Located in north-west geopolitical zone of Nigeria, Kebbi State was created out of the old Sokoto State in 1991 with its headquarter is Birnin Kebbi, an ancient town dating back to the 14th century. The state is divided into four emirate councils (Gwandu, Argungu, Yauri and Zuru) and twenty one local government areas which include Alieru, Arewa, Argungu, Augie, Bagudo, Birnin-Kebbi, Bunza, Dandi Kamba, Danko/Wasagu, Fakai, Gwandu, Jega, Kalgo, Koko-Besse, Maiyama, Ngaski, Sakaba, Shanga, Suru, Yauri and Zuru.

History
Kebbi State is a mainly agricultural state created out of the old Sokoto State on 27 August 1991, by the military government of General Ibrahim Babangida. The former Sokoto State being one of the largest states in terms of land area, was simply too large for easy administration and meaningful development and this called for the new state to be created.

With an estimated population of about 3.1 million, Kebbi State has diverse ethnic groups and the dominant among which are Hausas, Fulanis, Kabawa, Dakarkaris, Kambaris,Gungawa, Dandawa, Zabarmawa, Dukawa, Fakkawa and Bangawa.

These ethnic groups speak diverse languages and dialects, with the Hausa language spoken all over the state. The majority of the people in Kebbi state are Muslims following the 1804 Fulani Jihad.

However, there are minority groups of Christians and traditional worshippers particularly to the south of the state. These ethnic diversities and religious differences notwithstanding, the people of Kebbi live in peace with one another.

Covering a total of 36,800sqkm land area, Kebbi State is bounded by Sokoto State to the north and east, Niger State to the south, and Benin Republic to the west.

ARGUNGU FISHING FESTIVAL

The Argungu Fishing Festival or Argungu Dance Festival is an annual four-day festival in the state of Kebbi, in the north-western part of Northern Nigeria. The region is made up of fertile river areas of (matanfada, mala with much irrigation and orchards (lambu in Hausa). The majority of fishermen are the followers of Islam and also predominantly farmers. Kanta Museum is the main historical centre in Argungu for visitors across the globe. People from around the world travel to Argungu just to witness the occasion. The main purpose of the Argungu fishing festival is for fishing and unity. The festival usually takes 4-days of cultural event.

The festival began in the year 1934, as a mark of the end of the centuries-old hostility between the Sokoto Caliphate and the Kebbi Kingdom. This festival has brought a huge progress to the development of the state as a whole.

It is usually called a Fishing-Frenzy Festival. The festival is celebrated to mark the beginning of fishing season in Argungu, a river-side town in Kebbi State. It is celebrated between February and March every year.

In 2005, the winning fish weighed 75kg, and needed four men to hoist it onto the scales. In 2006 the festival banned fishing due to safety concerns relating to the low water levels. The importance of the festival to the economy has led the government to conserve fish stock by prohibiting use of gill nets and cast nets. The Zauro polder project, an irrigation scheme in the Rima River floodplain to the south of Argungu, has been criticized because the reservoir threatens to flood the traditional site of the festival

UHOLA FESTIVAL

Observed by the Dakarkari people in Nigeria, the Uhola Festival is preceded by a housecleaning period during which the villages, the shrines, and the surrounding hills are cleaned up and put in order. This time is dominated by the drinking of local beer, called m’kya . The Yadato —boys and girls from wealthy families—go into seclusion for a four-week period prior to the Uhola, where they are properly fed and fattened, and encouraged to rest up for the celebration.

On the first day of the festival, the Yadato must dance in front of the chiefs’ palace and present the chiefs with Uhola gifts. The celebration then moves to the village square, where they continue to dance and sing songs satirizing prostitutes, unmarried pregnant girls, irresponsible men—even political figures. The highlight of the second day of the festival is the wrestling contest, which also takes place in the village square. Sometimes the Dakarkari wrestle against other tribes, and the victor in each match receives a prize from the chief. The wrestling, prize giving, and speeches continue for about four more days, until the priest declares that the festival is over.

Only girls who are engaged to be married are allowed to participate in the Uhola. Their future husbands must have completed their golmo —a period of farm labor in lieu of paying for their brides.

KARISHI TRADITIONAL FESTIVAL

The traditional settlements in Karishi are always a delight to behold during visits.

Karishi is located in Sakaba local government area of the state. The settlement is very hilly and the people remain largely very traditional.

The hill-dwelling people rarely come down for anything and their king or ruler is never seen except once within a year during a particular festival.

The settlements are fenced round and watchmen are always on guard to keep the settlements against invaders.

KANTA MUSEUM

Kanta Museum is a museum in Argungu, Nigeria, adjacent to the main market.

Built in 1831, the building was named after Muhammed Kanta, who founded the Kebbi Kingdom in 1515. It was erected by Yakubu Nabame, a former Emir of Kebbi, and served as the Emir’s palace until 1942 when the British built a new administrative palace during the reign of Muhammed Sani. After the building became vacant, on July 1, 1958 it opened as a museum, offering an insight into the turbulent history of Kebbi State.

The museum is divided into eleven compartments and has a notable collection of weapons, consisting of charms, spears, swords, wood, stones, bows and arrows, local guns and even drums on display

ABDULLAHI DAN FODIO

Abdullahi dan Fodio Amir of Gwandu (1819–1828), was a scholar and brother of Usman dan Fodio (1754–1817). Usman, being more of a scholar than politician, delegated the practical regency of the western part of his empire to Abdullahi, who later became the Emir of Gwandu, and the eastern part to his son Muhammed Bello. The title of sultan was passed on to Bello. 1815.

In his writings he claimed that his family are part Fulani, and part Arabs, they are Arabs through Uqba ibn Nafi who was an Arab Muslim of the Umayyad branch of the Quraysh, and hence, a member of the family of the Prophet, Uqba ibn Nafi allegedly married a Fulani woman called Bajjumangbu through which the Torodbe family of Usman dan Fodio descended. Caliph Muhammed Bello writing in his book Infaq al-Mansur claimed descent from Prophet Muhammad through his paternal grandmother’s lineage called Hawwa (mother of Usman dan Fodio), Alhaji Muhammadu Junaidu Wazirin Sokoto, a scholar of Fulani history, restated the claims of Shaykh Abdullahi bin Fodio in respect of the Danfodio family been part Arabs and part Fulani, while Ahmadu Bello in his autobiography written after independence replicated Caliph’s Muhammadu Bello claim of descent from the Arabs through Usman Danfodio’s mother, the historical account indicates that the family of Shehu dan Fodio are partly Arabs and partly Fulani who culturally assimilated with the Hausas and can be described as Hausa-Fulani Arabs. Prior to the beginning of the 1804 Jihad the category Fulani was not important for the Torankawa (Torodbe), their literature reveals the ambivalence they had defining Torodbe-Fulani relationships. They adopted the language of the Fulbe and much ethos while maintaining a separate identity.^[4]The Toronkawa clan at first recruited members from all levels of Sūdānī society, particularly the poorer people.^[5] Toronkawa clerics included people whose origin was Fula, Wolof, Mande, Hausa and Berber. However, they spoke the Fula language, married into Fulbe families, and became the Fulbe scholarly cast

Masa

Masa is a very common meal in most Kebbi homes. It is a major delicacy that majority of people in the community prefer to eat, particularly in the morning before they set out for their daily businesses. The roundly moulded traditional meal otherwise known as Waina is mostly made with rice, wheat or millet. Masa is considered a special delicacy among the people of Kebbi State, hence it is often served at occasions such as marriage events, male child circumcision celebrations, Quranic graduation, thanks giving events, turbaning and child naming ceremonies.