It was all joy recently in Argungu, a town located in Kebbi State, northwestern Nigeria when people gathered for Africa’s biggest fishing celebration. The Argungu International Fishing and Cultural Festival, which preserves tradition and promotes conservation, is an annual event that takes place between late February and March to mark the end of the farming season and the start of the fishing season.
In March 2020, the festival was revived after it could not hold for over 10 years due to insecurity. “Today, we are happy to host many dignitaries who converged here to celebrate with us,” Governor Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State said at the 2020 Argungu fishing festival last March.
“It is a celebration of equitable competition where fishermen come from all over, both from within and outside Nigeria. This certainly is a symbol of unity. This is a challenge for all of us as Nigerians.
“As people of Kebbi, we are very proud to have you here and we pray Almighty God will take each one of you back home safely,” he said.
Argungu fishing festival dates back to before Nigeria’s independence. It began in 1943, marking the end of years of conflict between The Sokoto Caliphate — a West African empire — and the Kebbi Kingdom.
Today, the four-day cultural event features an agricultural show, water sport displays, and other activities like wrestling and boxing. It usually ends with the glorious fishing competition near the Mata Fadan River, where the fisherman with the biggest catch wins the competition. Besides serving as a source of food, the Mata Fadan River irrigates the farmlands of the Argungu people.
Before the fishing festival begins, the custodian of the river, known as Sarkin Ruwa, performs sacrifices to the river oracle to ask if the festival can go ahead. With the permission of the oracle, the festival can begin.
“At the sound of a gun, thousands of fishermen race towards the Mata Fadan River, leaping into the water to begin their search for the winning freshwater fish,” one account stated.
As the competition begins, drummers beat their drums. Women, who are not allowed to take part in the competition, also help play the drums while performing songs and dances. It is documented that over 50,000 fishermen from Northern Nigeria and surrounding areas take part in the fishing competition annually.
Competitors usually use traditional fishing tools and many prefer to catch fish entirely by hand to showcase their prowess.
Last year, the man who caught the biggest fish weighing 78 kilograms got $24,000, two new cars, and two Hajj seats.
