The ceremony or Sharo festivals are deeply rooted in the traditions of the Fulani people of Northern Nigeria and also of Southern Niger, Sharo is a captivating and distinctive cultural tradition of the Fulani people of Northern Nigeria.
Sharo festivals are held on specific occasions during Muslim calendar holidays, harvest festivals or marriage ceremonies. Sharo is a unique test of virility for young Fulani men. It is a ritual that shows their courage, resilience and ability to endure pain, while celebrating their cultural identity.
What does the Sharo ritual involve?
A central element of the Sharo is the ritual flogging, administered by a flogger using a long, thin stick. This flogger is also whipped at some point during the ceremony.
The young man who flogs does not intend to cause serious damage to the body of the person being flogged, but only pain. At the same time, the persons being whipped are not allowed to show expressions of pain or discomfort, let alone cry, and are expected to maintain a firm and stoic posture.
Sharo serves as a rite of passage for these Fulani youths, and symbolises their readiness to take on the responsibilities of adulthood. It is also practised to express the bravery and endurance of young Fulani boys who are passing into adulthood through brutal whippings. Once they prove their courage in the Sharo, they are ready to choose a wife and be able to marry.
Sharo ceremonies are not without controversy and much opposition. Many see them as savage and cruel practices that endanger the health of young Fulani. In fact, the Nigerian government has officially banned these Sharo practices, although we know that they are still practised in villages far away from government authorities.
As we have seen on many occasions with the Fulani, they are an indomitable people who continue to preserve many of their traditions despite Islam and other external factors. The Fulani people are proud of their festivities and celebrations such as this Sharo celebration.
It is they, the Fulani people, who strongly defend the Sharo, affirming its integral role in their cultural identity as well as instilling essential values such as courage, resilience and self-control, essential to face life’s challenges.
