Did I hear you say charity begins at home? You are right! Better still, tourism begins at home. Nigerians have developed a poor sense of recreation, a thick skin at that, that annual leaves are spent doing some other jobs.

Tourism is all about self-marketing! It’s all about self-maximization. Tourist destinations are made. They are created. Look at Dubai. The Palm Tree Island! The 7-star Hotel. Not long ago, Jos, Plateau State was the hub of tourists from all over the world. At some point in time, it was claimed, and truly so, that there were more expatriates in Jos alone than the whole of Lagos State. I would leave the issues of tourism in Jos, Nigeria in general, for another day.

I invite you to join my foray into the world of Daura in Katsina State, North West Nigeria. It is some 15 kilometres from the Niger republic-Nigeria border. The Daura Emirate Council consists of 5 Local Government areas, namely Daura, Mai Adua, Zango, Baure and Sandamu. This may not be news. What may be news however is that the Daura is believed to be the bastion or origin of the Hausa ethnic group.

History has it that Bayajidda once killed a giant dreaded snake in the well at Kusugu. The snake never always allowed people drink water there until Bayajidda killed it and eventually married the Queen of the land, Daurama. His seven sons with her formed the 7 Hausa States of Kano, Daura, Rano, Gobir, Sokoto etc while the 7 children he bore from his earlier wife produced the 7 ‘Banza Bawai’ or ‘Kane Bakwai’, the Nupes, people from Ilorin, the Yorubas etc. They have become playmates since then.

I remember hearing the tale way back in secondary school. Here I was at the well in March 2013. The keeper of the well reeled out the history of the well with proven lyric delivery, pointing at pictures of key stakeholders adorning the walls of the small sized Kusugu Well enclave. He offered me a cup of water, drawn from the well with a ‘guga’. I shuddered, thinking of the snake reportedly killed inside.

‘Are you sure there is still no snake inside?’ I asked the guide, as I took a sip of the water. It tasted better than many ‘sachets of water’ I have drunk in Kano.

‘No!’ he assured me.

Did I hear you say charity begins at home? You are right! Better still, tourism begins at home. Nigerians have developed a poor sense of recreation, a thick skin at that, that annual leaves are spent doing some other jobs.

Tourism is all about self-marketing! It’s all about self-maximization. Tourist destinations are made. They are created. Look at Dubai. The Palm Tree Island! The 7-star Hotel. Not long ago, Jos, Plateau State was the hub of tourists from all over the world. At some point in time, it was claimed, and truly so, that there were more expatriates in Jos alone than the whole of Lagos State. I would leave the issues of tourism in Jos, Nigeria in general, for another day.

I invite you to join my foray into the world of Daura in Katsina State, North West Nigeria. It is some 15 kilometres from the Niger republic-Nigeria border. The Daura Emirate Council consists of 5 Local Government areas, namely Daura, Mai Adua, Zango, Baure and Sandamu. This may not be news. What may be news however is that the Daura is believed to be the bastion or origin of the Hausa ethnic group.

History has it that Bayajidda once killed a giant dreaded snake in the well at Kusugu. The snake never always allowed people drink water there until Bayajidda killed it and eventually married the Queen of the land, Daurama. His seven sons with her formed the 7 Hausa States of Kano, Daura, Rano, Gobir, Sokoto etc while the 7 children he bore from his earlier wife produced the 7 ‘Banza Bawai’ or ‘Kane Bakwai’, the Nupes, people from Ilorin, the Yorubas etc. They have become playmates since then.

I remember hearing the tale way back in secondary school. Here I was at the well in March 2013. The keeper of the well reeled out the history of the well with proven lyric delivery, pointing at pictures of key stakeholders adorning the walls of the small sized Kusugu Well enclave. He offered me a cup of water, drawn from the well with a ‘guga’. I shuddered, thinking of the snake reportedly killed inside.

‘Are you sure there is still no snake inside?’ I asked the guide, as I took a sip of the water. It tasted better than many ‘sachets of water’ I have drunk in Kano.

‘No!’ he assured me.

As we left there, sightseeing the villages around, taking a stroll into Gen. Muhammdu Buhari’s country home and even venturing into the neighbouring Niger republic, with its stern looking Gendarmes, I couldn’t but relish the opportunity to cross swords with history at Daura. Indeed, tourism begins at home!

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Tourism begins at home by Lawrence Wakdet