Gora: Fishing tool that has defied modernity

Gora is a plant in the cucurbitaceae family. It is a member of the gourd family which include calabash, bottle gourd, snake gourd, cucumber, water melon, squash, among many others. In the cucurbitaceae family, some of the plants are edible, such as pumpkin, water melon and cucumber, while others are not, such as calabashes and […]

Gora is a plant in the cucurbitaceae family.

It is a member of the gourd family which include calabash, bottle gourd, snake gourd, cucumber, water melon, squash, among many others.

In the cucurbitaceae family, some of the plants are edible, such as pumpkin, water melon and cucumber, while others are not, such as calabashes and gourds which are used as ornamentals, tools and containers.

Gora is one of such large hard-shelled and inedible members of the gourd family mostly used as ornaments or containers for storing grains, herbs, honey, milk and even water in northern Nigeria.

It is also used for other purposes, one of which is in making drums for cultural troops and traditional festivities.

Gora however has a special use in the traditional fishing industry in northern Nigeria. It is used as a means of navigation in the rivers and streams as well as storing fish during noodling in the water.

Malam Hussaini Abba Abdullahi is the Dan-Sarkin Ruwan Wudil, a family that is traditionally in charge of the Wudil River and all activities that take place therein.

He told Daily Trust Saturday that historically, Gora has been in use in Hausa land for over 400 years, even before the advent of wooden canoes known as Komi in Hausa language.

“Gora is a vegetable that is planted even in our locality here and when its fruits grow large and ripe, it is cut, dried and used by our forefathers for many purposes.

It has been in use for more than 400 years, before the advent of Komi. Our great grandparents used it as a means of transportation across waters as well as a tool for fishing, because they store the fish inside it and transport it out of the river.

“Those that use it place their belly over the small opening and sail some kilometres into the water, either to fish or to transport fishing or farming implements. So, any fisherman that is in this part of the country knows gora.

“It was also used as a means of mass transportation before the advent of canoes. About four, six or eight are tied together and a form of bedding is made over them on which a number of people could sit and be transported across the river at once, and as such, it served as a source of income for some families who use it for commercial purposes,” he explained.

Abdullahi said gora is very essential in the lives of fishermen because of its vast use. It is also very effective in their trade, especially because it is locally sourced and relatively cheap and affordable, depending on size and the thickness of its shell.

He added that the price of gora in the market ranges from N2,000 to N30,000, depending on the size, thickness and craftsmanship involved in making it.

A fisherman, Alhaji Alhassan Wudil, also explained how gora is used in their fishing and other activities. “First of all, there are different types of fishing materials and methods; we have fishing tools such as kalgana, kalli, chali, zube, koma and many others that are used to trap fish, while some simply use their hands to search for fish as they use gora to float on water and then store the fish in it.

“Secondly, no matter how deep a part of the river is, we don’t have any fear of going there as long as we’re floating on a gora, because even when you are tired, you can rest on it a bit while floating and then continue with your navigation.

“Another thing is when somebody drowns, we use gora to go in search of him and if found – dead or alive, we take him back to the river bank,” he said.

He added that people also use it to store things like herbs and farm produce. He explained that gora is of different types, some of which are locally known as Komo, Kaska and Siyaye among others. They serve the same purpose, just that the difference is in size, colour and thickness of the shell.

Alhassan said groundnut oil is used to make gora last long. “If you want it to be very strong and last longer, then pour about eight bottles of groundnut oil and allow it there for several days, it will suck up the oil which would make the shell stronger,” he said.

On his part, Malam Balarabe Madaki, popularly known as Balarabe Mai Gora Wudil, has been in the trade of making and selling gora for over 60 years. It is a family business that he was born into and has continued practicing up till today.

“Originally, our grandparents used to go to different areas where it is cultivated to purchase, prepare it and sell it to the fishermen, and many others who want to use it for one purpose or another.

But with time, we began to plant it here. However, what we are planting here does not give us the desired quantity based on its demand.

So, we still go to places such as Birnin Kudu, in Jigawa State, Misau, Warji and Azare in Bauchi State as well as Potiskum in Yobe State to purchase the raw material.

“It is planted during the rainy season and cultivated at the end of harvesting season, and the way it is prepared is not cumbersome. When the fruits are big and ripe, then you cut out a small round hole, and that is its mouth, you take out the flesh and seeds from the inner part and then allow it to dry for about a week or so,” he said.

Mai-Gora said two types of tool are used in cutting and making gora; one is gizago which is used to make the round hole and then kurfi (carved scraper) which is used to pack out the remaining flesh inside to make it empty, clean and smooth.

He added that gora is of different shapes and sizes, “There are oval, round and spherical shapes, some large, some small, some also have smooth skin while others are rough, some are used by fishermen and some are used just as containers. It is also used to make apiaries while some are used to make drums used in traditional festivals.”

According to him, gora making (cutting and or carving) is sometimes hazardous.

“When it is still green, the inner part used to be cold and can cause somebody to catch cold either in the form of flu or ‘Bones’ cold’ which causes pains in the bones and joints of the craftsman. And when it is dried also, some used to be very dusty which could make someone sneeze and ultimately catch cold.”

On the price range, he said the implement is sold between N1000 and 12000 depending on size and quality.

He said the business of production is male-dominated even though some village women plant it at their backyard and cultivate tens of the fruits at the end of the seasons.

On how long it takes to make one gora, Malam Balarabe said an energetic person can make up to 10 in a day while averagely, about five are made daily.

Also commenting on the historical background of gora, Malam Salisu Saidu, the head of Performing Arts at the Kano State Ministry of Culture and Tourism, said “Gora, also known as Duma, has been in use in Hausa land and other communities in northern Nigeria from time immemorial.

“It is grown in a number of places in northern states and used for a number of things. But specifically, in the culture and tourism sector, we use it to make drums for our cultural troops and particularly the Koroso cultural dancers.