Opinion
An Abuja Poolside Sit-out with Niyi Osundare
By Tunde Olusunle
Typical of the extremely organised personality that he is, the multiple award-winning poet, Niyi Osundare, had already “served notice” of his imminent visit to Nigeria, weeks before he came. He had been invited by the organisers of the “Nigerian National Order of Merit,” (NNOM), to deliver a lecture at the 2022 edition of the “Annual Forum of NNOM Laureates,” in Abuja. His presentation was titled Poetry and the Human Voice. The event was scheduled for Wednesday December 7, 2022, and the New Orleans, US-based Osundare needed to “forewarn” those of us who are his younger kith, that he was coming to our city. He does have a good number of we his mentees, inspired by his craft, in the federal capital territory and it was going to be our pleasure to have him around.
For those who may not know or be familiar with Osundare, he is one of Africa’s most prolific poets, who at the last count, had at least 18 published volumes of poetry to his name. He has equally published four plays; books on African literature and culture and assemblages of his writings as public affairs interrogator. For his conscientious academic and creative assiduity, he has received every notable global award, except the Nobel Prize. He was joint overall winner, Commonwealth Poetry Prize, (1986), and sole winner of the Noma Award for Publishing in Africa, (1991), becoming the first Anglophone African poet to receive the award. In 1998, he also earned the Fonlons/Nichols Prize for “Excellence in Literary Creativity Combined with Significant Contributions to Human Rights in Africa,” the African Literature Association, (ALA)’s most distinguished award.
In 2008, Osundare also earned the “Tchicaya U Tam’si Prize for Poetry, (regarded as Africa’s highest poetry prize). He was in 2014, invested with the Nigerian National Order of Merit, (NNOM), Nigeria’s highest award for academic excellence. These medals preclude others Osundare has received on the local literary scene, including those awarded by the Association of Nigerian Authors, (ANA). He equally has the distinction of being the “first African poet,” to be featured on the cover of World Poetry magazine. It has been suggested that if the Nobel Prize for Literature is coming the way of West Africa, and indeed Nigeria anytime soon, he will most fittingly be a top contender.
Hakeem Bello, media adviser to the works minister; Rasheed Na’Allah, vice chancellor of the University of Abuja, and Denja Abdullahi, a director with the ministry of information and culture, are some of Osundare’s younger friends in Abuja. In the email he sent to me, he said he would be glad to have me attend the lecture either physically or virtually. There are select literary giants one is always glad to have around and share moments and drinks with, ever drawing from the infinite pool of their multidimensional wisdoms. Femi Osofisan and Olu Obafemi, both Emeritus Professors and recipients of the NNOM, belong to this category. Our contemporaries like Sunnie Ododo, chief executive of the National Theatre, Lagos, and the Canada-based Nduka Otiono, are ever always welcome. We typically banter and reminisce on our younger days and our subsisting endeavours.
I knew Osundare before I met him. Back in the days, in one of our “literary criticism” classes as final year students at the University of Ilorin, Russell Chambers, one of our American lecturers came to class one of those days. He was clutching a file of cyclostyled documents which he handed it over to one of us to distribute to the class. It was that era when Nigeria’s educational system was supported at virtually all levels by quality expatriate scholars and instructors, which provided requisite breadth, cosmopolitanism, even globality, to education and learning. Obafemi refers to that era as that during which universities exemplified the concept of universitas, a global citadel in the truest sense of the word.
Chambers had stumbled on a review of Osundare’s poetry in the now extinct London-based West Africa magazine. We were taught stylistics as a course for instance, with examples from the essays and columns of the Olatunji Dares, Dan Agbeses, Dele Giwas, Ray Ekpus and so on, in our time. Chambers’ discovery was an essay on Osundare’s second volume of poetry, Village Voices, which was published in 1984. The review presented to Chambers a refreshing newness in the substance and style of African literature. Away from the molar-cracking, jaw-distending aesthetics of older poets like Wole Soyinka, Christopher Okigbo, Michael Joseph Chukwudalu Echeruo, among similar icons in their generation, here was poetry at its accessible best.
