The Kano State Government has demanded financial compensation from the Federal Government over the cancellation of the annual Durbar celebrations for two consecutive years in Kano Emirate, citing heavy economic losses.
The State’s Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Alhaji Tajo Uthman, made the demand on Sunday during the traditional Sallah homage paid by the 16th Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, to the Government House.
Speaking during the event, Uthman said the suspension of the Durbar festival had deprived the state of significant revenue that is usually generated from tourism and associated economic activities.
“Kano State has suffered huge financial losses due to the cancellation of the Durbar. It is more than just a cultural event—it is an economic driver,” Uthman stated. “it is high time we begin demanding reparation from the federal government for the losses incurred over the past two years”
LEADERSHIP reports that the annual Durbar, a colourful display of horsemanship, traditionally draws thousands of spectators, including tourists from within and outside Nigeria. The event is a major source of revenue for hotels, restaurants, transport operators, artisans, and traders.
Uthman stressed that even the smallest transactions during the festival season, such as shoe polishing and street food sales, play an essential role in boosting the local economy.
“When these tourists come, they stay in hotels, enjoy local dishes, watch the Durbar, and when their shoes get dusty, they pay someone to clean them. Some even buy snacks like Gurasa,” he explained. “These seemingly minor activities inject money into the economy. Now that the Durbar has been cancelled two years in a row, all of that revenue is gone.”
The commissioner added that the state had included revenue from the Durbar festivities in its annual budget, and the cancellation had created a financial gap that needed to be addressed.
“We included these revenues in our annual budget. Now that we’ve lost them, we’ll need the Federal Government to step in and cover the gap,” he added.
LEADERSHIP reports that the Kano State Police Command had placed a total ban on Durbar in the State since 2014 over the Kano emirship tussle between Emir Sanusi II and the 15th Emir of Kano, Aminu Ado Bayero, in order to forestall possible breakdown of law and order.
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