ABUJA, March 4 (NNN-Xinhua) — Nigeria is reviving its globally-recognized intangible cultural heritage Argungu International Fishing and Cultural Festival after a 10-year hiatus to boost tourism, the government said.
International festivals such as the forthcoming Argungu festival “are part of the creative industry which is one of the areas the federal government relies on for the diversification of the economy away from oil,” Minister of Information and Culture Lai Mohammed told a press conference in Abuja.
These festivals do not only enhance the economy, but also provide jobs, especially for women and the youth, said the minister.
Activities marking the fishing and cultural festival will kick off on March 15, Mohammed said, adding that it is one of the most widely attended festivals in Nigeria and the oldest festival of its kind, dating back many generations.
The festival had greatly contributed to the infrastructural and socio-economic growth of Argungu, a city in the northwestern state of Kebbi, and its environs, the minister noted.
The festival will also be included in the calendar of Nigerian festivals to be published, which allows domestic and international tourists to plan their attendance at the various festivals with ease, Mohammed added.
The Argungu festival was inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in 2016.
The festival, which usually runs between late February and March, features a series of water competitions as well as other traditional practices, such as the local-style wrestling and boxing. — NNN-XINHUA