The language was simple without being simplistic, the themes understandable without being underwhelming. The dramatic works of Osofisan, Obafemi, Bode Sowande, Tunde Fatunde which regularly featured in our theoretical and practical classes, had helped to demystify the verbal esoterism of Soyinka and Company. Here was Osundare bringing poetry to “the marketplace,” to adopt the title of his premiere volume of poetry, published in 1983. Our universities were much better those days, so I simply walked to the university bookshop and bought copies of those first two Osundare volumes of poetry. I read and reread that cyclostyled copy of the Osundare book availed to us by Chambers, virtually plastering the document in my consciousness.
I returned to the University of Ilorin for my masters degree shortly after undergoing the compulsory one-year post graduation National Youth Service Corps, (NYSC). By this time, my mind was made up to forensically interrogate the poetic oeuvre of Osundare, for my dissertation. Two new volumes of poetry, namely A Nib in the Pond, (1986) and The Eye of the Earth, published the same year, had been released. His fifth, Moonsongs, (1988), was released while I was in the middle of my research work. My supervisor was Prayag Tripathi, a most committed Indian professor with whom I chewed at my topic and set the scope of work to be done and developed my project proposal.
I should add that it is a measure of Tripathi’s uncommon disposition to scholarship that he would himself go to the university library, loan books on my behalf and bring them to my room in the “postgraduate hostel!” My inquisitions took me to the University of Ibadan, where Osundare was head of the department of English. I had an elaborate interview with him on June 17, 1988, during which I took very copious notes in the absence of a recorder. Osundare also ran the immensely popular and regular poetry column Songs of the Season in the Sunday Tribune at a time. He availed younger writers a platform for the public aeration of their works by featuring their works as “Guest Poet.”
Osundare subsequently became my “customer,” to borrow that reference from the streets. I attended readings from his seventh book, Waiting Laughters, (1990) in Lagos, by which time an editorial staff of the Daily Times. The organisation was being revolutionised and rehabilitated by the charismatic literary scholar and administrator, Yemi Ogunbiyi. This availed me regular information about happenings in the literature, arts and culture sector. Osundare was physically present when my lovely wife Funmi, and I got wedded in Ibadan in 1994. He still has photographic memories of the way I astounded the congregation with my dance and movements that day, celebrating the consummation of our union.
Osundare announced his arrival in Nigeria from his Ibadan home on Friday November 18, 2022. He was chatty and excited when we spoke. Nigeria continues to hold its appeal for him, with its unique imprimatur, except for the leadership question which we still, very disturbingly haven’t gotten right. He would be in Abuja Saturday December 3, and take his engagements from that date until his return to Ibadan, Thursday December 8. His various hosts were eager to receive him, including the University of Abuja which scheduled a reception for him for Tuesday December 6, and the Abuja chapter of the Association of ANA. Then of course the NNOM lecture which he was to give on Wednesday December 7. He had a potentially full plate on his hands.
Osundare and I fixed a meeting for 7pm Sunday December 4. Tivlumun Nyitse, my eternal friend, classmate, brother and fellow poet, was in Abuja for a few days. I had told him that Osundare was in Abuja and that Hakeem Bello and I had fixed a visit to him. I also notified Osundare that Nyitse will be on the “entourage.” Nyitse and I agreed to maximise the opportunity of the visit to engage Osundare in an interview on a broad range of issues. I’m told there is a proverb which admonishes us to maximise any opportunity we get to climb the iroko tree. I hadn’t interviewed him since 2013 when he turned in his response to my doctoral research questionnaire.
