Argungu Fishing Festival 2026 opens with record 59kg catch as 40,000 participants storm river in Kebbi.
The 61st Argungu International Fishing Festival has opened in spectacular fashion, with a massive 59kg fish setting the pace for this year’s competition in Kebbi State.
Excitement erupted at Mata Fada in Argungu town on Saturday as thousands of fishermen plunged into the river just after noon, moments before the formal ceremony and the arrival of President Bola Tinubu.
The festival’s biggest catch weighed 59 kilograms, according to a statement by presidential spokesman Sunday Dare.
Abubakar Usman from Maiyama Local Government Area clinched the overall prize with the 59kg catch, emerging champion of the 2026 edition.
Abdullahi Garba from Argungu secured second place with a 40kg fish. Third place was jointly claimed by Nasir Garba and another contestant, who each caught 33kg.
Kebbi state’s deputy governor announced generous rewards:
- First prize: Two Toyota vehicles donated by the Sokoto State Government, bags of WACOT rice and ₦1 million
- Second prize: One car, a Hajj slot and ₦1 million
- Third prize (joint): Two motorcycles each and ₦750,000
The competition attracted an estimated 40,000 participants, reaffirming its reputation as one of Africa’s biggest cultural events.
Before heading to Argungu, Tinubu commissioned the newly built State Secretariat and the upgraded Central Motor Park in Birnin Kebbi.
Founded in 1934 to celebrate peace between the Sokoto Caliphate and the Kebbi Kingdom, the Argungu Fishing Festival has grown into a globally recognised spectacle featuring fishing contests, traditional wrestling, music, dance and crafts.
