The Kano State Government, via Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Tajo Usman, has expressed deep concern over the financial impact of the repeated cancellation of the popular Durbar festival tied to Sallah celebrations.

During a modified Hawan Nassarawa homage ceremony at the Emir’s palace grounds on Sunday, Usman revealed that the cancellations have severely dented the state’s annual revenue projections, particularly in the tourism and hospitality sectors. He disclosed that the festival’s economic ripple effect spanning hotel stays, local food sales, cultural performances, and even small-scale trade formed a key part of the state’s budget.

“Tourists, both local and foreign, typically visit during Durbar, stay in hotels, buy local snacks like gurasa, pay for shoe cleaning, and more these seemingly small transactions add up significantly. With the festival off, all that revenue has vanished,” he explained.

Recognising the shortfall, the Kano government is preparing to petition the Federal Government for financial relief to bridge the lost revenue. “We included these revenues in our annual budget. Now that we’ve lost them, we’ll need the Federal Government to step in and cover the gap,” Usman stated.

He also expressed solidarity with traders affected by recent misfortunes in the state, notably phone-accessory vendors at the Farm Centre market, who suffered significant losses following a fire outbreak.

As Kano seeks fiscal recuperation and continues to support disaster-stricken local traders, its emphasis on the Durbar’s economic importance highlights the intertwining of culture and commerce in state development.