Olayiwola Matthew
The 61st edition of the Argungu International Fishing Festival kicked off on Saturday at Mata Fada in Argungu, Kebbi State, with the biggest fish caught during the event weighing 59 kilograms.
The Special Adviser on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, disclosed the record in a statement issued on Saturday afternoon, noting the remarkable magnitude of this year’s contest.
“61st Argungu fishing festival, biggest fish caught 59Kg,” Dare said.
The festival, which draws thousands of fishermen, tourists, and cultural enthusiasts from across Nigeria and beyond, saw excitement reach a peak as large numbers of the expected 40,000 participants surged into the river just minutes after noon, even before the formal opening ceremony and the arrival of President Bola Tinubu.
During the fishing competition, “Abubakar Usman from Maiyama Local Government Area emerged overall winner with a 59kg catch.
“Abdullahi Garba from Argungu placed second with a 40kg fish, while third position was jointly claimed by Nasir Garba and another contestant, who each landed a 33kg catch.”
Announcing the results, the Kebbi State Deputy Governor said the overall winner would receive “two Toyota vehicles donated by the Sokoto State Government, bags of WACOT rice and a cash prize of N1 million.
“The second-place winner received a car, a Hajj slot and N1 million, while the joint third-place winners were awarded two motorcycles each and N750,000.”
President Tinubu had earlier arrived in Birnin Kebbi, the state capital, to commission two major infrastructural projects, the newly constructed State Secretariat and the upgraded Central Motor Park, before heading to Argungu to officially inaugurate the festival.
The Argungu Fishing Festival, dating back to 1934, was originally established to mark peace between the Sokoto Caliphate and the Kebbi Kingdom.
Over the decades, it has evolved into a globally recognised cultural spectacle featuring fishing competitions, traditional music, dance, wrestling, arts, crafts, and other festivities.