Festivals
The people of Bauchi State are known for their traditional
wrestling (kokowa) and boxing (dambe) skills which even attract participants
from the neighbouring countries of Niger, Chad and Cameroon.The state also
hosts the Bauchi State Festival of Arts and Culture (BAFEST). This annual event
includes displays of the various traditions of the people of the state,
including traditional dances, music, arts, crafts and fashion design, as well
as inventions and innovations.Other festivals focus on various dances such as
the Kyaro war dance of the Warji ethnic group; the Afizere dance (a traditional
dance of the Jarawa people of the Toro LGA); the Takai dance (popular among the
Hausa-Fulanis); the Ngat-al-Bajar dance (popular among the people of the Dass LGA);
and the Lawurba dance (peculiar to the Sayawa people of the Tafawa Balewa and
Bogoro LGAs).Amanya is a naming ceremony festival that takes place among the
Badawa people in the Zaki LGA. There is also the Yankari Cultural Festival,
which is held annually. The festival, which showcases the rich cultural
heritage of the various tribes in the state, is coordinated by the Yankari
Holiday Resort and Safari.
Lake Efi Fishing Festival
This is a major festival that takes place at Efi Lake. It is
a form of a homecoming for the sons and daughters of the town who use the
occasion as means of giving thanks to the river goddess for a bountiful fish
harvest. The festival, which is usually celebrated every seven years subject to
the pronouncement of the chief priest, involves canoe rides, a boat regatta and
a fishing contest. During the festival, visitors are able to purchase fish of
various sizes caught in the lake and sold at cheap prices.
These are the naturally warm springs located in Yankari
National Park, which flow out from underneath a sheer rock cliff into a wide
rock basin floored with white sand, which varies in depth from one to seven
feet. The water is so pure that it is bottled and sold, and tens of thousands
of gallons flow out every day at a temperature of 75 degrees Celsius.
Yankari Game Reserve
Yankari Game Reserve is a wildlife park located in the
south-central part of Bauchi State, which covers an area of about 2,058 square
kilometres. It was opened in 1991. The park has several natural warm water
springs as well as a wide variety of wildlife such as elephants, baboons,
waterbucks, bushbucks, oribi, crocodile, hippopotamus, roan antelope, buffalo
and various types of monkeys. Lions have been spotted occasionally as well. Its
location in the heartland of the West African savannah makes it a unique place
for tourists and holidaymakers to watch wildlife in its natural habitat. Though
it is open all year round, the best time to visit the park is between November
and May when visitors are likely to see more game as the dense vegetation will
have dried out and the animals congregate around the rivers more frequently.
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