Former Director General of the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR), Turaki Nura Kangiwa, has raised concerns over the long-term sustainability of the globally acclaimed Argungu International Fishing and Cultural Festival, warning that environmental pressure and poor planning could threaten the future of the iconic heritage event.
Kangiwa spoke during the Naija7Wonders Zoom Conference, where he highlighted major ecological and structural challenges confronting the festival, which was inscribed by UNESCO in 2016 on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
According to him, the annual influx of more than 40,000 fishermen into the Argungu River during the festival places enormous pressure on aquatic resources, particularly the Nile perch and African catfish species that dominate the Sokoto and Rima river basins. He noted that repeated fishing activities during the event have led to serious depletion of fish populations, threatening the livelihoods of thousands of local residents who depend on fishing as a primary occupation.
“Imagine 40,000 people entering the same river every festival season competing for the biggest catch. That festival definitely is not going to be sustainable if proactive measures are not taken,” Kangiwa said. To address the looming crisis, the former tourism chief proposed the establishment of a Sustainable Aquatourism Development Sanctuary, involving large-scale fish breeding ponds and conservation systems aimed at restocking the river annually.
He explained that the initiative would help replenish endangered fish species and sustain the festival’s future, while also promoting aquaculture and fisheries development in the region. Kangiwa revealed that discussions have already begun with both the Federal Government and Kebbi State Government on possible partnerships and investment opportunities around fish conservation, river dredging, and aquaculture infrastructure. He also criticized the overdependence on civil servants in festival management, arguing that tourism events should be professionally driven by experts rather than political or local interests.
The former NIHOTOUR DG further lamented the lack of accommodation infrastructure in Argungu, noting that many visitors lodge in neighbouring states such as Sokoto and Birnin Kebbi, thereby limiting the festival’s economic impact on the host community. “You cannot invite tourists if you cannot accommodate them. Government should create an enabling environment for private investors to build hotels and tourism facilities,” he stated. Kangiwa stressed that preserving the festival goes beyond fish catches, emphasizing that the Argungu Fishing Festival remains one of Nigeria’s most important cultural assets and a symbol of peace, unity and heritage.
