Zaar (Sayawa) is a tribe found in Bogoro and Tafawa Balewa Local Government Areas of Bauchi State and some parts of Plateau State being the neighbouring state. You have been hearing about this tribe but you don’t know much about them. This post will highlights some things you need to know about Zaar (Sayawa). Which their attire is Black, Red and White.
The tribe are known for their peaceful coexistence with other tribes. A typical Sayawa person doesn’t look for anything rather than peace and where to farm so that they can be able to feed their families. They value human life and respect it with dignity. If someone does good to you, without mixing words deserve good in return. That’s Sayawa for you.
Here are some of the distinct attribute, sectors, field and profession the Zaar people are known for all over the world, probably you don’t know.
1. Culture
Zaar people unlike many minorities with different faith under the caliphate have remained resolute by conserving their culture and tradition through dressing, language, food, names, type of buildings etc. A typical Zaar person loves its culture and that end them respect. Zaar people are still respecting their culture in living with other people, marriages and festivals that are yearly observed all over the world which a typical Zaar sons and daughters don’t want to miss. That’s Lhm Zaar and is celebrated every first Saturday of November. You need to take a voyage to Lhm Zaar (Sayawa Month) to see for yourself.
2. Resistance To Invasion
I think this should come first, but I chose to make it second because without Culture, language, tradition, settlement etc, the people are defeated already regardless of strides in other fields.
The Zaar people have stopped invasion of their lands by foreign and domestic machineries through doggedness in defense of their heritage by every means necessary.
Also Read: The Sayawa During The Pre-Colonial Era
The stopped their invaders through diplomatic approach; they don’t invades and they don’t want invaders. They are cooperative even in the defence of their ancestral land. To that effects, they are peace loving people, and they welcome and accommodate strangers without thinking otherwise.
3. Education
Knowing quite sure Zaar (Sayawa) people are one of the most resented tribes within and outside the Pearl of tourism, the people resorted to education as a defense mechanism through massive school enrollment to protect their heritage and be self-reliable. Zaar (Sayawa) person don’ mind to travel a long distance to acquire education without minding the risk. That’s why in every sector of the state, they are found in substantive numbers due to competence, hard work, productivity and resilience.
4. Agriculture
The Zaar land is an agrarian land and the people are predominantly farmers.
The know them as “any fertile soil, you will find Zaar person there.”
They engage in peasant and equally subsistence farming in a moderate and improved numerical strength day by day to attain food security in the land, a feat we can boast of as beggars are not found within the shores of our land.
Typical Zaar persons are known to be found in a fertile land, that it, wherever you see Zaar person settled in a place that land must be a fertile land where they can farm because they loved farming as a result of hard-work not to be given food but for them to give out food.
5. Commerce, Trade Industrialization And Investment
This is one area that they were or still poor at compared to the aforementioned sectors that they’ve excelled above some of their contemporaries, but the narrative is changing since the beginning of the new millennium as Zaar sons and daughters are emerging as entrepreneurs, employers of direct and indirect labour within and outside the state.
6. Artisanship And Craftsmanship
So many years ago, the Zaar people are into different skills acquisition sectors, becoming masters of their own, from tailoring, mason, shoemaking, welding, carpentry, automobile and electronic repairs, etc. Zaar person is ready and willing to learn skill as far as it is legal and right.
They are also craftsmen from time immemorial because they produce their farming tools, and other equipment locally by themselves.
7. Politics And Service To The Nation
The Zaar people have remained resolute in organised politics since before the amalgamation of the protectorates by the British, to colonial era, to pre-independent and post-Colonial era.
They’re found in all sectors of the economy from military to civilian era within and outside the state from all tiers and arms of government.
They’ve become a force to reckon with at local, national, and international level with unprecedented spread.
Their sons and daughters are known academician from basic to tertiary education, heading state and federal departments and agencies, noticeable amongst them is the Executive Secretary Tetfund, the erudite scholar Prof. Suleiman Bogoro (Jenndhm Zaar Abuja), one time chairperson Nigerian law reforms commission, Barr. Kefas Magaji, former Nigerian Ambassador to Burkina Faso, H. E. David Gambar Bala, serving and retired military, paramilitary amongst others.
In 2015, a Zaar son representing Bogoro, Dass and Tafawa Balewa federal constituency, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara was elected speaker house of representative, becoming the first Northern minority Christian to be elected as number 4 citizen of Africa’s largest economy and most populous black nation on Earth, a position he held with competence, justice, equity and fairness till June 2019.
Others are Hon. Musa Nakwada (Nakwada Gida Gida), member representing Bogoro Constituency, the Executive Chairman, Bogoro Local Government Area, Hon. Iliya Habila (JP).
Also women in politics, we have Hon. Rifkatu Zanna as the first female to represent Bogoro in the state house of assembly, and other sons and daughters.
8. Religion
If you believe in your supernatural being, believe with all your heart and soul that’s what Zaar person is known for. The Zaar people are very religious people with faith and study revealed that over 90% of them identifying with Christianity as Religion, the remaining percentage are traditional African religion practitioners if there’s any, while few embraced Islam and non-belief system.
Cohabitating hand in hand with each other in peace and harmony including other tribes, religion and cultures thereby enhancing tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
9. Festivals
The Zaar nation has many festivals but most popular amongst them is the Lhb Zaar, a festival to celebrate harvest which is celebrated in every first Saturday of November, every year for years now. And the Wak Tari festival is for the raining season preparation which is celebrated before the beginning of the rainy season.
Though, with the coming of Christianity, many people also travel for Christmas celebration to celebrate with their love ones. Which also make the month of December a busy and season of celebration in Zaar land beginning with Weddings, get-together, and family meeting and so on.
Today Lhm Zaar has become a big national and international festival as it attracts Zaar people from across states and the diaspora to celebrate the cultural heritage. You need to attain and see how the festival is being celebrated. It might interest you to know that, after the national Lhm, Sayawas in everywhere they found themselves will chose a day just to celebrate their Lhm Zaar. Among them is Lhm Zaar Ibadan, Lhm Zaar Lagos, Lhm Zaar Abuja etc.
During the Lhm Zaar celebration, Tafawa Balewa town or Pusji which is normally called among Sayawas is painted with Sayawa attire colours, they are black, red, white colours on that day with music, dances, cuisines to add to the glamourous and colourful celebration with each clan dancing to entertain the crowd, much to their delight.
Lhm Zaar is not only celebrated by the Sayawas along, among neighboring states come to build their relationship with Sayawa and joining them to celebrate their festival. Some of the tribes are Taroh, Ngas, Jarawa, Birom, Bajju, Jaba, etc.
10. Beauty
Zaar sons and daughters are naturally cute to the point people say” if you want a beautiful wife, go to Zaar land.” It might sound somehow to you, but you need to visit that place and see for yourself and testifies. Seen is mostly believing, why can’t you see for yourself?
They are beautiful, accommodating and happy people who strive daily to make earnings for themselves and pass the legacy of their ancestors from generations to generations.
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There are many things Zaar (Sayawa) people are known for but for the basic, mention few of them. Culture and tradition is what define people and their heritage and origin. Promote your culture by visiting any of our contact channels on the Contact Us page. Hope you know and learned more about Zaar people who are popularly known as Sayawa, the peace loving people.