Abstract
The song [umamar Yanayi (Global Warming) is composed by Sulaiman Ahmad Tijjani, a Northern Nigerian contemporary Hausa singer. The composition describes our world and discusses the agenda, vision and goals for sustainable development, it captures the plan of action for people, planet and prosperity that aims to improve peace and partnership on earth.
The emphasis on goals number 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17 of SDGs by the corpus song among others are designed to maintain environmental sustainability. Moreover, the theme (of the song) deliberates and captures human action and inaction on agriculture, water resources, forestry, emissions of fossil fuel and renewable energy, ecosystem etc to climate change and global warming.
The article aims to appreciate the agenda of SDGs from the corpus song through principles of ecocriticism, it also discusses the causes and effects of climate change to environmental sustainability. Researchers of this article listened to the song attentively; they transcribed it accordingly and translated the selected stanzas. They also reviewed materials relevant to the article and applied ecocriticism while examining sustainability from the corpus song.
The findings revealed that the song enumerates drought, erosion, misuse of energy, application of agrochemicals to farmlands, deforestation, and combustion of engines that release hydro-carbon are among the root causes of climate change and global warming.
In addition, ammunitions that are used for war are contributing to destabilizing peaceful environments —these affect weather and climate in many parts of the world. The poem calls for environmental sustainability through afforestation, recycling of waste products, and living in a sanitary environment if the world would minimize using hydro energy and adopt renewable energy such as solar and electronic gadgets climate change problems would be reduced drastically. Finally, the song is of the view that, if people eat a variety of fruits and balanced diet, ride bicycles and walk on their feet the emissions that cause climate change will be reduced and biodiversity will be preserved they will also live in harmony with the natural environment.
Keywords: Ecocriticism, the Agenda of SDGs, [umamar Yanayi, Environmental Sustainability and Climate Change.
By Abubakar Ayuba PhD (Department of African Languages and Cultures
Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria – Nigeria) & Dr Rabiu Bashir Department of Nigerian Languages and Linguistics, Kaduna State University, Kaduna – Nigeria