Osundare received Nyitse and I with tremendous joy as he opened the door of his hotel room. He wore a face mask most probably as a safe guard, while he transited through cities and countries. His generation of intellectuals are not getting any younger, even as he strides towards 76 next March. Osofisan, Ogunbiyi and Obafemi will be 77, 76 and 73 respectively in the new year. Other notable writers of that generation, notably Tanure Ojaide and Odia Ofeimun will be 75 and 73 in the coming year. We shook hands and embraced ourselves, as I introduced my friend. We all agreed to savour the evening sky, sitting out by the poolside of his hotel, while expecting Bello to join the party.
Our orders were taken as we settled ourselves into a relaxed L shaped sitting position which enabled us proximity to our guest. We threw banters and enjoyed rich laughters. Osundare clutched his signature bottle of water. You rarely find him with anything different, and so it has been for the three and half decades I have known him. Hakeem Bello who missed that poolside hangout had lunch with him the next day. He also shared photographs of himself and Osundare, with the latter typically clutching a bottle of aqua! I need to commission a study on what he savours in private. People in the business of creativity are known to have their “poisons.” Osundare congratulated me once again on the eventual completion of my doctorate, a few years back. He said it was due 30 years ago!
Osundare, by the way, was external examiner invited by the university authorities to assess my work when I completed my masters degree in 1989. He had therefore, previously engaged with my work. He had equally graciously, donated his regular poetry column published for several years by Sunday Tribune to me, to accord provenance for my budding career as a creative writer. His comment reminded me of similar comments by Femi Adesina, spokesman to President Muhammadu Buhari, who was president of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, (NGE), when I was inducted a decade ago. “You were already qualified for induction 20 years ago,” Adesina told me. “You should be a Fellow now.”
I presented an autographed copy of my newest volume of poetry, my third, A Medley Of Echoes, which Foreword was graciously penned by Osofisan. He was glad that in spite of distractions occasioned by forays into politics, I had continued to write and mature as a poet and journalist. He flattered me generously as one of the “beacons of creative promise in my generation,” an ascription which greatly humbled me. He “queried” Nyitse, who has a doctorate in mass communications and lectures at Bingham University, Karu, near Abuja, for abandoning the literary arts. Nyitse and I by the way, are products of the same grooming mill in University of Ilorin, where we cut our teeth in creative writing.
Other products of that “forge” include: Taiwo Oloruntoba-Oju, Mopah Aileku, Sunnie Ododo, Wumi Raji, Na’Allah, among others. Nyitse explained to Osundare that he still desired to study for a masters in literature to help him rediscover his creative inclination. He reassured Osundare that he has continued to fraternise with the writers’ commune, alluding to his participation in the two most recent editions of the annual convention of ANA, hosted in the brand new Mamman Vatsa Writers Village in Abuja. Nyitse and I ran our recorder and had him respond to our inquiries for over 90 minutes!
Tunde Olusunle, PhD, poet, journalist, scholar and author is a Member of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, (NGE).
By Hamza Lamisi
No doubt that one of the expected big game Changers of the 10th National Assembly, particularly the Senate, is the emergence of a vocal voice who ran one of the country’s most persecuted election campaigns in Nigeria’s history. From the feminine gender in a male dominated political ecosystem to being transracial in a highly conservative District; a Christian in Muslim-saturated bargain table of stakeholders, from being single to inter-tribally married in a natively and culturally republic Ebira Land. Not only to contest in a struggling opposition party but to face the most ruthless Chief Security Officer of her State, from her District.
The odds were obviously too many but Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan upturned the guess – defeating the threatening ruling party and emerging the first female Senator Kogi State ever produced. She defined the turning point of Kogi Central’s representation in Nigeria’s bicameral Parliament. Unlike her colleagues from Kogi State who rode on the backing of the number one citizen of the State, Senator Natasha’s road to the red Chambers was never paved, it was a tough and rough journey of determination, persistence, unwavering dedication and commitment to a dream held in trust for the people.
