The Nupe Day Celebration is a

tradition A tradition is a belief or behavior (folk custom) passed down within a group or society with symbolic meaning or special significance with origins in the past. A component of cultural expressions and folklore, common examples include holidays or ...

al and cultural event or celebration observed in

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...

on 26 June. The event is ordinarily celebrated by the

Nupe Nupe may refer to: *Nupe people, of Nigeria *Nupe language, their language *The Bida Emirate, also known as the Nupe Kingdom, their former state *A member of the Kappa Alpha Psi Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. () is a historically African Amer ...

community yearly in the country.

History

The Nupe day event is a traditional and festival celebration, which marks the day when the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

was defeated by a native African army on 26 June 1896, when the British Protectorate in Lokoja approached the

Bida Bida is a Local Government Area in Niger State, Nigeria and a city on the A124 highway which occupies most of the area. The LGA has an area of and a population of 188,181 at the 2006 census. The postal code of the area is 912. The city Bida i ...

military camp at Ogidi of present

Kogi State Kogi State is a state in the North Central region of Nigeria, bordered to the west by the states of Ekiti and Kwara, to the north by the Federal Capital Territory, to the northeast by Nasarawa State, to the northwest by Niger State, to t ...

which brought about the defeat of the British Constabulary and the

Union Jack The Union Jack, or Union Flag, is the ''de facto'' national flag of the United Kingdom. Although no law has been passed making the Union Flag the official national flag of the United Kingdom, it has effectively become such through precedent. ...

was seized by the Nupe cavalry. The annual celebration was the founding idea of the Nupe elders through the tribes, Unlike the Durbar festival and the Pategi Ragatta boating festival which is also among Nupe event and Northern Nigeria traditional event. The festival starts with prayers in both

mosque A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, ...

s and churches, respectively ''Sunday and Friday in the first and last day of the event.'' The

leader Leadership, both as a research area and as a practical skill, encompasses the ability of an individual, group or organization to "lead", influence or guide other individuals, teams, or entire organizations. The word "leadership" often gets vi ...

of the occasion is the

Etsu Nupe The Bida Emirate is a traditional state in Nigeria, a successor to the old Nupe Kingdom, with its headquarters in Bida, Niger State. The head of the state is the Etsu Nupe, considered the leader of the Nupe people. History The old Nupe Kingdo ...

, Etsu

Yahaya Abubakar Yahaya Abubakar rtd Order of the Niger, GCFR is a traditional ruler who was born to the family of Alhaji Abubakar Saganuwa Nakordi Nupe/brother to the 11th Etsu Nupe Late Malam Musa Bello and his mother Hajiya Habiba Bantigi Ndayako daughter of t ...

who is the chairman

Niger State Niger is a state in the North Central region of Nigeria and the largest state in the country. Niger state has three political zones, zone A,B and C. The state's capital is at Minna. Other major cities are Bida, Kontagora and Suleja. It was ...

Traditional council of rulers, the event discuss in the rich cultural

heritage Heritage may refer to: History and society * A heritage asset is a preexisting thing of value today ** Cultural heritage is created by humans ** Natural heritage is not * Heritage language Biology * Heredity, biological inheritance of physica ...

and to prevent the tribe encounter's total extinction. It also includes lectures on topic and issues concerning Nupe's history, background, culture and development. The Nupe festival presents merit awards in agriculture sector to promote

agriculture Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people t ...

in Nupeland.

References

{{reflist Nupe June observances January observances Festivals

History

See also

References