Ekene Okafor, Ilorin Kwara State
Other ethnic groups in Nigeria need to emulate the people of Ilorin in the way they peacefully coexist despite being a home to seven different ethnic groups.
The ethnic groups are the Yorubas, the Hausas, the Fulanis, the Nupes, the Gwari, the Kanuris, and the Baribas.
The unity in diversity was portrayed at the just concluded Durbar festival where all the ethnic groups came out in their thousands to showcase their cultural heritage and their loyalty to the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari.
The chairman of the Durbar organizing committee and Danmasani of Ilorin, Engr. Suleiman Alapansanpa, who spoke to journalists after the Durbar festival, said this year’s durbar was just a tip of the iceberg of what is to come in the coming years.
“We are seven in number and we are very strong and united.
“Durbar has been there for a long time but was slowly losing its impact, not until the Emir in 2018 rejuvenated it, making this year’s Durbar the eighth edition. Since then, we have been moving from good to better. We are yet to get to where we are going. The Ilorin people are so interested in it because it is our own culture that we showcase”. He opined.
He also explained that the Ilorin Durbar festival is a little bit different from other state’s Durbars because Ilorin during its Durbar celebration showcase their unique ways of life, handwork, food, traditional attire, and their unity in.
“And that is why the Nupes, the Kanuris, the Barubas, the Fulanis, in fact all the ethnic groups and everybody else are very happy during the festival. You can see the loyalty with our Emir. You can see the love from the people is organic, and he loves his people, too. You saw that mighty crowd. You saw at a stage, nobody could control the crowd again because it was huge, and when something is that huge it is a sign that there’s peace, there’s tranquility, there is togetherness, there’s oneness in the kingdom we call the Ilorin Emirate”.
He continues “People came from all over the world, our sons and daughters, the friends of Ilorin, the residents of Ilorin, all important personalities all over the world. About 70 countries registered for their coming, and they all attended. We also had government functionaries that represent their agencies. UNESCO was represented, Nigeria’s Council of Arts and Culture, NTA, the NDA, NCDA, all of them were fully represented”.
Engr. Alapansanpa said this unity in the state has attracted lots of investors and that the state locally made products are being exported and as a result, a lot of industries and direct investment, are all coming into Ilorin leading to growth and development in the state.
When asked what to expect in 2026, Durbar said “‘I want to quote the Emir, His Royal Highness who said, “Danmasani, our project, our Durbar is still at the embryo stage. We will build it, we will continually build it, we will nurture it, we will grow it and send it to the whole world. We have a mission, we have a vision, and that is where we are going”.
‘Durbar’ is a widely recognized word from the Hausa around the 15th century, which is now widely accepted in the whole of Nigeria, particularly in Ilorin the Kwara state capital.
It is celebrated twice or thrice in a year after the Eid-el-Fitr and the Eid-el-Adha celebration.