By Ogochukwu Isioma
President Bola Tinubu on Saturday described the 61st Argungu International Fishing and Cultural Festival as a testament to the return of stability and normalcy in Kebbi State and across the country.
Speaking at the grand finale of the festival in Argungu, the President pledged sustained Federal Government support for tourism, agriculture, food security, and rural development.
He commended the state government for successfully organising the historic cultural event, which attracted over 50,000 fishermen from across Nigeria and neighbouring countries. The four-day festival featured cultural displays, water competitions, traditional boxing, and dancing.
“Congratulations. Well done. Very good show. Remarkable history. This festival has endured for 83 years and stands as a powerful symbol of unity, resilience, and peaceful coexistence among our people,” the President said.
He lauded the security arrangements that enabled the festival to be hosted safely and successfully.
”The organisation, security arrangement, and internal outlook of the event demonstrate what is possible when leadership is purposeful and inclusive. Thank you, Mr Governor of Kebbi State. You are a team leader, and you are demonstrating it.
”A socio-cultural event like this can only thrive and become a tourism attraction where the security atmosphere is conducive,” he said.
”I am pleased to note that significant progress has been made in combating insecurity across Kebbi and other parts of our nation. We are still working very hard through coordinated efforts between the Federal Government, state government, and security agencies. We have men and women in uniform who are putting their lives on the line to safeguard our sovereignty and maintain our peace.
”The relative peace we are witnessing today in this region is not accidental. It is the result of sustained investment in security, intelligence gathering, and community engagement.
”I assure you that the fight against insecurity of any kind, including banditry and insurgency, will be won. Our farmers, including the fishermen, traders, and families, will be able to go about their lives without fear or injury. This festival is a testament to the return of stability and normalcy.”
”We will continue to support it and encourage it. Our traditional leaders, particularly the custodians of this festival, remain at the heart of our national agenda. We are deliberately investing in programs that empower youth, women, and rural communities,” he said.
Highlighting the Federal Government’s commitment to agriculture, the President reaffirmed support for farmers, fishermen, and rural communities.
”Working jointly with the state government, we will continue to give our farmers the necessary support. Kebbi State is noted for its commitment to food security and agrarian cultivation. We will work together to make it a great economic success, he added.
He also emphasised the unifying power of culture, noting: “The Argungu International Fishing Festival brings together people of different backgrounds, nations, and beliefs in the spirit of friendship and healthy competition. It showcases our heritage and projects Nigeria in a positive light to the rest of the world. I commend the organisers, and I reaffirm my commitment to peace, empowerment, food security, and infrastructural development of the Federation.”
Before attending the festival in Argungu, the President commissioned key infrastructure projects in Birnin Kebbi, including the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Secretariat Complex, New Modern Motor Park, a three-lane dual carriageway, Kauran Gwandu College of Nursing and Midwifery Sciences, Ambursa and the new dualised Old Argungu By-Pass Road.
In his remarks, Governor Nasir Idris thanked the President for honouring the state with his presence. He reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to sustaining the festival as a platform for cultural preservation, tourism development, and economic empowerment.
Highlighting achievements of his administration, the Governor outlined investments in infrastructure, including the construction of an ultramodern state secretariat, expansion of dual carriageways, development of urban road networks, and reconstruction of inter-city roads, alongside emergency rehabilitation of flood-damaged infrastructure.
In the health sector, the Governor noted the rehabilitation and equipping of 16 general hospitals, as well as the ongoing construction and rehabilitation of over 120 primary healthcare centres. He said more than 1,800 health workers had been recruited to strengthen healthcare service delivery across the state.
Governor Idris said the state government distributed fertilisers, improved seedlings, agrochemicals, and farm implements free of charge to farmers, thereby increasing productivity and supporting the Federal Government’s food security agenda.
Gov Idris also listed improvements in civil service welfare, including the implementation of the new minimum wage and sustained payment of salaries, pensions, gratuities, and other entitlements.
In education, the administration had constructed and furnished thousands of classrooms and mega schools across emirate zones, recruited teachers, and sustained scholarship programmes for students studying locally and internationally.
The Emir of Argungu, Sama’ila Muhammad Mera, expressed delight that the ancient waters of Matan Fada, the grand fishing arena, once again witnessed the traditional gunshot after nearly six years of a hiatus.
”For 61 editions this festival has endured not merely as a competition but as a testament to the capacity of our people to choose courage over conflict and friendship over feud,” the Emir said.
”Your presence here, Mr President, is not an ordinary honour. It is a profound identification with these core values: courage, reconciliation, peace, and friendship. These are the values that guide national cohesion, good governance, and progress, which are pillars of Mr President’s Renewed Hope agenda.”
He praised the President’s initiatives, saying: ”We see this agenda made manifest in the student loan fund programme, provision of primary healthcare, and expanding access to life-saving vaccines for our children.
”We note with immense pride your leadership in retraining health workers, efforts that have rightly earned you the position of African Union Champion in Community Health.
”In public works, your vision is unmistakable. The coastal highway and Ilela-Badagry highway, which Kebbi State stands as a single largest beneficiary, are not mere roads; they are arteries of prosperity connecting our rural farmers with the outside world.”
Announcing the results of the fishing competition, the Deputy Governor of Kebbi State, Senator Umar Abubakar Tafida, said Abubakar Usman from Maiyama Local Government Area emerged overall winner with a 59kg catch.
He received N1million and two brand-new cars.
Abdullahi Garba from Argungu placed second with a 40kg fish.
The state government awarded him 750,000, a brand new car, and a Hajj seat.
The third position was jointly claimed by two contestants from Jigawa and Kogi states with a 33kg catch.
They got N1 million and a motorcycle each.
All four winning fish were presented to President Tinubu as a souvenir.
