Over 160 tourists who were in Kano to witness the Durbar (traditional horse riding) have expressed disappointment over the cancellation of the event.
The disappointed tourists advised the federal government to reduce issuing security advice that are capable of scaring investors from the country.
Speaking at a press briefing in Kano on Thursday, one of the tourists from the United States of America, Mr. Virgil Taylor, said it took him a year to plan for the trip, only to be disappointed after his arrival in Nigeria on March 28, 2025, following the cancellation of the Durbar.
“In particular, the Kano Durbar as I understood from my research was the biggest Durbar to visit. I learnt that the Durbar was not happening when I got to Kano; I was terribly disappointed because it was a significant expense on myself, making all my arrangements.
“The Durbar presented a unique and historic opportunity to me. I was disappointed that I didn’t witness the grand horse parade.”
Mr. Taylor, who is a first time visitor to Nigeria, appreciated the efforts of the Executive Secretary of the Kano State History and Culture Bureau, Mr. Ahmad Yusuf, and Governor Abba Yusuf, for helping them to have some experiences to share back home, instead of been holed up in their hotels.
Despite the disappointment of not witnessing a horse parade, he described the experience of his visit as a blessing, irrespective of his financial outlay, saying that, he would potentially come back, hoping not to be disappointed again.
Similarly a UK-based Nigerian and polo agent, Lekan Yushu’a, said his visit, was based on the UNESCO certification of the event in its heritage programme.
Experiencing his disappointment at the news of the event cancellation, Yushu’a said immediately he notified his polo teams and friends who were supposed to grace the event and had shipped their horses earlier, not to come.
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“They have never ridden a horse in a long procession; my target with some couple of friends was to ensure that in the next one year, we put Kano Durbar procession in the Guinness World Record.
“Kano Durbar has the largest gathering in the world with over 4,000 horses on a go in a procession,” he said..
Yushu’a noted that he spent over 6,000 pounds on his flight, aside other expenditures and had met over 160 foreign tourists who visited for the same event.
He however, urged the state government to utilise the event to showcase it to the world, saying, it is the only Durbar that stands out in northern Nigeria, and urged both the state and federal governments not to disappoint them again.
