Community awareness and participation in Argungu Fishing Festival, Kebbi State, Nigeria
Published online: 17 Apr 2025
Abstract
Purpose - This study aims to evaluate the level of community awareness and participation in the Argungu Fishing Festival in Kebbi State, Nigeria. It seeks to identify key factors influencing local engagement and to propose strategies for strengthening community involvement in order to support heritage preservation and sustainable tourism development.
Methodology/Design/Approach - A cross-sectional survey design was employed, integrating primary data collected through self-administered questionnaires, interviews, and field observations with secondary data from government publications. A total of 440 respondents (community members) were sampled. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 23.
Findings - This study indicate that 95% of community respondents were highly aware of the festival, with strong familiarity reported for its major activities. Furthermore, significant relationships were found between the frequency of participation and socio-demographic factors such as age, sex, education, occupation, and marital status (r = 0.106, p < 0.05). In contrast, monthly income did not significantly influence participation (r = 0.07, p > 0.05). These results suggest that cultural attachment and community identity may outweigh economic factors in driving festival engagement.
Originality/Value - The study underscores the need for targeted promotional strategies to bridge the awareness gap among non-community participants and enhance overall festival participation. By elucidating the socio-cultural dynamics underlying local engagement, this research contributes valuable insights to the field of tourism. It offers practical recommendations for policymakers and stakeholders seeking to develop sustainable tourism initiatives, ensuring that cultural festivals like the Argungu Fishing Festival can effectively promote both heritage preservation and economic development in Nigeria.
Keywords:
community awareness
community participation
Argungu fishing festival
cultural tourism
nigeria
References
Alrwajfah, M. M., Almeida‐García, F., & Cortés‐Macías, R. (2019). Residents’ perceptions and satisfaction toward tourism development: A case study of Petra Region, Jordan. Sustainability, 11(7), 1907. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/su11071907
Agbabiaka, H. I., Omoike, A. A., & Omisore, E. O. (2017). Factors influencing patronage of traditional festivals in Sub‐Saharan Africa. International Journal of Tourism Cities, 3(4), 363–381. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJTC-07-2017-0038 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/IJTC-07-2017-0038
Amalu, T., Oko, U., Igwe, I., Ehugbo, U., Okeh, B., & Duluora, E. (2021). Tourism industry effects on socio‐cultural activities of host communities: Evidence from Cross River State, Nigeria. GeoJournal, 86, 1691–1703. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10708-020-10151-1
Balogun, K. B., & Ajagunna, A. E. (2023). Exploring the influence of demographic factors on perceptions of festival tourism in Ilara‐Mokin, Nigeria: A social exchange analysis. Journal of Tourismology, 9(2), 169–179. DOI: https://doi.org/10.26650/jot.2023.9.2.1297439
Balogun, B. K., & Nkebem, V. (2022). Host community’s perception on the socio‐cultural effects of carnival Calabar festival and tourism development in Calabar City, Nigeria. International Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Studies. https://doi.org/10.31559/IJHTS2021.2.2.6 DOI: https://doi.org/10.31559/IJHTS2021.2.2.6
Bello, A., & Rasheed, S. (2018). Tourism development in Nigeria: Perspectives on the Argungu Fishing Festival. In Proceedings of the 2018 Aarches National Conference (p. 452).
Banki, M. B., Dalil, M., Mohammed, M., & Santali, B. A. (2018). Influence of socio‐demographics of leisure travelers on service experience equity. Anatolia, 29(1), 129–140. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13032917.2017.1405828
Diminyi, C. A., Oba, D. O., Abutu, G. N., Eta, J. N., & Anselem, P. E. (2022). Challenges for developing cultural tourism through local festivals in Igala, Nigeria. African Journal of Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure, 11(4), 1609–1624.
Jimada, A., & Mi, Z. (2020). Impact of cultural festivals on event tourism development in Kwara State, Nigeria. Technology (ICONSEET), 5(3), 21–29.
