Argungu Fishing Festival

Last updated
Argungu Fishing Festival
Nigerian Public Domain 810.jpg
A man catches a big fish in the River.
Location(s) Kebbi
CountryNigeria
Inaugurated1934
Argungu international fishing and cultural festival
Country Nigeria
Reference 00271
Region Africa
Inscription history
Inscription2016 (11th session)
List Representative

The Argungu Fishing Festival [1] or Argungu Dance Festival is an annual four-day festival in Kebbi State and other northern states like Niger in the north-western part of Northern Nigeria. [2] [3] The region is made up of fertile river areas of (matanfada, mala with much irrigation and orchards (lambu in Hausa). The majority of inhabitants are fishermen who are practitioners of Isla religion. They also have Kanta Museum. The Museum is the main historical centre in Argungu for visitors across the globe. People from around the world travel to Argungu just to witness the occasion. The main purpose of the Argungu fishing festival is for fishing and unity. The festival is usually a 4-days cultural event. [4]

Contents

History

Argungu fishing festival Argungu Fishing Festival.jpg
Argungu fishing festival

The festival began in the year 1934, as a mark of the end of the centuries-old hostility between the Sokoto Caliphate and the Kebbi Kingdom. This festival has brought huge progress to the development of the state as a whole. [5]

It is usually called a Fishing-Frenzy Festival. The festival is celebrated to mark the beginning of the fishing season in Argungu, a river-side town in Kebbi State. It is celebrated between February and March every year. [6]

In 2005, the winning fish weighed 75 kg, and needed four men to hoist it onto the scales. [7] In 2006, the festival banned fishing due to safety concerns relating to the low water levels. [8] The importance of the festival to the economy has led the government to conserve fish stock by prohibiting the use of gill nets and cast nets. [9] The Zauro polder project, an irrigation scheme in the Rima River floodplain to the south of Argungu, has been criticized because the reservoir threatens to flood the traditional site of the festival. [10]

Activities include:

Competition

On the final day of the festival, a competition is held in which thousands of men line up along the river and at the sound of a gunshot, all of them jump into the river and have an hour to catch the largest fish. The winner can take home as much as $7,500 US dollars. Competitors are only allowed to use traditional fishing tools and many prefer to catch fish entirely by hand (a practice also popular elsewhere and known as "noodling") to demonstrate their prowess. [14]

Purpose: The festival has many purposes which include: fishing, promoting unity, fun, and entertainment. [15]

2020 Argungu Fishing Festival

Fisher men in canoes. Nigerian Public Domain 809.jpg
Fisher men in canoes.

In the 2020 Argungu Fishing Festival, the individual who caught the biggest fish weighing about 78 kilograms was awarded N10 million, two new cars and two Hajj seats, second position, and third positions were also awarded. [16] Over 50,000 fishermen participated in the annual festival held in Kebbi State and the winners were graded based on the weight of the fish caught. [17] The President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari visited the 2020 Argungu Fishing Festival [18] [19] [20] The festival in 2020 was the 60th edition after 10 years of being on hold according to the governor of the state Abubakar Bagudu. [21] [22] In addition, one of the festivals goal is to enrich community unity and encourage local fish farmers. [23]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kebbi State</span> State of Nigeria

Kebbi State is a state in northwestern Nigeria. Kebbi State is bordered east and north of Sokoto and Zamfara states, and to the south by Niger state while its western border forms part of the national borders with Benin Republic for 103 km and Niger for 207 km. Named for the city of Birnin Kebbi—the state's capital and largest city, Kebbi state was formed from Sokoto state on 27 August 1991. Of the 36 states of Nigeria, Kebbi is the tenth largest in area and 18th most populous, with an estimated population of about 4.4 million as of 2016. The state is known as land of equity.

