Features

Beyond festivities, sustaining ancestral ties

 

By Ibrahim Sheriff A. (Gold)

Ganni Festival is an annual festival that holds in communities of some
North Central States in Nigeria and Benin Republic. In Nigeria, Kwara
and Niger states are prominent for hosting the festival; Kutigi in
Niger State and Gwanara, Kaiama, Okuta, Yashikira and Ilesha Baruba in
Kwara State.
It is also worthy of note that Kishi, a town in Oyo State, which was
founded by Kilishi Yeruma, a man of Baatombu origin also celebrates
Ganni festival, but because of modernisation and cultural diffusion as
a result of Kishi’s geographical location, their annual Ganni festival
is now celebrated as “annual Kishi day”, however, at same period with
those of the Baatombus. In fact, the Iba of Kishi and Kishi cultural
troops performs at the different Ganni festivals of other Baatombu
communities.
While Kutigis of Niger State are Nupe descendants, other communities
of Nigeria prominently synonymous with Ganni festival are of Baatombu
origin, in Baruten Local Government Area of Kwara State, most of which
does not only share geographical boundaries with Benin Republic but
also  incandescent ancestral ties.
A 3-day celebration galore, Ganni is a well known and age-long
festival of the Borgu people. It encapsulates singing, dancing, horse
riding, cultural display, spiritual fortification, trade in
traditional attires and costumes and solidification of the age long
ancestral ties among the Baatombus, who are scattered across Nigeria
and its border.
As a custom, Ganni festival which dated back to over 300 years, is
kicked off in Nikki, a town in Benin Republic, where the Baatombus are
said to originate from and the former headquarters of the Borgu Empire
on the 12th of Rabbiu Awwal; an Islamic lunar calendar month; a day
that commemorates the birth of Prophet Mohammed, while other Emirates
under the empire, majority of which fall in Nigeria follow suite.
The first day of the event is for arrival of guests from far and near,
with a traditional musical performance by Baatombu Star musicians from
within Nigeria or across the border. Gwanara 2019 Ganni for instance
had Kalamoulai, a Benin Republic traditional music start performing
with full Baatombu traditional attires, reflecting his ancestral ties
with his kinsmen, ditto Yashikira Ganni, where a Nigerian born Benin
Republic hip-hop music star, Woru (meaning ‘First born in Batonum) was
invited to perform.
The main events of the festival are held on the second day, oftenly,
Saturday.  Where you see categories of dancing troupes cutting across
age groups and genders dancing “Tete” , “Sensenu” dance steps among
others to their classical “Goon” (drums) and other traditional musical
instruments.
Also featured in the second day are events such as horse riding,
Baradubu, which is a traditional display where every prominent family
lineage of the Baatombu eulogies are appraised, to the amazement of
the descendants of such lineage. Performances from local and
international traditional musicians are also welcomed to entertain
guests at the event.
The third day is majorly for departure, where everyone who came from
far and near are bid ‘see you again’, with the hope of meeting again
at the following year’s Ganni festival.
Beyond the social, economic and spiritual benefits that comes with the
annual Ganni festival of the Baatombus, the festival avail the Borgu
people the opportunity of transborder reunion and integration with
their kinsmen, whom have been separated consequent upon sovereign
geographical demarcations by colonial masters.
Borrowing from the submissions of the Kwara State House of Assembly,
Rt. Hon. Salihu Yakubu Danladi, who is of Baatombu extinction at one
of the Gaani festivals,”Just like the Pategi Regatta of Patigi
emirate, Durbar of Ilorin and Ijakadi of Offa, Gaani festival is one
where the sons and daughters of Baatombu, including those from our
ancestral home, Benin Republic, come together to seek spiritual
fortification and showcase our rich and unique socio-cultural
heritage.
With the sustenance and development of the annual Ganni festival, it
is safe to posit that theirs is a tradition that will never go into
extinction and a tribe that will never be divided regardless of
geographical sovereignty, demarcation or respective choice of
residence of their subjects. They have guaranteed themselves the
assurance of structurally bequeathing their rich valued historical
antecedents and sociocultural heritage to unborn generation,
undistorted.
The 2019 Ganni festival of the Baatombu communities in Kwara state had
the Executive Governor of Kwara state, Alh. AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq,
the Speaker, Kwara state House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Salihu Yakubu
Danladi, the Kwara North Senator, Sadiq Umar, other state legislators
and Kwara state Commissioner designates from Baruten and Moro present.
Going forward, it is hoped that Kwara state and the various
communities with sustained and undistorted sociocultural heritage
would be tapping greater socioeconomic advantage of their cultural
preservation, with the commitment of the Abdulrazaq-led Kwara State
Government to institutionalise culture and tourism, and the resolve of
the 9th Kwara state House of Assembly to ensure increased budgetary
allocation for the sector in a bid to diversify our local economy, as
revealed by the Speaker, Hon. Salihu Yakubu Danladi, recently.
*Sheriff is the Special Assistant on Media to the Speaker, Kwara State
House of Assembly.

Show More

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Back to top button