Joseph, E. U., & Udoh, I. S. (2018). Festivities and the tourism destination attractiveness of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. International Journal of Recent Scientific Research, 9(6), 27314–27319.
Lawal, M. O., Oyediran, O. B., & Chikezie, C. J. (2019). Security needs and tourists’ satisfaction during Argungu fishing festival, Kebbi State, Nigeria. Osun Sociological Review, 5(2), 192–207.
Musa, G., Ali, S. B. M., & Moghavvemi, S. (2016). Understanding Islamic (halal) tourism through Leiper’s tourism. SSRN Electronic Journal. Retrieved from https://www.ssrn.com/abstract=XXXX DOI: https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2813023
Muszyńska, A., & Oladipo, D. (2024). Assessing the contribution of chosen events to the development of the Nigerian tourism industry: A focus on Lagos State. Turystyka Kulturowa, 1(130), 40–64. DOI: https://doi.org/10.62875/tk.v1i130.1464
Nongsiej, P., & Mothilal, L. (2019). Factors that motivate tourists in visiting cultural festivals: A study of Meghalaya region festivals. Turizam, 23(4), 166–177. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5937/turizam23-22766
Olapade, W. (2011, February 23). Who is killing Argungu International Fishing Festival? Nigerian Tribune. Retrieved from http://tribune.com.ng/index.php/tourism/17927-who-is-killing-argungu-international-fishing-festival
Oladeji, S. O., Grace, O., & Ayodeji, A. A. (2022). Community participation in conservation and management of cultural heritage resources in Yoruba ethnic group of South Western Nigeria. SAGE Open, 12(4), 21582440221130987. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440221130987
Olubunmi-Ojo, T., Orimaye, O., & Adejumo, P. (2024). Community involvement in the conservation of cultural resources: A study of Idanre Hills, Idanre, Ondo State. In Proceedings of the 46th Annual Conference of the Forestry Association of Nigeria (pp. 37–46).
Omitola, A. (2017). Tourism and sustainable development in Nigeria: Attractions and limitations of carnivals and festivals. Journal of Sustainable Development in Africa, 1(2), 122–132.
Osuagwu, T. R. (2020). Understanding the role of indigenous festivals in community development: A study of the Awaka community (Nigeria). International Communication Research Journal, 55(2).
Oyeniran, G., Ogunjinmi, A. A., Orimaye, J. O., Azeez, O. K., & Adewumi, A. A. (2023). Awareness, participation and constraints to cultural festivals tourism in Idanre Hills Resort, Nigeria. CULTUR-Revista de Cultura e Turismo, 17(02). DOI: https://doi.org/10.36113/cultur.v17i02.3578
Tichaawa, T. M., & Makoni, L. (2018). Socio‐demographic influences on residents’ perceptions of tourism development in Zimbabwe. Geo Journal of Tourism and Geosites, 22(2), 432–446. DOI: https://doi.org/10.30892/gtg.22213-300
Tilley, S., & Houston, D. (2016). The gender turnaround: Young women now travelling more than young men. Journal of Transport Geography, 54, 349–358. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtrangeo.2016.06.022
Ojo, S., Orimaye, O., Folashade, O., Offia, U., Augustine, S., & Olabode, E. (2024). Community engagement in ecotourism in Nigeria: Challenges and mitigation strategies. In Proceedings of the 6th Annual Conference of the Wildlife Society of Nigeria (pp. 260–267).
License
Copyright (c) 2025 The Author(s). Published by Borneo Novelty Publishing
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Permission is granted subject to the terms of the License under which the work was published. Permission will be required if your reuse is not covered by the terms of the License.
How to Cite
Olubunmi-Ojo, T., Adebayo, W. ., & Orimaye, O. (2025). Community awareness and participation in Argungu Fishing Festival, Kebbi State, Nigeria. Journal of Rural Tourism , 4(2). https://doi.org/10.70310/jrt.2025.04021261
Downloads
Download data is not yet available.
