News Investigators/ The Niger State Tourism Corporation has sought partnership with the National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC), to strengthen and showcase the ancient ‘Bariki’ festival of the Nupe kingdom on a global stage.
Rep. Sa’idu Abdullahi (APC-Niger) and General Manager of the Niger tourism corporation, Ms Zainab Mohammed made the call when they visited NCAC Director-General, Dr Obi Asika in Abuja on Friday.
Abdullahi, who is representing Bida/Gbako/Katcha Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives explained that the move followed ongoing efforts to revive and position the festival.
He explained that Bariki was a homage paid to the traditional leader at his palace, after which traditional title holders lead a procession of traditional rulers around the town.
He added that people come from diverse ethnic groups across the state and beyond, including foreigners to be a part of the bariki procession
He said that the visit was to specifically seek partnership on what he described as the “most important cultural events” in Nupe Kingdom.
According to him, the festival is of rich cultural significance and had been in existence for over 100 years in the ancient city of Bida, the centre of Nupe culture in Niger.
The lawmaker stressed the need for the younger generation to tell their own story through the bariki cultural festival.
“It is a tradition that we have carried through over the years, and we are here to look at how not just to sustain it but to also give it more visibility.
“Diverse ethnic groups are part of the bariki festival, which comes twice a year – on the fifth day of Eid-El-Fitr and the fifth day of Eid-el-Kabir,” he said.
Abdullahi added that a Nupe speaking person values the festival so much that new clothes were worn on the day of festival as against sallah day.
On her part, Mohammed emphasised the need to revive traditions that were on the verge of becoming extinct, particularly the famous Bida craftsmanship.
She said that the Niger traditions were silently dying, stressing the need for their revival and giving a global space for tourists in Nigeria and around the world to see what Niger has to offer.
She recalled that in 2021, Bida was designated as a UNESCO creative city, the first creative city in Nigeria and the creative city of craft and folk art.
“When UNESCO saw the parade, the horsemanship, the dancing, the drummers, we were invited to South Korea with our troupe to come and showcase the Nupe culture,” she said.
Responding, Asika commended the lawmaker and Mohammed for their efforts to showcase the Niger cultural heritage to the world, to promote the state as a tourism destination.
He pledged that the agency would partner with the state in the areas that would help promote the state’s tourism potentials.
He advised the state to incorporate more individuals, including diplomats, celebrities, influencers, entities and brands to help showcase events, locations and other things of cultural significance.
“We are going to digest the proposals; we will help with things like a media schedule for promotion that starts six weeks before and runs two weeks after.
“You still need your traditional media, newspapers, radio and television but a lot of stuff is done through social media; through influencers and travel bloggers, who will come and experience Niger’s unique cultural heritage and tell the story.
“What we really want to do is focus on the storytelling, so we could talk about things like finding appropriate people who you can appoint as ambassadors for Bida Bariki 2026,” he said.
NAN