Argingu fish festiva

As peace treaties go, not many come close to the awesomeness of having a fishing festival to serve as a marker for it every year. Deep in the hinterlands of Kebbi State, across the Argungu river on the border with Sokoto State, the Argungu Fishing Festival holds sway every year, kind of like the World Cup for fishing aficionados.

First, a little bit of history...

Origin of the Argungu Fishing Festival

As far back as the early 1800s AD, There was a slew of wars between the Hausa people of Kebbi and the Fulanis from Sokoto State which culminated in a century-long feud that involved land-grabbing, coordinated attacks and other untoward guerrilla attacks that marked tribal warfare of the time. Then, in 1934, a peace treaty was reached and the fishing festival was born, reports say.

Because fishing is infinitely cooler than feuding, really. You ever tried fishing? Massive adrenaline rush right there.

RELATED: Book hotels in Argungu or any where else in Kebbi State now

A Fishing Festival for Champions.

The Argungu Festival is more than just a couple of guys tossing nets or fishing lines in a lake or river with the hope of scoring some fish. This is the big leagues. Up to 30,000 fishermen have been known to participate in the hour-long duel to catch the biggest fish of the day. The winner usually carts home about $7,500 in prize money, alongside other cool perks.

The fishermen are only allowed to use traditional fishing tools like gourds and primitive nets. Some prefer to use their bare hands to display their prowess. Because, what good is any competition without some sass and showing off?

The fishing contest serves as the final phase in a festival replete with other entertaining features like agricultural and craft exhibitions, wresting and boxing displays which span a 3-day period.

How To Attend The Argungu Festival

The festival usually holds around mid-February and it marks the start of the fishing season. Tourists from across the country and beyond troop into Argungu to witness the epic festival. Lots of fishermen also converge there during the festival to participate and have a shot at winning and walking away with the grand prize.

Since the festival occurs along the border region between Kebbi and Sokoto States, you could either book from the range of Argungu hotels or choose from the range of nearby hotels in Sokoto State to stay at for the duration of the festival.

The Argungun fishing festival has uplifted not only the cultures of Kebbi, but also the economy of the state in every aspect. It was this festival that facilitated the creation of Kebbi State in August 1991. Many people testified to their success during the festival as they make huge profit from different activities.
The Argungun fishing festival will forever remain a blessing to the people of Kebbi state and the whole of Nigeria.

At the festival, thousands of fishermen line up in front of the Matan Fada river like local warriors, holding their net and gourds and waiting patiently for the sound of the gun. Immediately the gun goes off, they run into the narrow river which is about 2.3 kilometers in length and begin their search for the biggest fish. Each fisherman uses his best fishing strategy because he has only one hour to catch the biggest fish. After the stoppage time, all the fishes being caught are weighed so as to identify the biggest and award the lucky fisherman with the first prize.
Other events which add colour and glamour to the festival are wrestling, local boxing (dambe), archery, agricultural show (display of different food crops and domestic animals), fish-butchering, canoeing, diving, cultural dances and singing, ‘kabanci’ display (catching of birds and fingerlings with bare hands) and so on. But as modernity sets in, events like bicycle and car racing were added to the festival. The fisherman with the biggest catch is decorated and presented the cash {which is up to $7,500 (N1 million)} and other prizes. The biggest catch was reserved for the Sultan, Emirs and other important figures in the country.