The National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO) has begun the process to inscribe the Durbar Festival in Northern Nigeria on UNESCO  world heritage list.

It was reported that the Durbar festival is an annual religious and equestrian celebration in several cities of Nigeria including Kano, Katsina, Sokoto, Zazzau, Bauchi and Bida.

The festival marks the end of Ramadan and also coincides with the Muslim festivities of Eid al-Adha and Eid al-Fitri.

The Executive Secretary, NICO, Mr Ado Yahuza, was quoted as saying this in a statement signed by Caleb Nor, Media Assistant.

For this, Yahuza said that he led a delegation comprising of UNESCO Desk Officers from the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture, as well as Research Officers from the Institute on a three-day interactive session in Kano Emirate Council.

He said that the session was on how to package the ‘Durbar as Nigeria’s nomination” to be  presented before the 15th Session of UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) in 2021.

Responding, the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Aminu Bayero, expressed his readiness to support the institute in its effort to in script the Durbar Festival on the list of humanity.

“I wish to reassure you of our readiness to work with you towards the success of this idea.

” It will be a major accomplishment to have the Kano Durbar take a place of pride as a major global and international event,” he said.

The Emir further charged NICO to remain steadfast in achieving the great feat, adding that it would not only be an honour to the Kano Emirate Council, but also to Kano State and Nigeria at large.

NAN reports that as of June 2020, a total of 1,121 World Heritage Sites (869 cultural, 213 natural, and 39 mixed properties) exist across 167 countries.

NAN reports that Nigeria has 13 .

These include the Sukur Cultural Landscape located on top of the highest plains on the Mandara Mountains in a place called Madageli, Adamawa, the Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove, situated along the banks of the Oshun River, on the outskirts of the capital city of Osogbo, which is regarded as the home of the goddess of fertility, Osun.

Others are the Alok Ikom Stone Monoliths, called among the Ejagham people of the Cross River State is distributed among over” ,  the Ancient Kano City Walls and Associated Sites, Arochkwu Long Juju Slave Route (Cave Temple Complex) and the Benin Iya/Sungbo’s Eredo, among others.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NAN