She walked through the storms and she is shaped by the lessons – to remain bold, assertive, unbroken, unbeaten and unbowed by any circumstance, because only by struggle and perseverance freedom comes. Not unaware of the systemic dialogue, lobby and collaboration but Senator Natasha would not do so at the expense or in exchange of the People’s trust and mandate for which she swore oath to protect.
Stepping into the Senate as a survivor of election and litigation battles, and looking back to the unwavering support and uncommon trust of Kogi people and Nigerians by extension, notwithstanding already some months behind her fellow law makers, Senator Natasha was prepared to have the end justify the means. Barely 16 months from the very day of her swearing-in till date, Senator Natasha’s contributions and impact in the 10th Senate have left many wonder if she was a first time Senator or one elected from the minority opposition. Most popular and best performing member of the current National Assembly.
Just within one year in office, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan lit 30 kilometers of road networks across Kogi Central with over 2,000 solar powered streetlights. Over 1,300 women and youth were trained and empowered by the law maker. Senator Natasha has supported the tuition fee of over 353 vulnerable indigenous students at tertiary institutions nationwide. She has faciliated federal employment opportunities for various graduates and facilitate capacity building trainings and empowerment for many others.
She brought a reliable supply of portable water to Kogi Central communities with 12 water reticulation projects with each being a massive 50,000-liter solar-powered motorized water system, which serves 300 locations and provides, 1,800 fetching taps.
To draw legislation closer to the grassroot, Senator Natasha engaged 100 constituency aides both men and women across the 57 wards in Kogi Central. She has distributed 12 trucks of grains, 10, 000 wrappers for women, 20,000 notebooks, 5,000 school bags and reconstructed and remodeled Abdul Aziz Attah Memorial College Okene (AAAMCO), Okene to smart school.
Within one year in office, Senator Natasha has attracted employments in both federal agencies and private organizations to over 30 graduates from her constituency.
Ihima community has been without police station for the past 7 years, Senator Natasha embarked on total reconstruction of Ihima Police Station which was commissioned by the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun.
Senator Natasha distributed 4 trucks of fertilizers totalling 2,400 bags of NPK and Urea fertilizers to Kogi Central farmers. Free Business CAC registration of 2,500 SMEs. She has empowered Kogi Central students from 12 selected tertiary institutions across Nigeria with multipurpose business cart and start up fund.
Commissioned six constituency offices in the five LGAs to make government closer to the people. Senator Natasha has sponsored two motions and two bills including the bill for the establishment of Nigeria Gold Reserve, the bill for the establishment of Ihima Federal Medical Centre, motion to investigate alleged corruption and inefficiency in Ajaokuta Company Ltd and National Iron Ore Mining Company, NIOMCO amongst other.
Senator Natasha has provided 5,000 digital learning devices to both public primary and secondary schools in Kogi Central.
For her magical achievements in office and accelerated development and impact her constituency has witnessed, Senator Natasha has received and even turned down several prestigious awards. She emerged Senator of the year 2024 which is her first year in office as Senator.
Achieving these feats in less than 16 months as a first time Senator and one from the minority party and from Kogi Central, one may wonder what could be the Achilles’ Heels of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan in the 10th Senate and why the persecution by supposed colleagues in the Chambers. Is there a question of loyalty to individual rather than institution? Is it her performance record or her dedication to the business of legislation rather than playing the cheap political cards around the leadership of the Senate? Is it her idea of universal development of Nigeria rather than regional? After all, every Senator is of the Federal Republic Nigeria and should think and act so.
We may ask further; is anyone being threatened by her uncommon pace? Is there a question of envy or jealousy among her colleagues? Do they expect Senator Natasha to be one step behind, considering the enormity of the task on her shoulders as Senator from an already underrepresented District in the past? Is there a fear that Senator Natasha may reveal to Nigerians what is due to them from their representatives across boards? We may have more to ask than provide answers.
