Yauri Rigata now source of economic stability for people of Kebbi, Niger, neighbouring communities —Abdullahi Yelwa

Alhaji Abdullahi Yelwa is the Chairman, Media and Publicity Committee of the annual Yauri Rigata International Festival. In this interview, the community leader and former commissioner for information and health speaks about the unique features of the 2024 event and how the festival has grown to become an international tourist attraction and an economic front for the Yauri and Kebbi people. General Editor, Taiwo Adisa brings the excerpts.

YOU are the chairman of the 2024 annual Yauri Rigata. What would you say are the unique features of this year’s event?

This year’s event was held between 7th and 10th of February and opened with the Agric Show because of the importance of agriculture to our community. Then there was a Trade Fair and cultural performances. These cultural performances will feature different types of cultural dances. For instance, we have the invitational participation from neighbouring areas and neighbouring countries.

During the last one, we had people from Mali and wrestlers from Niger Republic because of our proximity with them. And in addition to that, on the final day, we had the Rigata cultural display which comprised water sports including swimming gourd racing and bare hand fishing and so many other forms of water sports that are being practiced in that part of the country for many years.

 

Every event has its own selling point. What would you say is the key selling point for Yauri Rigata?

The Rigata itself has a very long history and it is not spelt in the Italian way. We spelt ours Rigata which is a local or tribal term that means competition or “who gets there first”. Historically the festival is organised whenever we have animals, especially hippopotamus and crocodiles in the water and they are getting out of hand (when crocodiles start attacking and eating swimmers or when the hippos start capsizing ships and attacking farmers on the farms. When that happens, the Emir will invite his warriors who will now dress up with their weapons go to war with the animals from their canoes, but during colonialism, the killing of hippopotamus was outlawed. So, if you need to kill a hippo, you must have to get authority from the Emir and then the colonial officers. That was how the festival originated and for over 200 years now, it has been staged occasionally in remembrance of this important culture, but also in promotion of other forms of entertainment.

 

So it originated as a form of social security measure to protect the people against the forces of nature?

Yes. Majorly for social security and as a form of interaction between the society and the neighbouring communities.

 

At what point did it become an annual event?

It was made an annual event some years ago. This is because of the interest shown by tourists all over the world. It became an International festival. That’s why, today, it is called Yauri Annual International Rigata Festival and it has been held since then with the approval and support of the Kebbi State government.

 

I know you have added some other features over the year. What are these features?

This year’s edition is an improvement of what happened last year. All the events that we had were carefully studied and important improvements were made. There is a remarkable difference both in terms of organisation and in terms of excitement of the sport, especially water sports that were added.

 

Do they win prizes and things like that?

Yes. Every major event such as the water sports, swimming competition, the gourd racing, people floating on gourd and swimming have prizes to be won. They are all a very difficult sports to do because many people will tumble on their way to the finish line. Then also different stages for girls and boys. There is canoe racing and canoe display. Each of them has prizes attached to it. We also have the agricultural show where he best farmers in crops specialisation are rewarded. Farmers with the biggest traditional cocks, goats and rams are brought to compete. Over the years, people have been fattening their cows so they can bring them to the festival to win prizes.

 

How do you now get the competitors?

For more than a month before the festival, there will be different committees. People who want to compete rehearse and perform under the watch of the committees. You don’t just come out on the day of the festival and want to win the race, but various communities along the River Niger, in the Yauri Emirate, have been planning, practising and rehearsing. The best among them are chosen for the final day.

 

Is there any particular role that the state government is playing in hosting of the event?

The event, like I said, is organised and sponsored by the Kebbi State government, just like other critical festivals that are held in the state. The governor is the chief host and responsible for inviting important personalities for the ceremony. So, it is essentially a state event with the participation and collaboration of the community.

 

Talking of the tourists, how much effort have you put into it to attract tourists?

We have. We have done extensive work to invite tourists through tourism organisations and embassies because every year we invite the diplomats of different countries to come and they help us in the marketing of the event in their respective countries. We’re also in touch with the Nigerian Tourism Board that is also engaging the promotion of tourism across the country. So, we have done extensively well and we have no doubt that a lot of tourists will come from both within and outside the country now.

 

Apart from the people getting themselves together to socialise, what other benefits will you say the festival will have on the community?

It is one of the most important festivals in the promotion of our culture but also in the economy of the people. You know we produce the best onions. I might say Yauri onion is known all over, especially in the South-West. From Ogbomoso to Lagos, they rely on Yauri onions. During the festival, we market our onions and fresh and smoked fishes and other animals such as goats and cows. So, it is a very important activity towards promoting our economy as we have seen every year the festival is held. We see a remarkable improvement in our economy and we have no doubt this will also be another important milestone for economic development.

 

What about the support from the Federal Government to internationalise the event?

Last year, when the former Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Muhammad, visited, he was excited about it and made sure he made contacts with bodies, government bodies and our missions abroad. We have published copies of the older events of the Rigata. We have three versions of the book which we usually send to the embassies and they use it to market the festival and make sure that people that are planning tours are informed accordingly.

 

Now that we are talking about insecurity in Nigeria, how will you ensure that it does not impact the programme?

Well, as you know, insecurity is a major problem all across the country. On our own part, the community and that of the state government, a lot has been done to make sure that the security is improved and visitors who come enjoy their time and get home back to their families safely. Some will arrive through air either they arrive in Sokoto or the Binin-Kebbi International Airport, and others will come by road. We wish them a safe journey as they come but we are guaranteeing that adequate security measures have been taken to make sure that incidents of insecurity are reduced to the minimum.

 

These days, you don’t witness the presence of the animals anymore. Is that as a result of global warming, environmental impact, or something else?

We still have the crocodiles and the hippos. We still have them and our children swim with them every day. It’s a delicate relationship. We do swim with the crocodiles in our waters, we learned to give them their boundaries as they give us ours at the bank. Same thing with the hippos. I think they have become a little less timid. There are very few instances where angry hippos capsize boats and we have learnt a lot about how to relate with them. You don’t separate a hippo mummy from the baby. Most of the times when hippos attack people in ships, you have probably separated a hippo from its baby. They usually attack, but it’s a learning process. They are getting to accommodate us just as we are getting to accommodate them, but it’s like they have become geo-locational. They rarely go away, they are mostly around the Kainji Lake and sometimes they go upland to some parts of the Niger Republic.

 

So how do you teach the management of that delicate relationship with the animals to the community?

Well, all littoral societies have to co-exist with the animals around them. It’s a beneficial relationship. They don’t normally eat humans, they eat fishes, and sometimes competition between humans and the animals can cause a communication breakdown. Mostly its communication breakdown, no harm is intended.