Ganni Festival is an annual festival that holds in some communities of some North Central States in Nigeria and Benin Republic. In Nigeria, Kwara and Niger States are prominent for hosting the festival; Kutigi in Niger state and Gwanara, Kaiama, Okuta, Yashikira and Ilesha Baruba in Kwara state.
It is also worthy of note that Kishi, a town in Oyo state, which was founded by Kilishi Yeruma, a man of Baatombu origin also celebrates Ganni festival, but because of modernization and cultural diffusion as a result of Kishi’s geographical location, their annual Ganni festival is now celebrated as “annual Kishi day”, however, at same period with those of the Baatombus. In fact, the Iba of Kishi and Kishi cultural troops performs at the different Ganni festivals of other Baatombu communities.
While Kutigis of Niger state are Nupe descendants, other communities of Nigeria prominently synonymous with Ganni festival are of Baatombu origin, in Baruten Local Government Area of Kwara State, most of which does not only share geographical boundaries with Benin Republic but also incandescent ancestral ties.
A 3-days celebration galore, Ganni is a well known and age long festival of the Borgu people. It encapsulates singing, dancing, horse riding, cultural display, spiritual fortification, trade in traditional attires and costumes and solidification of the age long ancestral ties among the Baatombus, who are scattered across Nigeria and its border.
As a custom, Ganni festival which dated back to over 300 years, is kicked off in Nikki, a town in Benin Republic, where the Baatombus are said to originate from and the former headquarters of the Borgu Empire on the 12th of Rabbiu Awwal; an Islamic lunar calendar month; a day that commemorates the birth of Prophet Mohammed, while other Emirates under the empire, majority of which fall in Nigeria follow suite.
The first day of the event is for arrival of guests from far and near, with a traditional musical performance by Baatombu Star musicians from within Nigeria or across border. Gwanara 2019 Ganni for instance had Kalamoulai, a Benin Republic traditional music start performing with full Baatombu traditional attires, reflecting his ancestral ties with his kinsmen, ditto Yashikira Ganni, where a Nigerian born Benin Republic hip-hop music star, Woru (meaning ‘First born in Batonum) was invited to perform.
The main events of the festival are held on the second day, oftenly, Saturday. Where you see categories of dancing troupes cutting across age groups and genders dancing “Tete” , “Sensenu” dance steps among others to their classical “Goon” (drums) and other traditional musical instruments.
Also featured in the second day are events such as horse riding, Baradubu, which is a traditional display where every prominent family lineage of the Baatombu eulogies are appraised, to the amazement of the descendants of such lineage. Performances from local and international traditional musicians are also welcomed to entertain guests at the event.
The third day is majorly for departure, where everyone who came from far and near are bid ‘see you again’, with the hope of meeting again at the following year’s Ganni festival.
Beyond the social, economic and spiritual benefits that comes with the annual Ganni festival of the Baatombus, the festival avail the Borgu people the opportunity of transborder reunion and integration with their kinsmen, whom have been separated consequent upon sovereign geographical demarcations by colonial masters.
Borrowing from the submissions of the Kwara state House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Salihu Yakubu Danladi, who is of Baatombu extinction at one of the Gaani festivals, “Just like the Pategi Rhegatta of Patigi emirate, Durbar of Ilorin and Ijakadi of Offa, Gaani festival is one where the sons and daughters of Baatombu, including those from our ancestral home, Benin Republic, come together to seek spiritual fortification and showcase our rich and unique sociocultural heritages”.
With the sustenance and development of the annual Ganni festival, it is safe to posit that theirs is a tradition that will never go into extinction and a tribe that will never be divided regardless of geographical sovereignty, demarcation or respective choice of residence of their subjects. They have guaranteed themselves the assurance of structurally bequeathing their rich valued historical antecedents and sociocultural heritage to unborn generation, undistorted.
The 2019 Ganni festival of the Baatombu communities in Kwara state had the Executive Governor of Kwara state, Alh. AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, the Speaker, Kwara state House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Salihu Yakubu Danladi, the Kwara North Senator, Sadiq Umar, other state legislators and Kwara state Commissioner designates from Baruten and Moro present.
Going forward, it is hoped that Kwara state and the various communities with sustained and undistorted sociocultural heritage would be tapping greater socioeconomic advantage of their cultural preservation, with the commitment of the AbdulRazaq-led Kwara state government to institutionalize culture and tourism, and the resolve of the 9th Kwara state House of Assembly to ensure increased budgetary allocation for the sector in a bid to diversify our local economy, as revealed by the Speaker, Hon. Salihu Yakubu Danladi, recently.
Sheriff is the Special Assistant on Media to the Speaker, Kwara state House of Assembly.