Nigeria’s Argungu fishing contest returns after years of pause
JohnChat
Fishermen assemble along the Matan-Fada river, nets at the ready, competing to capture the largest catch during the final day of the Argungu International Fishing Festival in Kebbi State, Nigeria. [Sodiq Adelakun/Reuters]
Traditional fishing methods shine at Argungu’s iconic festival, preserving heritage and boosting local economy.
Thousands of fishermen converged on the milky waters of the Matan Fadan river, a UNESCO heritage site, winding through verdant landscape in northwestern Nigeria’s Argungu.
President Bola Tinubu joined thousands of spectators on Saturday, cheering competitors vying to catch the largest fish, despite security concerns deterring some attendance.
Participants employed only traditional methods, including hand-woven nets and calabash gourds, with some demonstrating their prowess using bare hands. The Kebbi State waterway teemed with woven nets and canoes as fishermen waded through.
This year’s champion landed a 59kg (130-pound) croaker fish, winning a cash prize. Other participants sell their catch, stimulating the local economy.
The river remains closed throughout the year, overseen by a titled authority known as Sarkin Ruwa, the water chief.
The fishing contest marked the pinnacle of the annual international fishing festival, which showcased cultural displays, including traditional wrestling and musical performances.
“I thank God that I got something to take home to my family to eat. I am very happy that I came,” Aliyu Muhammadu, a 63-year-old fisherman who participated in the competition, told The Associated Press news agency.
The festival originated in 1934, marking peace between the extensive Sokoto Caliphate – a vast 19th-century Islamic empire spanning from Nigeria into parts of modern-day Burkina Faso – and the previously resistant Argungu emirate.
Considered a symbol of unity, the festival ran continuously for decades until 2010, when infrastructure problems and growing northern Nigerian insecurity forced its suspension. It briefly resumed in 2020 before pausing again until this year.
Nigeria faces complex security challenges, particularly in the north, where thousands of people have been killed in attacks over the years.
While Tinubu characterised the festival’s return as a sign of stability, for many, it represents restored community pride.
“Our challenge now is that people are scared of coming. A lot of people don’t attend the event like before because of insecurity,” said Hussein Mukwashe, the Sarkin Ruwa of Argungu.
Thousands of participants, among them a small number of women and children, braved the scorching 39C (102F) heat. Fishermen from neighbouring West African nations – Niger, Chad and Togo – also joined the competition alongside their Nigerian counterparts. [Sunday Alamba/AP Photo]The fishing festival was first held in 1934 by Muhammad Sama, who was serving as the traditional ruler of Argungu at that time. [Sodiq Adelakun/Reuters]It marked the conclusion of a century-long history of hostility and distrust between his people and the region’s most powerful ruler, the sultan of Sokoto, Hassan Dan-Muazu. [Sodiq Adelakun/Reuters]Over the decades, the festival evolved into a premier cultural event in Nigeria, attracting visitors from around the world, until security concerns and financial constraints transformed it into an intermittent celebration. According to organisers, the last complete edition took place six years ago. [Sodiq Adelakun/Reuters]Over the decades, the festival evolved into a premier cultural event in Nigeria, attracting visitors from around the world, until security concerns and financial constraints transformed it into an intermittent celebration. According to organisers, the last complete edition took place six years ago. [Sodiq Adelakun/Reuters]Fishermen drifted atop spherical brown gourds across the Matan Fada river, using nothing but their bare hands and nets to pursue prized catches in the cloudy depths. Thousands of spectators crowded along the riverbank, erupting in enthusiastic cheers. [Sunday Alamba/AP Photo]Fishermen seek their catch during the Argungu cultural fishing festival. [Sunday Alamba/AP Photo]Sarkin Ruwa, guardian of the Mata Fada, inspires fishermen during their competition. [Toyin Adedokun/AFP]A fisherman displays his recent catch for a portrait during the fishing festival. [Toyin Adedokun/AFP]Local fisherman Abubakar Usman made headlines at the UNESCO-listed fishing festival with his spectacular 59kg catch, which dominated the event. His impressive haul earned him two new saloon cars and a cash prize of 1 million naira (approximately $739). Hundreds of significantly smaller catches were sold at a temporary market established on streets adjacent to the main arena. [Sunday Alamba/AP Photo]
