The annual Kano Durbar festival has been officially inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, according to Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to UNESCO, Dr. Hajio Sani.
Dr. Sani made this announcement while presenting the certificate of inscription to the Minister of Arts, Culture, Tourism, and Creative Economy.
She noted that the listing was approved after the festival successfully met the required criteria set by UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage.
The 19th session of the committee, comprising 24 member states, convened in Asunción, Paraguay, from December 2–7, 2024. It officially evaluated and approved the Kano Durbar nomination dossier, which had been submitted in 2023 after undergoing extensive technical reviews.
According to Dr. Sani, the criteria for inscription include: The element must constitute intangible cultural heritage as defined in Article 2 of the Convention, its inscription should promote visibility, awareness, and appreciation of intangible cultural heritage globally while fostering dialogue and celebrating cultural diversity, adequate safeguarding measures must be in place to protect and promote the element; the nomination must involve the participation and consent of the concerned communities or groups and the element must be included in the national inventory of intangible cultural heritage.
The Kano Durbar satisfied all these criteria, earning praise from UNESCO’s Advisory Body of Experts. The inscription was formally approved on December 5, 2024, during the committee’s session in Paraguay.
Dr. Sani highlighted the significance of the achievement, stating: “The inscription of the Kano Durbar on the Representative List brings numerous benefits to Nigeria and the local communities while placing greater responsibility on the government and stakeholders to preserve and sustain the festival within its new international status.”
She further noted that this development increases Nigeria’s total intangible cultural heritage items on the UNESCO list to eight. At the 18th session in Botswana, two other elements—the Sango Oyo Festival and a multinational inscription on Midwifery knowledge and practices—were also approved.
Dr. Sani emphasized the importance of leveraging Nigeria’s multicultural identity to secure more inscriptions in the future.
She formally presented the original certificate of inscription, marking the conclusion of the technical process and Nigeria’s achievement in preserving and promoting its cultural heritage.
(The Nation)