Meanwhile, Senator Natasha is a more than equal to the task of addressing the challenges that come with standing out in an uncommon manner. She is not one to be taught the difference between ‘diplomacy and cold slavery’ or ‘breach of rules and violation of right’. Nobody can silence her or box her to a corner of the Senate. Beyond her voice and impact over the years as an ordinary citizen, the people have been her greatest strength and she can only get more strengthed by any attempt to silence her.
Nigerians know how rare it is to have a NATASHA among the current crop of leaders and they are obviously making sure she is protected against bully, intimidation or harassment in the Senate. The dream is of the people, by the people and for the people, and so the mandate too.
By Professor Mike Ozekhome, SAN, CON, OFR, LL.D.
I have carefully read and listened to former Nigerian military president, General Ibrahim
Badamosi Babagida’s public remorse and regrets over the atrocious annulment of the June
12,1993 presidential elections. He did this 32 whopping years later. I want to very quickly say
that it takes a man with strong guts and balls and a man who has become repentant, born
again and has seen the face of God to publicly recant his earlier wrongful deeds and offer
public apology to the entire nation. This was no doubt meant to heal gapinng wounds and
balm wounded and bruised hearts.
The polls, the best, most transparent and credible elections, ever held in Nigeria till date,
were meant to end decades of military d The annulment threw Nigeria into turmoil and
widespread unreast, protests, maimings and killings. This forced Babagida to “step aside”;
the enthronenent of the Enest Shonekan’s Interim Government; and the arrest and detention
of Chief Moshood Abiola, the presumed winner who later died in Aso Villa in questionable
and suspicious circumstances. Of course, General Sani Abacha who was his second in
command later sacked Shonekan in a bloodless coup. For years, IBB prevaricated on the
annulment, claiming he did it in the best national interest. But on Thursday the 21st of
February, 2025,Babangida during the presentation of his memoirs, “A journey In Service”,
pointedly regretted in the public: “I regret June 12. I accept full responsibility for the
decisions taken and June 12 happened under my watch. Mistakes, missteps happened
in quick succession. That accident of history is most regrettable. The nation is entitled
to expect my expression of regret “. And wait for it:: he acknowledged for the first time that
Abiola won the elections fair and square, trouncing his major opponent, Alhaji Bashir Tofa.
I want to salute Babagida for having the courage and humility to own up like a man; that
everything that happened during the June 12 crisis took place under him as the head of state
and the president who was also the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria. I salute him for acknowledging that his government which actually
organised unarguably the freest, fairest and most credible elections in the electoral history
of Nigeria when it introduced option A4 from electoral books that were hithenlrto unknown
to Nigeria or to the world. But unfortunately, regrettably like he now admits, he again turned
around to annul the same elections in a way that was most bizarre, curious and unnatural.
To me, that he has come out to open up to doing something wrong and egregious to a
bleeding nation should be appreciated. I believe that Nigerians should forgive him because
to err is human and to forgive is divine ( Eph 4:32 ). I personally have now forgiven him
because I was also a victim of the June12 crisis. It threw up all manners of challenges to me
as a person, where in my very youthful age; in my thirties, I found myself marching on the
streets of Lagos every day- from Ikeja bus stop roundabout, to Ikorodu road; up to Tejuosho
market; from there to Ojuelegba, Surulere; to Mushin; to Shomolu and Igando, Alimosho.
Everyday, we were on the streets, protesting the mindless annulment. Some of us were killed
in process; some were lucky enough to escape abroad on self exile. But some of us- very few
indeed- refused to flee our dear country; we stayed back. We stared at the military eyeball to
eyeball. We challenge authority and spoke truth to power. We challenged impunity and
repression. I suffered several detentions across different detention centres. I virtually could
not find means of livelihood for my youthful family because I was profiled, my phones bugged
and no briefs were coming in. But I personally forgive him because it takes tons of guts to
make public confession of having erred and atone for same as he has now done.
It is confession that leads to penance and penance leads to restitution and then forgiveness.
