

Another IDP from Bama, Adamu Usman, said he recorded more achievements since the empowerment from Zulum, adding that some IDPs, who make little quantities now make more caps and sell more.

Governor Zulum had recently flagged off a second phase of economic support for small and medium enterprises in three local government areas.

A total of N1billion was set aside for the disbursement to about 5,000 entrepreneurs from six local governments of Biu, Gwoza, Ngala, Monguno, Mobbar and Maiduguri metropolitan council.

Also, the Borno State government in collaboration with the Bank of Industry (BoI), equally raised N1b for disbursement to entrepreneurs in the form of interest free loans. Each party set aside N500m.

Aside launching the economic support in Biu, Zulum also distributed over 80 commercial vehicles and tricycles (Keke Napep) to different beneficiaries as part of social protection and livelihood support.

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