October 29, (THEWILL) – The Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the Bayelsa State Governor on Tourism, Mr. Piriye Kiyaramo, has described the indigenous canoe-carving technology of the Ijaws of the Niger Delta region as a symbol of sovereignty, resurgence, and resilience.
Kiyaramo stated this during a visit to the South-South representative on the national board of the Rowing, Canoeing and Sailing Federation, Alabo (Chief) Nengi James in Yenagoa.
He said: “Today, indigenous nations are reclaiming the canoe through canoe-building and paddling their ancestral trails as part of aquatic recreational tourism activities.
“These reclamation efforts are integral to strengthening indigenous peoples’ connection with their ancestral waterways and ways of being, informing that outdoor recreation participants in US spend about $86 billion annually on watersports, such as kayaking, stand-up paddling, rafting, canoeing, and motorised boating”.
The governor’s aide pointed out that canoeing and kayaking are low-impact activities that improve one’s aerobic fitness, strength and flexibility. He also enumerated other health benefits, including improved cardiovascular fitness and increased muscle strength, particularly in the back, arms, shoulders, and chest.
He said, “There is nothing like exercising in the fresh air to make you feel good about yourself. Even if you are just taking part in a gentle paddle, being outside and close to nature can lower your stress levels, help you sleep better and make you a happier person overall”.
He said Governor Douye Diri’s administration is poised to explore indigenous technologies such as canoe carving, sculpture weaving, arts and crafts, among others, to boost the local economy and promote community-based tourism activities.
According to Kiyaramo, popularly known as “Mr Tourism,” the state government has made provisions to accommodate the Yenagoa Boat Club at the Oxbow Lake Pavilion, Swali-Yenagoa, to strengthen outdoor aquatic recreational activities in the state.
In his response, James expressed the federation’s willingness to partner with the state government to revive outdoor aquatic recreational activities through the hosting of competitions at the Oxbow Lake Pavilion.
While commending the state governor for various ongoing infrastructural development projects, James, the second vice president of the Ijaw National Congress (INC), lauded Governor Diri for his visionary leadership.
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