If Babagida were to die today, I believe that he will see the face of God because he has prayed
God to forgive him; and he has prayed Nigerians to forgive him. Beyond that historic and
epochal mistake of the annulment of the June 12 election which constitutes his original sin,
let me place it on record that Babagida is one of the greatest presidents that Nigeria ever had
in terms of his ingenuity, rulership mantra; ideas for national resurgimento; ideas that
contributed greatly to nation-building. These were aside the IMF-induced loans and pills
which he introduced and which we again valiantly fought against successfully.
Babagida it was who gave birth to the Federal Capital Territory and laid the solid foundation for virtually everything you see there today. His government was peopled by intellectuals and
not by half illiterates and quacks. He recognized and used intellects. He was luminous and he built bridges of understanding, friendship and brotherhood across Nigeria. Nigerians,
please, accept IBB’s confession and forgive him his sin of annuling the June 12,1993
elections. Let the wounds heal; let the heart melt; and let the spirit of national triumphalism
prevail.
Festivals world over are the most popular forms of celebrations in human existence. Whether as religious, culture, sports, film, arts and other traditional practices, festivals are pivotal events that could involve millions of people in the case of the religion related across the globe annually or periodically. They are events that bring people together and are characterized with merriments, ceremonies, and a lot of other forms of fun and bonding.
Nigeria as a multi ethnic and diverse society with over 250 ethnic groups is enriched with various forms of festivals observed annually with those of religions most prominent with the celebrations by Muslims and Christians. Similarly, the traditional worshippers retain their own forms of festivals all depending on the tribes and the culture involved. Several among the religious and cultural festivals in Nigeria include Christmas the celebration of the birthday of Jesus Christ, the Easter that heralds lent and the resurrection of Jesus after death while Islam has Eid-el Kabir and Eid El-fitri which is breaking of Ramadan fasting. At the level of culture and tradition there other festivals that comes to mind that includes Argungu fishing festival in Kebbi state, the new yam festival predominantly among the Ibo speaking tribes, Durbar festival, Calabar Carnival, Osun festival, Ojude Oba festival, Igue festival among the Benin people of Edo state, Oro festival, Osun festival, Sango festival, Egungun festival all among the Yoruba people, New Yam festival, Eyo festival popular among the people of Lagos Island in Lagos state and so on.
Durbar Festival
The word Durbar is traced to Persian and is connected with the ceremony marking the installation of Queen Victoria as the Express of Colonial India in 1877 while the word have been pronounced and propounded as “darbar” with dar meaning door and bar meaning entry or audience in Hindi-Urdu. In Nigeria, Durbar is a treasured cultural horse riding and display festival majorly among the Hausa people of the northern Nigeria to mark the Islamic holidays of Eid-el- Fitri [end of Ramadan} and Eid-el-Adha [the feast of the lamb]. The over 400 years old practice is said to have been introduced by Sarki Muhammadu Rumfa of Kano in the late 14th century as military parade and display when horses were used in battles to defend and protect the Emirate and also the opportunity to pay homage and demonstrate loyalty to the emir. It is also part of demonstration to showcase the readiness of the palace troops for battles and to also celebrate important political events. Available information has it that the first major Durbar in the country took place on the 1st of January, 1900 as part of the celebration to mark the transition of the Royal Niger Company to an imperial Protectorate.
Also known as horse ride festival it is worthy of note that horses and to some extent camels played prominent roles in the growth and developments of the today prominent Nigeria cities like Kano, Katsina, Zaria, Sokoto and Bida. In the 14th century before the sojourn of Christopher Columbus, aside being used during conquest and in battlefields under the command of the Madawaki who leads cavalry of horsemen with their horses loaded with various weapons, horses were used mostly for commercial activities particularly the trans Sahara trade expansion with items like salt, gold and farm produces.
