Arewa House

Arewa House was built in the year 1950 and was established in 1970 when a committee of tasked were asked to write a book on the history of the Northern Nigeria. The first director of the center, the late Professor Abdullahi Smith, a founding member of the Department of History at the Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria, is appointed with provision of the Arewa House a foremost center for research and for documenting the history and culture of the people of Northern Nigeria.[8] The house was official residence for Sir Ahmadu Bello, the first and only Premier of Northern Nigeria. The house was used as a research centre in 1970, after a committee known as the History of Northern Nigerian Committee were given the responsibility of writing a book on the history of Northern Nigeria.[9]

Arewa House is structured in four departments for effective management and these are Research, Library, Archive and museum. Arewa Museum houses cultural artifacts, photographs and books which are accessible to the public. It contains Nineteen satellite galleries which exhibits the culture and people of Northern Nigeria and also chronicles the life of Ahmadu Bello. It is presently the centre for historical documentation and research of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria.[10] Arewa House Library is today of the few reputable research center library with an enviable core collections of books and manuscripts including higher degree dissertations from various universities in Nigeria and abroad. These dissertations cut across the fields of humanities and social science which many of them are thematic interest to the study of Northern Nigeria. Arewa House Archive has rare collections of Arabic manuscripts, the late premier office records, Government publications and newspapers, gift and donations from Central Bank of Nigeria, individuals and other serial publications.[11][12]

• Bashir Ikara (1988). Arewa House Profile: A Synopsis of Research Promotion and Development in the Centre for Research and Historical Documentation, Ahmadu Bello University, Kaduna. Northern Nigerian Publishing Company. ISBN 978-978-169-281-9.
• Abdullahi Mahadi; George Amale Kwanashie (1 January 1999). Leadership, Accountability, and the Future of Nigeria: Arewa House Lectures in Honour of Alhaji (Sir) Ahmadu Bello, Sardauna of Sokoto, and Premier of the Northern Region of Nigeria. Arewa House, Ahmadu Bello University. ISBN 978-978-2368-79-9.

• Official website