Kano State has formally demanded financial reparations from the Federal Government following the enforced two-year suspension of its annual Sallah Durbar festival, as its cancellation has reportedly cost the state millions in tourism and ancillary revenues.
Speaking on Sunday during the Emir’s Sallah homage at Government House, Alhaji Tajo Uthman, Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, described the Durbar as an economic linchpin, fueling hotels, transport, artisans, hawkers and food vendors.
“Beyond culture, Durbar has been a crucial economic engine,” Uthman said. “The absence of horseload processions, thousands of spectators and even simple services—like shoe‐shining and street food—has created an unprecedented fiscal shortfall.”
He noted that the state’s annual budget factors in Durbar earnings, leaving a significant gap in the wake of two consecutive cancellations.
The Commissioner called on Abuja to cover this deficit, stressing that “even minor sales of snacks and local crafts inject vital funds into our economy.”
Since 2014, Kano’s police ban on Durbar—initially enacted to quell tensions between Emir Muhammadu Sanusi II and his predecessor—has deprived countless small businesses of festival trade.
Uthman urged federal intervention to compensate Kano’s lost income and ensure the festival can safely resume for both cultural preservation and economic recovery.
