Leadership (Abuja)
Isaac Aimurie
8 February 2008
Kebbi — The Kebbi State government has earmarked N70 million for this year's edition of the Argungu International Festival billed for March 12-15.
This was disclosed yesterday by the governor of Kebbi State, Alhaji Saidu Usman N. Dakingari, at the international press conference on the 2008 edition of the Argungu international fishing and cultural festival held at the Sheraton Hotel in Abuja.
According to the governor, the state is adopting the public private partnership model to market the international festival which he said has a lot of socio-economic potentials.
Partners of the state government in this year's event are the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), Coscharis Motors, JINBIE Motors, EXONMOBIL, Sokoto Cement, BAT, United Bank for Africa (UBA), Julius Berger, the Federal Ministry of Culture, Tourism and National Orientation and other corporate sponsors, the government said.
The event which is billed for March 12-15 will feature an economic seminar, archery and catapulting, traditional boxing and wrestling, camel, horse and donkey race, agricultural show, motor rally, water skills competitions, and the famous grand fishing competition.
The festival, the government said, began in 1934 as a practical demonstration of hospitalities between Sokoto Caliphate and the Kabawa of Argungu when the then sultan of Sokoto, Malam Hassan Dan'mu'azu, paid a friendly visit to the Emir of Argungu, Malam Mohammed Sama.
"To commemorate the occasion, and as the highest traditional honour of the Kabawa, a grand fishing competition was organised by Mal. Muhammed Sama for the August visitor and members of his entourage", the governor said, adding however that from its humble beginning as a simple get together of traditional fishermen within the Argungu vicinity, the festival has over the year, been transformed into an annual international event, attracting communities and visitors from both within and outside Nigeria.
The director-general of the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), Otunba Olusegun Runsewe said the corporation, a major partner of the festival is mobilising its staff, 50 mobile toilets to the venue just as it is making effort to ensure a hitch-free festival.
Meanwhile, the use of the N9 million Argungu Fish House, a cultural right which will showcase Nigeria rich cultural dances, costumes and crafts, will feature in this year's edition of the Argungu International Fishing Festival billed for March 12-15, the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), has said.
The director-general of NTDC Otunba Olusegun Runsewe disclosed this yesterday in Abuja during a courtesy visit by the deputy governor of Kebbi State, Alhaji Ibrahim Khalil Aliyu, to the NTDC boss.
Welcoming his guest, Otunba Runsewe said the first ever fish house was embarked upon by his corporation when he assumed office as NTDC boss, and will be commissioned before this year's edition in March.
"Argungu is a unique festival and the only place in the world with a similar festival in Hawai. There is the need to give the festival an identity and I urge Kebbi State government to ensure that there is a fixed date for the festival which will be permanent as this will help its promotion".
The Tourism Corporation's boss further said that the festival is to have a window on its website which is being constructed, and stressed the need to name the Fish House on completion.
On the night of culture proposed by the NTDC boss, he said the innovation would add colour to the package, as it will give tourists that will be at the fishing festival an opportunity to see other aspects of the nation's rich cultural heritage.
The deputy governor implored the NTDC to assist the state in the festival campaign to Mali and Ethiopia.
The deputy governor after a tour of the facilities at the tourism corporation's head quarters said he was impressed with the initiative and plans for tourism development by NTDC for Nigeria.
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