Kano Darbur named UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has presented the certificate on the inscription of Kano Durbar on the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity to Nigeria. NAN reports that Kano Durbar is a yearly festival in Kano, Nigeria, celebrating the region’s culture and heritage through a grand horse parade. It is acclaimed to be the largest procession of colourful horses in the world, and it has evolved with the history, culture, and tradition of the people of Kano over time. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Hajo Sani, Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to UNESCO, presented the certificate to Hannatu Musawa, Minister of Arts, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, on Tuesday in Abuja. Ms Sani said the dossier on Kano Durbar was officially considered and approved at the 19th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, comprising 24 states, including Nigeria. According to the Permanent Representative, the dossier on Kano Dubar met all five criteria for an element to be inscribed on the list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. “After its submission in 2023, following rigorous technical works, the dossier on the Kano Durbar satisfied all the criteria based on the evaluation of the Advisory Body of Experts. “In the decision papers wherein the inscription was approved on December 5, 2024, in Paraguay, the Intergovernmental Committee congratulated Nigeria for the outstanding nomination file. “I would like to emphasise that the inscription of the Kano Durbar on the Representative List brings many benefits to Nigeria and the local communities. This calls for greater responsibilities from the government and all stakeholders to maintain the Durbar Festival and keep it sustainable within the scope of its new international status. “It is on record that this inscription has brought the total number of Nigeriacorrectly on the intangible li to eight, and on this note it is important for Nigeria to justify its multicultural status,” she said. While congratulating Nigeria on the feat, Sani said all stakeholders must work assiduously for the nation to secure more inscriptions from UNESCO. She said Nigeria’s rich cultural heritage should earn more items from UNESCO if adequately harnessed. “I hereby make a formal presentation of the original Certificate of Inscription, which was the conclusion of the technical duties and responsibilities of the Nigerian Permanent Delegation to UNESCO, which brought us to this milestone. “Once again, I congratulate you on the excellentievement which occurred during your tenure as the Honourable Minister of Arts, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy,” she said. In her remarks, the culture minister expressed excitement for the achievement, adding that the feat was a product of hard work and commitment from stakeholders. “This indeed is a great day for me, and it is a privilege and honour to have it happening now. I want first to appreciate President Bola Tinub for this, who was elated that we could get this inscription for the Kano Durbar. This is part of what makes us exciting to the world stage, what makes our global expressions quite unique, because we represent every part of the world.

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“In Nigeria, you will find Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and everything that defines a global citizen. Kano Durbar is a part of the tradition, specifically the land use of Northern Nigeria, and it is of enormous value to that region and Nigeria. As a Nigerian, if you travel abroad, and they talk Kano Durbar, no matter where you come from, you can take ownership of it, because it is part of your inherited culture,” the minister said. (NAN)