Ajokeonifaari

The Onifaari Series 24: Patigi Regatta, A Beauty in Kwara North.

July 12, 2020June 20, 2021 Ajokeonifaari

The beauty of Patigi Regatta.

Patigi is a town in the Northern part of Kwara State, Nigeria. The town is the headquarters of Patigi Local Government and the Patigi Emirate.

It is inhabited by the Nupe people who also exhibit a linguistic repertoire of the Yoruba dialect. They are farmers, fishers and traders.

On our way to Patigi,  we passed through the following towns:
Agbede
Oke ose
Alalubosa
Okeoyi
Badi
Panada oja
Ita Alade
Iporin
Onikoko
Woru
Lalagi
Kanworo
Wodata
Kakodo
Kunsoniguba
Gbugbu
Ndeji
Maganiko toka
Gede woro
Zambufu (Home of Art and Culture)
Bokungi
Tsaragi
Share
Afara
Woru
Bologi
Lade.

Patigi Regatta River

I left for Patigi from ilorin on the 9th of July 2020 around 5pm in the evening and we  got to Patigi around past 8 at night.

My journey to Patigi Regatta started on a rough patch, I had stomach upset all through the journey but on getting there, I was given a medication by Mrs Alhassan Sardauna and I got relieved.

Canoes at the river bank

I lodged in an hotel in Patigi. A good hotel in Patigi goes for as low as #2,000 naira. Even though there is no electricity in the environment, the standby generator at the hotel didn’t make it noticeable.

On the 10th of July 2020, I paid a visit to Kpata river bank. It is a popular river where the people of Patigi fish.

Fresh fish directly from the River

The river shared a confluence with River Niger and River kaduna. Another interesting thing around the river was the presence of the  Etsu ibrahim Chatta Primary school which shares a name with the well known Yoruba screen King called Ibrahim Chatta.

Shuaib Musa

Also, I met a 6 years old boy named Musa Shuaib who is a well-trained fisher boy and he’s quite good at what he does.

One of the major occupations in Patigi is the sale of mud clay pot, drum, and stove.  The clay pot, drum,  and stoves are exported from a community called Sanchita which takes six hours to get to from the Kpata river bank.

Clay pots, stove,  drum

The fishermen said they prefer going to the river bank in the evening to fish.  They will be on the water from 6/7pm till 10pm before leaving the river bank.

Patigi regatta is a place that has a lot of tourist attractions. It reminds me of my home town (Epe Local Government).

I loved it in Patigi and enjoyed every bit of my time spent there.

 I left for ilorin on the 11thof  july, 2020. The journey was vice versa of what i experienced while going tbere. I saw unique mud huts and a lot of stunning and breathtaking views.

I can’t wait to go back again and enjoy the special experience again.

Thank you for reading my blog post, with love from Sanni Oluwatosin Rodiat (Ajoke onifaari).

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