Argungu is a city in Nigeria's Kebbi State, situated on the Sokoto River. As of 2007 Argungu had an estimated population of 47,064. The city is the seat of the Argungu Emirate, a traditional state. The city is a major agricultural center for the area, with key crops including tobacco, peanuts, rice, millet, wheat, and sorghum. The city also hosts an annual international fishing festival which was suspended for 11 years. The Argungu fishing festival was held again in the year 2020 from March 11–14

The Kebbi Emirate, also known as the Argungu Emirate is a traditional state based on the town of Argungu in Kebbi State, Nigeria. It is the successor to the ancient Hausa kingdom of Kebbi. The Emirate is one of four in Kebbi State, the others being the Gwandu Emirate, Yauri Emirate and Zuru Emirate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abubakar Malami</span> Nigerian politician and lawyer (born 1967)

Abubakar MalamiSAN, is a Nigerian lawyer and politician who served as minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation from 2015 to 2023.

Mohammed Musa Bello is a Nigerian banker and politician who served as the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, from 2015 to 2023.

The 2019 Kebbi State gubernatorial election occurred in Nigeria on March 9, 2019. Incumbent APC Governor Abubakar Atiku Bagudu won re-election for a second term, defeating Isa Galaudu of the PDP.

The 2015 Katsina State gubernatorial election was the 6th gubernatorial election of Katsina State. Held on 11 April 2015, the All Progressives Congress nominee Aminu Bello Masari won the election, defeating Musa Nashuni of the People's Democratic Party.

The 2015 Kebbi State gubernatorial election was the 7th gubernatorial election of Kebbi State. Held on April 11, 2015, the All Progressives Congress nominee Abubakar Atiku Bagudu won the election, defeating Bello Sarkin Yaki of the People's Democratic Party.

The 2015 Niger State gubernatorial election was the 8th gubernatorial election of Niger State. Held on April 11, 2015, the All Progressives Congress nominee Abubakar Sani Bello won the election, defeating Umar Nasko of the People's Democratic Party.

The 2015 Sokoto State gubernatorial election was the 8th gubernatorial election of Sokoto State. Held on April 11, 2015, the All Progressives Congress nominee Aminu Tambuwal won the election, defeating Abdallah Wali of the People's Democratic Party.

The 2015 Taraba State gubernatorial election was the 6th gubernatorial election of Taraba State. Held on April 11, 2015 and April 25, 2015 due to inconclusive, the People's Democratic Party nominee Darius Ishaku won the election, defeating Aisha Alhassan of the All Progressives Congress.

The 2015 Zamfara State gubernatorial election was the 5th gubernatorial election of Zamfara State. Held on April 11, 2015, the All Progressives Congress nominee Abdul'aziz Abubakar Yari won the election, defeating Mamuda Aliyu Shinkafi of the People's Democratic Party.

The 1999 Kebbi State gubernatorial election occurred on January 9, 1999. APP candidate Adamu Aliero won the election, defeating PDP candidate Mohammed Kaliel.

The 2011 Kebbi State gubernatorial election occurred on April 26, 2011. PDP candidate Usman Saidu Nasamu Dakingari won the election, defeating CPC Abubakar Abubakar and 13 other candidates.

The 2012 Kebbi State gubernatorial by-election occurred on March 31, 2012. PDP candidate Usman Saidu Nasamu Dakingari won the election, defeating CPC Abubakar Abubakar and 13 other candidates.

The 2023 Kebbi State gubernatorial election will take place on 18 March 2023, to elect the Governor of Kebbi State, concurrent with elections to the Kebbi State House of Assembly as well as twenty-seven other gubernatorial elections and elections to all other state houses of assembly. The election—which was postponed from its original 11 March date—will be held three weeks after the presidential election and National Assembly elections. Incumbent APC Governor Abubakar Atiku Bagudu is term-limited and cannot seek re-election to a third term.

Patrick Dele-Cole is a Nigerian politician, journalist, historian, and diplomat who in 1976 became the managing director of the Daily Times. He was also a presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party in the early 1990s, and was Nigeria's ambassador to Argentina and Brazil.

The Nwonyo Fishing Festival is a festival celebrated by the Ibi people in Taraba State, Nigeria. The lake is located 5 kilometres North of Ibi community, it is an annually celebrated festival where Ibi and its neighboring community comes together to fish and re-unite. The lake is said to be the largest in west Africa as it run 15 kilometres to the Benue River. The name Nwonyo means Hide-out for huge and dangerous aquatic Animals such as Crocodiles, Snakes, Hippopotamus and many more.

The Adamu Augie College of Education is a state government higher education institution located in Argungu, Kebbi State, Nigeria. The current acting Provost is Abubakar Abubakar Birnin Kebbi.

