Thousands of fishermen descended upon the milky waters of the Matan Fadan river on Saturday for a traditional competition in Argungu, a town in northwest Nigeria set amidst lush vegetation and recognised as a UNESCO heritage site. Several thousand onlookers, including President Bola Tinubu, cheered on the competitors as they vied to hook the largest fish, although ongoing security issues did keep some spectators away.
Contestants were restricted to traditional angling techniques, employing hand-woven nets and large calabash gourds, while some demonstrated their skills by using their bare hands. The waterway in Kebbi state was a flurry of woven nets and canoes as the fishermen forded the river. This year's winner caught a croaker weighing 59 kg, and secured a cash prize, while other participants sold their catch to boost the local economy.
The river is closed for the remainder of the year and managed by a titled chief known as the Sarkin Ruwa, or 'chief of the water'. The fishing competition marked the culmination of the annual international festival, which also featured cultural events such as traditional music and wrestling.
"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 participant, told the media. The festival dates back to 1934, marking the end of nearly a century of hostility between the ancient Sokoto Caliphate — a sprawling 19th-century Islamic empire — and the Argungu emirate. Regarded as a symbol of unity, the festival ran for decades before being paused in $2010$ due to infrastructural problems and worsening insecurity in Nigeria's northern region. It returned in 2020 but was suspended again until this year.
Nigeria is currently facing a complex security crisis, particularly in the north, which has witnessed attacks blamed on Islamist insurgent groups and armed criminal gangs that have left thousands dead. These attacks are now spreading to the southern region. While President Tinubu remarked that the festival signals a return to stability, for many, its revival restores a sense of communal pride. “Our challenge now is that people are scared of coming," Hussein Mukwashe, the Sarkin Ruwa of Argungu, told the media. "A lot of people don't attend the event like before because of insecurity."
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