The Committee
- Takes note that Nigeria has nominated Durbar in Kano (No. 01895) for inscription on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity:
In Nigeria, Durbar is a procession of about 10,000 men on horses, and men and women on foot. It takes place during the ninth and twelfth months of the Muslim calendar to mark the Eid el-Fitr and Eid el-Kabir every year. The central figure of the Durbar procession is the Emir and his palace courtiers, officials and bodyguards. There are four processions, each serving a specific purpose and having its own timing and costumes. Each procession begins with gun salutes at one of the three gates to the Emir’s palace and ends with the same gun salutes at a different gate. Much of the knowledge and skills related to Durbar – including leather work, weaving, dyeing, embroidery and blacksmithing – are transmitted through informal training and hands-on practice within groups. Certain skills, such as horse preparation, riding and drumming, are taught on a weekly basis and intermittently. Durbar unites people of all ethnicities, genders and ages, and is an opportunity to showcase the skills and practices of the different tribes of the community. The Emir’s procession passes through the various quarters to acknowledge their contributions to community development. By paying homage to their Emir, the people express their acceptance and support.
- Considers that, from the information included in the file, the nomination satisfies the following criteria for inscription on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity:
R.1: Durbar is a procession involving men on horses, and men and women on foot performing various actions transmitted through generations. The bearer is the Emir of Kano and practitioners include the Durbar Kano Committee, district heads, title holders, Knights Men, Emirs Guards, and many other roles. The entire community partakes in the enactment of the element as the audience. The knowledge and skills related to Durbar are transmitted through informal training and hands-on practice within various groups associated with the element. The element promotes social integration of all ethnic groups in Kano. The procession is also a platform for cultural expressions that cut across different ethnicities, genders and ages.
R.2: The file explains the connection between the element and quality education, food security, health care, gender equality, inclusive economic development, environmental sustainability, and peace and social cohesion. Research, workshops and conferences are held to enrich the body of knowledge associated with the element and promote quality education. In terms of environmental sustainability, the government addresses these aspects by clearing the horse dungs and cleaning up of the city. The people also use the horse dungs for buildings. The community voices featured in the submitted video reinforce these ties.
R.3: There are many safeguarding measures proposed for the protection of the element. A committee was established by the community to facilitate the festival, including providing training for festival managers to address health and safety issues. Workshops are organized between living human treasures and younger members of the public in order to contribute to the transmission of the skills and knowledge of the element. The community also established a Durbar Resource Centre for digitized performances and curated exhibitions on the Durbar in Kano. This centre will host archival records, journals and references for practitioners, researchers and tourists. The State Party provides financial support and a legal framework and organizes capacity building for the Kano community to support the identification, recording and documentation of all the phases of Durbar in Kano. Finally, the use of technology for awareness raising, such as screenings of Durbar performances on national television programmes, and the use of suitable media to reach out to younger generations are planned. The role of the community in the planning and implementation of the safeguarding efforts is well elaborated.
R.4: The nomination process started after the inclusion of the element on the national inventory in October 2020. Thereafter, the community expressed support for the element to be nominated to the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The Emir provided a letter authorizing the Durbar Committee to collaborate with practitioners through physical and hybrid consultative meetings and research and documentation exercises. The officials of the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture and the National Institute for Cultural Orientation provided technical support to the nomination process. The community volunteered written and verbal support and completed the nomination form over the course of an additional twelve working sessions scheduled for the purpose of developing the text and validating the name for the submission. Letters of consent from the Emir and various organizations were submitted to demonstrate the consent to the nomination. Some letters from communities also explain that they were actively safeguarding the element.
R.5: The element is included in the inventory of Nigeria Cultural Resources. The UNESCO Division of the International Cultural Relations Department of the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture of Nigeria is responsible for maintaining and updating the inventory. Information concerning the updating and periodicity of the inventory as well as the participation of communities, groups and individuals concerned in the inventorying process was included in Nigeria’s periodic reports submitted in 2017 and 2023.
- Decides to inscribe Durbar in Kano on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity;
- Commends the State Party for a well-prepared and well-written file.