Ceremonies
The activities and ceremonies involves “Hawan sallah” in Hausa language {meaning Mount of Eid} which in essence connotes the mounting of horse during the Eid or sallah celebration. The ceremonies begin with prayers at Eid grounds followed with parade of the Emir and his entourage on horses followed with drummers and trumpeters with the movement ending at the Emir’s palace. The parade includes hundreds of beautifully decorated horses with nobles in their best clothes followed by musicians and magicians all in a long procession in distinctive turbans {Rawani} clearly indicating their nobility and social status through streets to pay homage to the Emir. Other special attractions particularly in Kano Durbar which is acclaimed to possess the biggest parade of colouful horses in the world, include the display by the “hyena man” who carries out street performance with trained animals like hyenas and baboons which create a lot of excitements and entertainment for the hundreds of crowd in attendance.
The procession of the strictly male event showcases participants dressed in flamboyant turbans and robes with modes indicating their royal linage. Kano Durbar for example is four day event that commences with Hawan sallah on the day of Eid followed by the day 2 and most popular for its entertainment and glamour Hawan Daushe for the special visitation of the Emir and his colourful entourage to his mother in her domain. The display of various entertainers including magicians, drummers, dancers, stunt men and masquerades attract and witness the attendance and spectators across the globe. The other two days are for Hawan Nassarawa and finally Hawan Doriya which are both continuous aspects for merriment during the festival.
The Emir’s return from his mother’s visitation on the day 2 {Hawan Daushe} is followed by The Jahi that sees the him and his entourage ride through various important historical quarters and families before returning to the palace. On arrival the Emir in a military manner takes position to receive salutes and traditional greetings from the cavalry of riders along with the various district heads, their families and entourage in order of hierarchy. This is followed by the demonstration of loyalty and gallantry by all the riders and spectators present. After the homage and performances, [The Jahi] the palace guards take positions and fire several gunshots to signal the closure and end of the day and most important aspect of the four day festival.
Durbar festival has become annual festival celebrated across cities Northern Muslim dominated cities of Nigeria like Kano, Katsina, Sokoto, Zaria and Bida and was extended to Ilorin in Kwara state during Eid el-fitri and Eid El-Adha. Generally speaking, the Durbar festival is not just the most population cultural heritage of the Hausa people of the northern Nigeria and major parts of Niger republic but it is festival that unite and bring the people together to celebrate their unique historical and cultural heritage.
Durbar festival recently has witnessed more activities like car racing and other fun fairs that attract sons and daughters of Hausa decent, visitors and tourist annually to places like Kano, Katsina and Zaria. The glamour, popularity and attractions of Durbar particularly the Kano Durbar festival over the years, led to the recognition of the festival as one of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by the UNESCO in in December 17, 2024. This laudable and significant achievement in the nation’s cultural heritage exemplified the extent to which the festival has become popular to the people and the role it places towards unifying the people through their rich cultural heritage. During the presentation of the UNESCO certificate, by the Permanent Delegation of Nigeria to UNESCO to the Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy Barr. Hannatu Musawa, opined that the great achievement does “not only celebrates the beauty and unity of the festival but also creates opportunities for the preservation and promotion of cultural heritage. The country’s representative at the UNESCO in addition stated that “Having the Kano Durbar on the UNESCO list is a huge milestone for Nigeria” while the Minister in her view remarked that “the recognitions bring both international prestige and tangible benefits to the local economy”.
In comparison, while Ujude Oba yet another similar festival of the Ijebu people of Ogun state in Western Nigeria, entails the participation of both male and female across various age groups as part of the big sallah [Eid-edha] celebration of the Muslim faithful. While both festivals identify or are associated with royalty, palace events and horse riding, durbar is strictly a male show and more of an horse riding festival while the practice is just an aspect of horse riding is just an aspect of Ojude Oba festival.
It is hope that the recent drive by the present administration leverages on the recent recognition of Durbar by the UNESCO to create more awareness through wider media coverage with a view of boosting general interest and tourist attractions which shall cascade or stimulate growth of the sector and also serve as source revenue to the governments across all levels.
Abdulkareem A. Ikharo.
Curator [NCMM].
Abuja.
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