Edited with imarkup

It's a wonderful opportunity for me to be participating in this week's Steemit Engagement Challenge in the Steem Pakistan Community for the first time. I wish to present the Argungu Fishing Festival of my country Nigeria to the rest of the world.

We are asking you to tell us about your Favorite Festival. It could either be a religious or a cultural festival. Write about its origin/history. How you celebrate it?

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The Argungu Fishing Festival which is held every year in Kebbi State Nigeria has not just become a festival or event that lasts for up to 4 days but has indeed become the Way of Life for the entire people of not just the state itself but even surrounding Northern States in Nigeria and neighbouring countries who can afford to participate. Normally, it is held in February every year. It is meant as a commemoration of the end of the season of farming. The season of fishing then commences with this event that comprises a display of cultural events over the four days it is held.

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An agricultural show is always used to commence the festival. This is followed by displays of water sports and Kebbawa which is traditional entertainment. The festival always ends with the fishing competition that takes place in the Mata Fadan River. The Argungu town where this event takes place is located in a state called Kebbi State which is in the Northwestern Region of Nigeria, West Africa. The Seat of the Argungu Emirate is located in this town which hosts what has been described as the largest fishing festival on the entire continent of Africa made up of people who are receptive and warm to the rest of the world.

History Of The Event

The festival is said to have started in 1934. It was instituted as a milestone to mark the end of hostilities that had existed between Kebbi Kingdom and Sokoto Caliphate that had lasted for centuries. Hence, it is commemorated as a way of celebrating the unity and life of the people. Due to the festival so much development and progress has entered the whole state.

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It is recognised as a Fishing-Frenzy Festival. The fish that eventually won the competition in 2005 was measured to have weighed as much as 75 kg. Consequently, a group of four men were needed to have carried it onto the scale for weighing. The event became very important and economically viable to the States such that the use of cast nets and gill nets for fishing in the river had been prohibited in order to ensure that fish stock is conserved in the river.

Activities usually carried out in the course of the four-day event include:-

• Wrestling matches
• Canoe races
• Cultural activities
• Swimming contest
• Craft showcases
• Musical performances
• Agricultural showcases
• A fishing contest, which is the grand event

The Fishing Conquest

On the last day of the fishing event a fishing competition is usually organised with thousands of fishermen who always station themselves at the bank of the river waiting for the gunshot to sound. The moment the gun shot sounds they all jump into the river and begin the search for the largest fish. They are always given a period of one hour for the contest. At the end of this period the person with the largest catch is awarded a huge amount of money which may be as much as $7500 US dollars.

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Normally, the fishing competition is only permitted to be carried out with traditional tools used for fishing. In many cases a lot of the contestants would even prefer to entirely rely on the use of their bare hands in a popular fishing technique known as noodling to attempt catching even the largest size fish; mostly, this would always be as a way of trying to demonstrate their fishing prowess and experience. The major purpose of organising this fashion event include entertainment, unity, fishing and for fun.

The 2020 Fishing Event

The person that succeeded in getting the largest fish in the fishing event of 2020 smiled back home with the huge amount of money of about $16,900. Also, he went home with the award of two Hajj seats and two brand new cars. The fish weighed up to 78 kg. Equally, there were cash prices and other awards given to the second and third positions. It is on record that more than 50,000 contestants participated in the festival and they were graded according to what the fish they caught weighed.

Interestingly, even the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari had attended the 2020 edition of the fishing festival. It was the 60th edition and had been reactivated after it had been previously put on hold for exactly 10 years.

As a tradition, Sarkin Ruwa who is the river custodian always ensures that the river is cleansed by offering sacrifices to the oracles of the river. This is done in order to obtain permission needed before the festival can be held successfully. The responsibility of the river custodian is usually passed from one generation to another.

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It is the duty of the custodian to give the go-ahead order. Without this the fishing competition would not hold. One of the essence of the sacrifices offered is to chase away the crocodiles that live in the river. Another significance of it is to act as a way of inviting even fishes from other rivers that are connected to the river which is used in the fishing contest.

The Mata Fadan River itself which is used for the event has been a source of irrigation water for the farmlands of the neighbouring inhabitants. It is about 50 feet deep and 50 meters wide and serves also as a source of food for the neighbouring villages. The rhythm of the traditional Kebbawa songs are normally played by the local drummers the moment the fishers go into the freshwater to begin the search for the winning fish.

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The drums are made traditionally from cow skin. They can be played by women. However, women are not allowed to participate in the main fishing event itself. The fishermen would usually float on their gourds as they made the search for a big catch while the sound of the Kebbawa drums rants into the air. People also come from neighbouring countries to participate in the Nigerian fishing event.

Is it celebrated like few generations ago or newer generations lack awareness and are insensitive to their own culture?

Actually, the intensity of the event has been preserved across generations. The event is recognised as a celebration of life. Equally, it serves as a mechanism by which natural resources are conserved thereby promoting and maintaining the traditional way of life of the people. It can be said that the event serves as a precursor to the measures taken today in terms of modern fishery management techniques in the country.

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Again, the people view the art of fishing as an all-time professional engagement and it is believed that the preservation of this event would mean the preservation of life in the community. Hence, it is considered as a celebration of life. The intensity of the celebration, the cultures, the myths, the beliefs and the traditions of origin surrounding the festival have been preserved till today.

Many of the people around are local people who find joy and pleasure in the actual event of fishing. More so, the fact that a huge amount of money now goes with the event means that a lot of people scuttle every year to emerge victorious. The event is equally used to mark the beginning of the fishing season and the end of the farming season.

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CONCLUSION

Actually, it goes without saying that Africa is the continent of festivals. All across different communities, towns, clans, kindreds, villages and cities including even nation states of Africa, vibrant, colourful, religious events that represent cultural fiestas, events of fertility and harvest often take place in various sequences that last even all year long.

The Argungu Fishing Festival is one of such colourful events where fishermen in their thousands struggle - some even bare-handed - to see if they can make the biggest catch. It is an extravaganza of cultural events and happenings that pronounce the beginning and of course as a harbinger of the fishing season while marking the end of the farming season. This particular event attracted my attention among the numerous religious events and traditional festivals that are held in my country because of its national importance and recognition.