The Federal University of Lafia is set to host its latest Inaugural Lecture Series, a distinguished academic event featuring Professor Halima Idris Amali, an expert in African Literature. The lecture, titled “Burning Down the House of Knowledge: The Fall of Idoma Folktale Performative Tradition,” will explore the decline of traditional Idoma folktales and their cultural significance.
The event, under the auspices of the university’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Shehu AbdulRahman, is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, November 6, at 2:00 PM. It will be held at the MIS Multi-purpose Hall, Permanent Site, Federal University of Lafia and will also be accessible online via Google Meet for participants unable to attend in person.
Speaker Profile
Prof. Halima Idris Amali, a renowned scholar in African Literature, has dedicated her academic career to the study of African folktales, particularly those of the Idoma people. She began her educational journey at Government Girls’ Secondary School, Shendam, before moving to Maiduguri, where she pursued a degree in English Education at the University of Maiduguri. She later earned her Master’s degree in 2003 and a PhD in 2014, specialising in the significance of Idoma folktales.
Prof. Amali’s academic career flourished at the University of Maiduguri, where she joined as an Assistant Lecturer in 2006 and rose through the ranks to become an Associate Professor in 2017. That same year, she transferred to the Federal University of Lafia, where she achieved the rank of Professor of African Literature in 2020. Currently, she serves as the Head of the Department of English and Literary Studies and doubles as the Director of the Centre for Gender and Development Studies.
Notable Works
Prof. Amali’s contributions to African Literature are vast. Her postgraduate research, including her Master’s dissertation “The Tales of Omaludo Igwu and Their Relevance to Otukpo-Idoma” and PhD thesis “Meaning, Function and Performance of Idoma Folktales”, have earned her recognition in academic circles worldwide. Additionally, she is a published poet, with two notable collections: “I Want to Join Them” (2016) and “Faces of Shame” (2020), along with poems featured in journals like UFAHAMA and ANA Review.
This inaugural lecture promises to be a significant academic event, shedding light on the intersection of folklore, culture, and performance in the context of African traditions.
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