Fishing festival: NCAC, Argungu Emirate partner to promote peace

By Mashe Umaru Gwamna

In a bid to give Argungu fishing festival a new flavor, the National Council for Arts and Culture(NCAC) and the Argungu Emirate Council have partnered to promote national peace and unity in the forthcoming festival.
Argungu fishing festival is an annual festival which will be held from 4th to 7th of March 2020 in Argungu, Kebbi State in the Northern Nigeria after 10 years of abandonment.
Director General NCAC,Otunba Runsewe has promised that Argungu fishing festival would breathe new face in 2020.
Runsewe made the disclosure while receiving a powerful delegation led by the Emir of Argungu in Kebbi State, HRH. Alhaji Samaria Mohammed Mera at NCAC Headquarters, yesterday in Abuja .
He said, “We will use Argungu to make a bold statement that indeed it is a festival that unites and we will continue to support it henceforth because it is arguably the number one in the country with UNESCO endorsement,”
He also showcased the prototype of the cultural centre he plans to build in Argungu Emirate saying it is modelled after the best cultural centres in the world.
Speaking further, Runsewe admitted that he was emotionally connected to the festival which according to him, has a long history with a rich cultural content that remains unrivalled globally.
He stated that, “The major problem we have in Nigeria is of lack respecting each other culture. If we respect each other culture we will sale unity and appreciate each culture
“ A lot of festivities in this country are a disgrace, but the Argungu fishing festival promotes peace. “.
He also pleaded with the emirate to put golf course in Argungu, saying that his organization will sponsor the quiz competition and essay writing to bring and promote culture in all secondary schools in Nigeria .
He displayed several publicity/promotional materials specially prepared by NCAC to prosecute the 2020 edition of the festival.
Runsewe assured that the fish house he built in 2010 will also be refurbished and remodelled.
Delivering his address during the visit, Alhaji Mera thanked Runsewe for identifying with the festival which is not only symbolic but serves as a platform for projecting Nigeria’s rich cultural endowments.
While lamenting the decade long abandonment of the festival, he was, however delighted that with the new impetus injected by the culture chief, Argungu Fishing Festival will be resuscitated and therefore assume its place of honour among other high profile festivals in Nigeria.