Inconsistency weighing down Argungu festival – DG
Tell us more about Argungu international fishing festival and when last was it staged? It is an annual event that is stages between February and March of every year. These two months are the most suitable periods for the fishing festival and it was held last in 2009. The festival has not been held for […]
Tell us more about Argungu international fishing festival and when last was it staged?
It is an annual event that is stages between February and March of every year. These two months are the most suitable periods for the fishing festival and it was held last in 2009.
The festival has not been held for three years, why?
In 2010, we had concluded arrangements for staging the event when President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua died. That year the event was cancelled due to the passage of President Yar’Adua who is an in-law to our state governor, Alhaji Saidu Usman Dakingari. It was not held in 2011 because it was an election year and the period that we intended to hold it was very close to the election time. So it was cancelled because of campaigns and other political considerations.
Again, this year, the festival was suspended because of the security challenges in the country and at the same it coincided with the election of our state governor that was nullified. The 2012 festival was scheduled to hold on March 19 and the election was cancelled around that time we fixed for the festival. So we cancelled the festival again.
We are hoping by next year, the festival will be staged. We have commenced preliminary preparations for it.
How much do you require to stage the event?
Depending on the number of events staged during the festival. Each year, we hold about 10 to 15 events during the festival. In 2009, we spent over N115million to organise the festival.
When are you planning to organise the next festival?
As I said the festival holds between February and March of every year. We are hoping that by this time in 2013, the next festival would have been staged. We are just at the planning phase, as soon as we get approval from the state government we will announce the date for the 2013 festival.
Patrons of the festival are from where?
People throng into Argungu for the festival from all parts of the country and abroad. Tourists come from United States, United Kingdom and some European countries. Our neighbours from Niger and Benin Republics also participate in the festival.
Foreign tourists from as far as Japan and China also witness the festival. We are gradually building it to a national tourist attraction centre but what is impeding its growth is lack of consistency in its organisation. If the date of the festival is fixed, tourists coming from far-flung countries will include it in their travel itinerary.
What are the events that are organised during the festival?
We have about 15 events which are; motor rally, Archery, catapulting, cultural displays, tug of war, animal skin removing competition, traditional wrestling/ boxing, donkey racing, canoe racing, Kabanchi display, bare hand fishing, durbar and pot swimming. Other events that are competed for during the festival are diving, wild duck catching, blind fold swimming, inter-state cultural competitions and the climax of the event is the grand fishing festival.
We are trying to extend the festival to a seven-day event. At least, the event will hold from Monday to Saturday instead of Wednesday to Saturday. Throughout the whole week, we are planning to organise a trade fair/ agric show to exhibit the farming potentials of the state.
How do you get money for the festival?
We have attempted to commercialise the fiesta by sourcing for sponsorship and for almost 10 years now, we have companies that are sponsoring it. The main sponsors are MTN, First Bank, Sokoto Cement and Maltina. These companies put in more than 50 percent of the funds for the staging of the event.
How many fishermen compete for the grand fishing festival?
Over 30,000 fishermen compete for it. This competition unifies the country because fishermen from all parts of Nigeria participate in the competition. Those from our neighbouring countries are not always left out as they come in their folds to compete too.
What economic benefits does the state derive from it?
You cannot imagine it. Everybody in the state either directly or indirectly benefits from the festival. Traders, transporters and hoteliers make brisk businesses during the festival because of the influx of over 70,000 persons who come into the state. Winner of the fishing festival gets about N5million worth of prizes.
The state government also makes money through the festival. The sponsors give the state government between N70million to N100million for the sponsorship of the festival. The money saved the state government from taking money from its coffers to sponsor the festival. The fiesta has placed Kebbi state on the world tourist map.
Last year, a group of tourists from South Africa wanted to come for the festival and at the same time discuss economy potentials with us on the festival. They did not come because we cancelled the event.
Three years without the festival, how has it been?
We the workers have been very idle and the people of Argungu have not been happy because of the festivals postponements. It is their major economy boosting activity. Certainly, we have missed a lot in the last three years.
The facilities at the venue of the festival have rotten away, what are you doing to put them in good shape?
It is because the festival has not been held for a very long time. Usually, whenever we are staging the festival we renovate the fishing village. We have put a proposal to the state government to build permanent structures at the venue, the ones that can stand the test of time so that people can come there to hold their conferences, workshops and other functions as it is done in Obudu. The state government is planning to build it through Public Private Partnership (PPP).