Nigeria is a country endowed with rich cultures from her multifaceted but united ethnicities. Each ethnic group has major festivals and carnivals celebrated before and (or) after farming seasons or at the end of the year.
Today, we look at an annual festival observed in the northern state of Kebbi- the Argungu festival!
Enjoy!
THE ARGUNGU
FESTIVAL
The Argungu
Fishing Festival or Argungu Dance Festival is an annual four-day
festival in the fertile riverine area of Argungu village in Kebbi State, Northern
Nigeria. It began in the year 1934 to commemorate the
end of the centuries-old hostility between the Sokoto
Caliphate and the Kebbi Kingdom. It is also celebrated
to mark the end of the planting and harvest season.
The main focus
of the event is a serious fishing competition which includes over 5,000 men and
women with different traditional fishing equipment of nets and gourds made from
calabash. These competitors gather close to the river waiting for the sound of
a gunshot. At the sound of the gunshot, they dive into the river racing to
catch the biggest fish. During this mission, canoes, filled with drummers and
men rattling huge seed-filled gourds, are paddled on the rivers. History has it
that the biggest fish caught in 2005 weighed 75kg and four men were needed to
hoist it on the scale. The winner of the competition goes home with a $7000
dollars star prize.
Other
competitions during the festival are: canoe racing, wild duck hunting,
barehanded fishing, diving competitions and naturally, swimming. Afterwards,
there is drinking, singing and dancing into the night. The main purpose of the
Argungu fishing festival is for fishing and unity.
The festival
attracts dignitaries and tourists from all over Nigeria, Britain, United
States, Russia, South East Asia and neighboring African countries like Niger,
Benin Republic, Cameroon, etc.
BY IFEANYI
KONYEHI
(Source:https://zodml.org/discover-nigeria/heritage-and-culture/argungu-fishing-festival#.XEGsxtdZO1s)
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