Nigeria: At 100, Kaduna Is Young and Old

18 December 2017
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The crunching sound of hundreds of horse and camel hooves galloping and trampling in Kaduna at the weekend at a durbar to mark the city's centenary reminded me to get a birthday card for a city that I consider to be my second home. Kaduna is today dominated by young folks who know the Web more than horses. The last great durbar took place in Kaduna in 1977 as part of that year's FESTAC. There were many durbars in the 1950s through to the 1970s to celebrate various landmark events but probably the greatest durbar ever held in Kaduna was in 1956 when a very young Queen Elizabeth II, then three years old on the British throne, visited Nigeria.

The venue of last Saturday's durbar, Murtala Square, known in the olden days as Race Course, is now a shadow of its old self. Much of this once huge expanse of open space has been steadily taken over by night clubs, shops, banks, gym, sports commission, a sports complex that was built when Kaduna hosted the national sports festival years ago, and the huge Umaru Yar'adua Auditorium. I am surprised that there was still enough space for a durbar.

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