The savannahs in the north-west of Nigeria, watered by the Niger and Rima rivers, were historically the lands of the powerful Haussa Kingdom of Kebbi, of which the town of Argungu is still one of its main traditional strongholds. Here, amidst ancient agro-pastoral customs and small communities of river fishermen, a lively competition is staged every year, the Argungu Fishing Festival, an evocative expression of the local Kebbawa culture, which has been on the UNESCO Intangible Heritage List since 2016.
Together with the colourful horse-drawn parades of the Durbar Festivals (the most famous being that of Kano), the Argungu Festival is one of the most characteristic and picturesque events in Muslim northern Nigeria, established in 1934 to celebrate the end of centuries-long hostilities between the Argungu Emirate, heir to the Kingdom of Kebbi, and the Peulh Caliphate of Sokoto, a powerful expansionist theocracy, which was responsible for much of the Islamisation of the north over the centuries.
Since then, the festival has regularly taken place every spring, on the banks of the Rima River, as a symbol of reconciliation between the two peoples, and as a demonstration of the valour and skill of the young Kebbawa fishermen. At least until 2011, when the Nigerian government unfortunately decreed its forced halt, for reasons related to the security situation in the north, but then finally returned to the limelight with the March 2020 edition.
Lasting four days, the kermis attracts a large number of participants, thanks to the rich prize money up for grabs for the winner, and thousands of spectators who cheerfully frame the event. Between canoe races, horse and dromedary parades, wrestling and boxing matches, the climax of the festival is reached when, a myriad of young people enter the water with traditional fillets, large calebasse as floats, or often even with their bare hands, in the hope of catching the biggest fish in just one hour of competition. The main prerequisite of the competition is the imperative ban on modern fishing means and techniques. From the dugout canoes, the judges follow the progress of the fishing with scrupulous attention, while on the banks, musicians and bystanders dance, sing and incite the participants in a festive whirlwind, amidst an incredible crowd that occupies the entire surface of the water and the river banks. Truly enthralling images and almost surreal scenery for this historic event, one of the most participatory in the whole of Nigeria, and not to be missed.
A curiosity: in the 2005 edition, a record was set by a winner who managed to catch a fish weighing an impressive 75 kg, for which it took the strength of four men to carry and hoist it onto the scales.
A visit to the historic Kanta Museum in Argungu will complete the impressive full immersion into the culture and traditions of the Haussa-Kebbawa people. The museum is located in the old clay palace of the Argungu Emirate, built in 1831 and named after Muhammad Kanta, the 16th century founder of the Kingdom of Kebbi. Inside, an exhibition of objects and weapons traces the troubled existence of this ancient Muslim kingdom.
Every Friday, after the great prayer, it is customary for the reigning Emir to go to the museum, to pay homage to his ancestors, i.e. to the remains of his predecessors preserved there, and whose glories and memories are preserved in this beautiful building, as well as being one of the main architectural expressions of local traditions.
