Bida Bariki Festival

BIDA BARIKI FESTIVA

                             

People without culture they said, are like country without future. Culture as the way of life of people is seen as behaviour and norms of a set of people in a geographical location or society. These includes their foods, dance, art, language, dressing, tribal mark with few to mentions.
Bida is a town in Niger State and equally the head quarter of Nupe kingdoms. Culture is one of the forms that distinguish ethnic groups from each other.
These prompts me to discuss one of the traditions or customs of the Nupe speaking people.

    BARIKI FESTIVAL which normally took place on 5th days of salah celebration, is a horse riding day use to mark the end of salah. The occasion normally commenced a day after salah celebration by the kingmaker ; Shaban Nupe , Waziri Nupe, district heads, village heads and ward heads within Bida Emirate follow by Shaban Nupe and Kpotun Nupe on 3rd and 4th day respectively. Paying homage to his Royal Highness, the Etsu Nupe in his Wadata palace. The process is know as " NKO " ( Salah Homage) .

The festival which normally witnessed by people within and outside Bida Emirate. The horse riding from Wadata Palace to major streets in Bida town, is used to round up the festival. 

It was a memorable experienced for me to have witness the 2017 BARIKI FESTIVAL , and I wish Bida Emirate can collaborate with Ministry of Culture and Tourism to make it an international festival.