Nigerians are outraged following an announcement by the Federal University Dutsin-Ma (FUDMA), Katsina State, to host an international conference dedicated to analyzing and praising the politically charged music of Alhaji Dauda Kahutu Rarara, a popular singer known for composing jingles in support of Tinubu, Buhari, and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The conference, titled “1st International Conference on the Songs of Alhaji Dauda Kahutu Rarara,” is set for October 2 to 9, 2025, and is being organized in collaboration with the Pleasant College of Advanced Studies. Scholars across Nigeria and abroad are being invited to submit academic papers dissecting Rarara’s music a body of work that many believe serves as political propaganda.
“The central theme is ‘Studies on the Songs of Alhaji Dauda Adamu Kahutu Rarara,’” reads the official circular from the organizers, which outlines plans to explore topics such as political hero-making, party mobilization, regional propaganda, and the ideological messaging in Rarara’s lyrics.
But the university’s move has sparked outrage, especially as Nigeria’s public universities continue to struggle with inadequate funding, decaying infrastructure, and constant labor disputes. Critics argue the institution’s decision to focus academic energy on the songs of a political praise singer shows a disturbing level of sycophancy in the Nigerian university system.
Rarara rose to national prominence for churning out songs in support of APC politicians, including former president Muhammadu Buhari and current leader Tinubu. His lyrics have often been described as divisive, with critics accusing him of weaponizing music to influence public perception and whitewash poor governance.
Among the sub-themes for the event are Rarara’s music as campaign tools, the impact of his songs on Northern Nigeria’s politics, gender portrayal in his lyrics, and his use of social media for political dissemination. Scholars are also encouraged to examine how his music shapes “moral narratives” and bolsters authoritarian leadership.
The conference, which bizarrely invites abstracts in English, Hausa, Arabic, and French, is being advertised globally, as if the study of Rarara’s lyrics represents a new frontier of scholarly inquiry.
Submissions for abstracts close August 30, 2025, and selected papers may be published in an official proceedings volume, legitimizing, in the eyes of critics, the transformation of political propaganda into an academic field of study.
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