By Faridat Salifu
The 61st Argungu International Fishing and Cultural Festival has been framed as a symbol of Nigeria’s improving security landscape and a platform for reviving rural economies, as President Bola Tinubu used the event to link peace, productivity and development.
Rather than focusing only on cultural celebration, Tinubu presented the festival as evidence that farming and fishing communities are gradually reclaiming public spaces once threatened by insecurity in parts of northern Nigeria.
The four-day festival in Argungu, Kebbi State, drew more than 50,000 fishermen from Nigeria and neighbouring countries, alongside cultural displays, water competitions, traditional boxing and dance performances.
Tinubu said the scale of participation reflected renewed confidence in public safety, crediting investments in security operations, intelligence gathering and community engagement, as well as coordination between federal and state governments.
He said the restoration of security was directly tied to economic recovery, especially for rural communities dependent on agriculture, fishing and local trade.
The president linked Kebbi’s cultural heritage to its economic role, describing the state as a strategic contributor to national food security and rural livelihoods.
He said stronger federal–state collaboration would focus not only on agricultural production but also on tourism development as a driver of local income and employment.
The festival, he said, represents more than tradition, serving as a platform for integrating culture, tourism and agriculture into Nigeria’s broader development strategy.
Earlier in the day, Tinubu commissioned major infrastructure projects in Birnin Kebbi, including the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Secretariat Complex, a modern motor park, a three-lane dual carriageway, the Kauran Gwandu College of Nursing and Midwifery Sciences in Ambursa, and the dualised Old Argungu By-Pass Road.
Kebbi State Governor Nasir Idris said the festival would continue to serve as a tool for cultural preservation, tourism growth and community-based economic empowerment.
He said the state government remains committed to using cultural platforms to drive development, attract investment and strengthen rural livelihoods.
