Nigeria Receives UNESCO Certificate For Kano Durbar’s Cultural Heritage Status
The Federal Government was on Tuesday officially presented with the certificate on the inscription of the Kano Durbar festival on the representative list of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity.
The presentation was made by a delegation led by the Permanent Representative of Nigeria to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, Dr Hajo Sani at the office of the Minister of Arts, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa in Abuja.
The Kano Durbar has remained a traditional festive event and cultural expression in Northern Nigeria for more than 500 years.
The festival was introduced by Sarki Muhammadu Rumfa of Kano in the late 15th Century as a way of demonstrating military power and skills before going to war before it subsequently evolved into a ceremonial festival associated with the annual Eids, welcoming of dignitaries and the installation of new Emirs.
Addressing journalists in Abuja, Sani congratulated President Bola Tinubu, and the people of Nigeria on the inscription of Kano Durbar on the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
She said, “The Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, comprising of 24 member states including Nigeria met in Asuncion, Paraguay for its 19th Session where the dossier on Kano Durbar was officially considered and approved.
“I would like to emphasise that 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.
‘It is on record that this inscription has brought the total number of items on the intangible list to eight. On this note it’s important for Nigeria to justify its multicultural status, there is the need for all stakeholders to work assiduously for more inscriptions.”
While welcoming the delegation, Musawa emphasised that the President was happy with the inscription and planned presentation of the certificate when she brought it to his notice.
The minister also promised to work closely with Sani and her team to ensure Nigeria meets all the criteria and maximises its presence in UNESCO.
She said, “It is such a privilege and honour to see it happening at this time. I want to reiterate President Bola Tinubu’s appreciation. I had a discussion with him a couple of weeks ago and he was absolutely elated that we are able to get this inscription on the Kano Durbar.
“Often when we talk about Nigeria, our multi-cultural heritage and diversity are what makes us great. It is amazing the work you have done, specifically Ambassador Hajo Sani in the past nine years. We didn’t just wake up one day and find out the Kano Durbar was inscribed.
“The benefits that come with the certificate on the inscription of Kano Durbar are huge. When you go to Brazil, the way they celebrate Yoruba culture is absolutely beautiful. Go to Saudi Arabia, the way they celebrate the Hausa, Kanuri and Fulani culture is amazing. This is our culture, something we own.”
