Men dressed in traditional clothes ride horses during the Durbar festival in Kano November 28, 2009. The Durbar is a traditional horse-riding festival hosted by the Emir of the northern city of Kano to mark the Eid al-Adha Muslim celebration. Groups of horsemen representing nearby villages take turns to charge towards the Emir, pausing before him to pay their respects. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic (NIGERIA SOCIETY RELIGION IMAGES OF THE DAY)
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has recognised the Kano Durbar festival as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity.
UNESCO presented the certificate of inscription to Hannatu Musawa, minister of art, culture, tourism and the creative economy.
Nneka Anibeze, special adviser to Musawa on media and publicity, said in a statement that Hajo Sani, Nigeria’s permanent delegate to UNESCO, also presented a congratulatory message in Abuja on Tuesday.
The Durbar festival is a celebration of the Hausa cultural heritage and traditions. It serves as an occasion for noblemen to pay homage to the Emir and reaffirm their loyalty to their emirates.
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Unfolding over four days of grandeur, horsemanship and equestrian parades, the festival is believed to be the largest procession of colourful horses in the world.
Sani said the UNESCO recognition celebrates the festival’s beauty, dignity, and unity among the people of Kano.
She noted that an inter-governmental committee for the safeguarding of the intangible cultural heritage approved the nomination and urged Nigeria to push for more inscriptions.
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“The inscription of the Kano Durbar on the representative list brings a lot of benefits for Nigeria and the local communities and also calls for greater responsibilities of government and all stakeholders to maintain the Durbar festival and keep it sustainable within the scope of its new international status,” the statement reads.
“It is on record that this inscription has brought the total number of items on all intangible list to eight. At the 18th session in Botswana, the Sango Oyo and a multinational inscription on midwifery on knowledge, skills and practice by eight other nations and Nigeria were approved.
“On this note, it is important for Nigeria to justify its multicultural status, as there is need for all stakeholders to work assiduously for more inscriptions.”
Musawa emphasised the importance of showcasing Nigeria’s diverse cultures, noting that they come with economic benefits and opportunities.
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“What really makes Nigeria great is our cultural expression. Our diverse cultures represent every part of the world,” the minister added.
“To have an inscription of the Kano Durbar, which we all know is a part of the tradition, culture and value of specifically, northern Nigeria, is of huge value, not only to that region, but to Nigeria as a whole.”
Musawa said she would increase efforts to gain more UNESCO inscriptions for Nigeria.
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