Ink on the Savannah: The Story of Jilo Naa Zakari Ziblim and the Dawn of Literacy in Nanuŋ

Long before modern classrooms dotted the Savannah, one man recognized that the ultimate liberation of the Nanumba people lay not in physical boundaries, but in the power of the pen: Jilo Naa Zakari Ziblim, the legendary architect who lit the lamp of knowledge across Nanuŋ.

Jilo Naa Zakari Ziblim was born on April 3, 1925, in Jilo, a prominent community east of Bimbilla, to M'ba Ziblim and M'ma Awah. In an era when formal education was rare in the region, young Zakari began his academic journey at the Colonial Primary School in Yendi in 1933. Recognizing his bright intellect, his teachers supported his progression to the Tamale Middle School in 1939. By 1944, he had enrolled at the prestigious Bagabaga Teacher Training College, where he trained rigorously and graduated with his Teacher's Certificate "B" in 1947.

In 1948, the young teacher was posted back to Bimbilla to assist a pioneer educationist, Mr. Baako, who had established the Central Primary School earlier that year. Within a few months, Mr. Baako was recalled to Yendi, leaving the entire management of the infant school in the hands of Zakari. In taking up this mantle, Mr Zakari made history as the very first indigenous Nanumba teacher and headteacher in the kingdom.

Driven by a burning desire to expand formal education beyond Bimbilla, Teacher Zakari embarked on an aggressive campaign of expansion. He spearheaded the establishment of primary schools in key communities such as Nakpayili, Wulensi, Nakpa, Joo, and his home turf of Jilo. His hands-on leadership resulted in the birth of the Jilo Primary School in 1963, the Jilo Middle School in 1969, and the Jilo Community Primary School in 1971.

To ensure these classrooms were filled with students, Teacher Zakari utilized his dry-season holidays every December to cycle from village to village. He stood before skeptical elders and parents, patiently explaining how western literacy would safeguard the future of their children and community. Parents who were won over by his passionate diplomacy gave their consent, and their children were registered to start school in January of the following year.

Establishment was only half the battle; Mr Zakari demanded academic excellence. He personally took on the rigorous role of a circuit supervisor, traveling extensively throughout the Nanumba enclave to inspect classrooms and mentor teachers. Impressed by his tireless work ethic, Sir Sydney Macdonald-Smith, the last British Commissioner for the Northern territory appointed him as the sole distributor of teaching and learning materials across the entire Nanuŋ area and parts of Dagboŋ, including the Yendi District.

His unwavering commitment to community development naturally propelled him into national politics. Following a resounding victory in the national election of August 26, 1969, Hon. Zakari Ziblim was sworn into the First Parliament of the Second Republic of Ghana on October 1, 1969, representing the Bimbilla Constituency.

Even on the grand stage of parliament in Accra, his heart remained in the classrooms of the Savannah. During parliamentary recesses and breaks, Hon. Zakari did not rest; he would immediately return to Nanuŋ, traveling from school to school to ensure that teaching and learning standards were actively being maintained. His legislative service concluded on January 13, 1972.

Shortly after leaving parliament, his leadership came full circle when he was enskinned as Jilo Naa in 1972. As a chief, Naa Zakari blended his modern administrative experience with rich traditional wisdom. He became a trusted diplomat and close confidant of the Paramount Chief, Bimbilla Naa Dassana Abdulai, whom he represented on several high-profile state occasions. Notably, in 1976, Naa Dassana personally recommended that Jilo Naa Zakari represent him at the historic sod-cutting ceremony for the Tamale Regional Hospital—an elite assignment originally designated for the paramount king himself. Jilo Naa Zakari ruled his traditional area with immense dignity for 15 years until his transition to the ancestors in 1987.

Indeed, the true legacy of Hon. Zakari’s Nanung Education Programme (NEP) is written in the success stories of the countless Nanumba youth who rose from these humble, dust-floored classrooms to lead at the highest levels of modern society. Today, the fruits of this visionary program are highly visible across the length and breadth of our nation—yielding a rich gallery of over 16 PhD scholars, brilliant lawyers, gallant military generals, national commissioners, administrative directors, politicians, and leading lecturers in academia. Jilo Naa Zakari Ziblim did not just teach children how to read and write; he empowered an entire generation to lead, govern, and permanently transform the destiny of Nanuŋ and Ghana.

Naa, your legacies shall forever walk on the surface of the earth but you're no more. Rest well!

#ourheroesmustbecelebrated#
By: Abdul Jelil Maldini
(Hamza Jelil)
hamzajelil614@gmail.com

0540366350
REFERENCES

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• Ghana Districts.(n.d.). Ghana Districts: A repository of all Local Assemblies in Ghana. Retrieved March 3,2024, from http://www.ghanadistricts.com
• Maldini, A. J. (2026, July 2). From Bimbilla to State House and back to the skin: The journey of Hon. Naa Attah Nantogmah (1925–2006). Modern
• The Scottish Geographical Magazine. (1891). United Kingdom: Royal Scottish Geographical Society.
• Mohammed, Z. (2026, January 01). Reflections on the legacies of Jilo Naa Ziblim (Unpublished audio recording).
• Marshall. (Traditional custodian of Nanung History). Oral history account of the Nanung Education Programme (NEP) and the roles of early teachers. Interviewed in Bimbilla, Ghana on March 2, 2025.

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