References

  1. ↑ Shyllon, Folarin (August 2007). "Argungu Fishing Festival in Tilted towers : Promoting the Idea of a Sustainable Cultural Fest" . International Journal of Cultural Property. 14 (3): 329–337. doi:10.1017/S094073910707021X. ISSN   1465-7317. S2CID   162837565.
  2. ↑ Okafor, Chiamaka (2022-12-17). "SPECIAL REPORT: How Kebbi farmers are fighting climate change". Premium Times Nigeria. Retrieved 2022-12-25.
  3. ↑ Sobamiwa, Precious (2023-09-14). "11 facts to know about Argungu fishing festival". Tribune Online. Retrieved 2024-08-09.
  4. ↑ "Argungu Festival: Africa's Biggest Fishing Celebration". Google Arts & Culture. Retrieved 2021-07-31.
  5. ↑ "Argungu Fishing Festival: 5 Things You Should Know". Hotels.ng Guides. 2017-08-30. Retrieved 2021-07-31.
  6. ↑ "Showcasing The Arugungu fishing festival at Northern Nigeria - Courtesy The Scout Association of Nigeria | World Scouting". sdgs.scout.org. Retrieved 2021-07-31.
  7. ↑ Jeremiah (2018-02-11). "Argungu Fishing Festival To Hold A Decade After". Leadership News - Nigeria News, Breaking News, Politics and more. Retrieved 2021-08-24.
  8. ↑ "Nigeria fish festival bans fish". BBC News . 2006-11-07. Archived from the original on March 25, 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-11.
  9. ↑ A.A. Eyo and Y. B. Ahmed. "Management of Inland Capture Fisheries and Challenges to Fish Production in Nigeria" (PDF). Federal College of Freshwater Fisheries Technology. Retrieved 2010-10-09.
  10. ↑ Tosin Omoniyi (20 December 2009). "A Dam of Controversy". Newswatch. Retrieved 2010-10-09.
  11. ↑ "What you need to know about Argungu international fishing festival | The Nation Newspaper". 2020-03-08. Retrieved 2022-12-25.
  12. ↑ "Argungu Fishing Festival: 5 Things You Should Know". Hotels.ng Guides. 2017-08-30. Retrieved 2021-07-31.
  13. ↑ "Argungu fishing festival, breeding ground for future Olympians". The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News. 2020-03-14. Retrieved 2022-12-25.
  14. ↑ Emir (17 April 2017). "Biggest fishing festival, Argungu set for March 2018".
  15. ↑ "Showcasing The Arugungu fishing festival at Northern Nigeria - Courtesy The Scout Association of Nigeria | World Scouting". sdgs.scout.org. Retrieved 2023-09-15.
  16. ↑ "Argungu Fishing Festival: Man with biggest catch gets N10m, two cars, Hajj seats". 2020-03-14. Retrieved 2021-07-31.
  17. ↑ "Argungu Fishing Festival: man with biggest catch gets N10m, 2 cars, Hajj seats". Vanguard News. 2020-03-14. Retrieved 2021-07-31.
  18. ↑ "Buhari Visits Kebbi For Argungu Fishing Festival". Channels Television. Retrieved 2021-07-31.
  19. ↑ "Argungu Festival: We must harness our resources to make Nigeria safe – Lawan". Vanguard News. 2020-03-14. Retrieved 2021-08-24.
  20. ↑ "Return of Argungu festival proof of enhancedeSecurity – Buhari". Vanguard News. 2020-03-12. Retrieved 2021-08-24.
  21. ↑ "Argungu fishing festival, breeding ground for future Olympians". The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News. 2020-03-14. Retrieved 2021-08-24.
  22. ↑ "Argungu fishing festival in troubled waters for 10 years". Daily Trust. 8 September 2019. Retrieved 2021-08-24.
  23. ↑ Oladeyi, Oluwafikunayomi (2024-01-14). "The Fascinating Argungu Fishing Festival: A Celebration of Culture and Tradition". Places and Lifestyle. Retrieved 2024-08-09.

12°44′55.100″N4°32′17.599″E / 12.74863889°N 4.53822194°E / 12.74863889; 4.53822194

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.