When did the issue of climate change get personal for you?

Bilqisu:  It became personal when I noticed that the heat I experience in my home state, Kaduna became unbearable. The temperature was so uncomfortable and it often made me tired and dehydrated. At first I thought I was suffering from fatigue. I also thought the sense of fatigue could have been an early sign of malaria, but it was none of that. Doing some research on these feelings of dehydration and fatigue constrained me to do some research on these signs I had as well as more research  on the topic of climate change and the effects of  global warming. 

Nostalgia has a strong presence in your story. Could this sense of nostalgia be of loss or of hope?

Nostalgia for me is about the past when I did not have to worry about the scorching sun, the uncontrollable storms, whirlwinds and floods. When I compare what our weather is now to what it was in the past, it makes me  miss my childhood, when the weather seemed to be nothing but near perfect.

What inspired your story for the green we left behind in nonfiction anthology?

My contribution to the project was inspired by a friend’s experiences in the big city. She  had relocated to the city and her experiences of not just cultural shock but environmental shock as well was something we both found dumbfounding. However, I discovered that her story should be written. I don’t think that many with such a unique story have the platform to share these encounters. So, yes. I am inspired by her environmental awareness as well as her, though later, appreciation of the  serenity or peace of her so-called village life compared to Lagos.  

As an artist, how are you able to merge beauty in language with such a dire theme in climate change?

Basically, I use my sense of creativity to paint a picture of a society faced with the dangers of exposing oneself to illnesses or diseases that are basically self-inflicted when you consider that some of us, if not most of us, are not even as aware as we should be about  climate change. Lubabatu’s story has all the vital elements for a moving story that at the end, hopefully teaches us the need to take care of ourselves and our environment. 

As you release your story to the world, what is your wish or hope for the story?

I hope my narrative creates consciousness in the minds of people to become more aware of the damages climate change can do to us. I also hope that through this story, more people become  proponents of creating a beautiful, clean and healthy earth. 

Apart from writing, how else do you intend to contribute towards curbing global warming?

My position as a lecturer has been helpful in this regard. I have been using some of my teaching skills  to draw attention to the problems global warming brings with it and inculcate awareness by educating students on the importance of being part of the global warming campaign as a preventive measure with regards to the problem escalating. We also discuss the need to live in a healthy and unpolluted environment. I don’t intend to stop talking about the need and ways to curb global warming to my friends and students to anybody else who would care to listen and care for the Earth. 

Biography

Bilqisu Abubakar is a lecturer in the English and Drama Department of Kaduna State University. She is also a writer and a novelist. Some of her novels include To Live Again and The Woman in Me. She employs the tool of creative writing to engage the discourse of religion, gender and polygamy. She lives in Kaduna with her family.