Some tourists who arrived in Nigeria for the 2025 Kano Sallah Durbar (traditional horse riding) have expressed disappointment over its cancellation.
The tourists who were lodged in various hotels across the city are said to be over 160 who arrived in the country before the cancellation of the Durbar by the state command of the Nigeria Police Force over security concerns.
At a press briefing in Kano, one of the tourists from the USA, Mr Virgil Taylor, said it took him a year to plan for the trip, only to be disappointed after his arrival in the country on March 28, 2025.
“The Kano Durbar as I understood from my research is the biggest Durbar to visit. I learnt the event was not happening when I got to Kano; I was terribly disappointed because it presented a unique and historic opportunity for me, having spent significantly to experience the horse parade,” he lamented.
Taylor, who is a first-time visitor to Nigeria, appreciated the efforts of the executive secretary of the Kano State History and Culture Bureau, Mr Ahmad Yusuf and Governor Abba Yusuf for helping him and others by visiting some historical places to have some experiences to share back home instead of been held for the entire 10-day trip at their hotel rooms.
While expressing hope of returning in the future to witness the event, he urged both the state and the federal governments to minimise the issuance of security threats which could scare investors away, describing his little experience of the north (Kano) as rewarding.
Similarly, a UK-based Nigerian and Polo agent, Lekan Yushu’a, said his visit and invitation to his friends followed the UNESCO certification of the event in its heritage programme.
Also expressing his disappointment, Yushu’a said he had to immediately notify his polo teams and friends who had shipped their horses earlier to Lagos not to come.
“They have never ridden a horse in a long procession. My target with some friends is to ensure that in the next one year, we put the Kano Durbar procession in the Guinness World Record.”
Kano Durbar has the largest gathering in the world with over 4,000 horses at once in a procession.
According to him, he spent over £6000 on his flight aside other expenditures and has met over 160 foreign tourists who were in the state for the event.
The Polo agent urged the state government to utilise the event and showcase it to the world, noting that it is the only Durbar that stands out in northern Nigeria, urging government at all levels not to disappoint them again.
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