This remarkable footage provides a unique glimpse into the Guerewol annual courtship ritual competition among the Wodaabe Fula people of Niger, West Africa.

The stunning clip – filmed in September last year – was recently posted to social media by Croatian travel blogger Kristijan Ilicic for his more than 900,000 followers.

Kristijan, 36, captioned the footage: “A small compilation of the best moments captured at the unique, authentic Gerewol Festival in the Niger desert.

“It is a festival that the Wodaabe tribe organises once a year, each time in a different location, and thus keeps its culture and tradition alive.

“In a way, it’s as if you have momentarily immersed yourself in their world and touched the spirit of these nomads.”

Kristijan, from Zagreb, told Newsflash in an interview how he came to be a travel blogger and visit most of the world’s countries.

He said: “I studied at the University of Applied Sciences, where I earned a master’s degree in computer engineering.

“From an early age I was very interested in computers and at the age of 16 I launched a website that soon became one of the top five most visited sites in Croatia.

“Only four years later I sold my website to one of the leading publishing companies in Croatia, Adria Media Zagreb, where I continued working after the sale as a director of digital development and IT.

“I was responsible for the complete digital strategy of the company.

“Those achievements ensured me a bright future enabling to chase my dreams regarding travelling.

“Since then I have visited more than 160 countries all over the world, with an emphasis on less developed countries that have kept their authenticity and are less touristic.”

Kristijan told Newsflash about the ritual he witnessed and filmed for others to enjoy. He said: “The Guerewol is an annual courtship ritual competition among the Wodaabe Fula people of Niger.

“Young men dressed in elaborate ornamentation and made up in traditional face painting gather in lines to dance and sing, vying for the attention of marriageable young women.

“The Guerewol occurs each year as the traditionally nomadic Wodaabe cattle herders gather at the southern edge of the Sahara before dispersing south on their dry season pastures.”

Kristijan and his brother own the agency Nomadik Travel. He told Newsflash: “Our philosophy is that travel is not just a mere visit to a location, but always a unique experience that, by stimulating all our senses, aims to enrich our lives and expand our horizons.

“In the creation and especially the implementation of our trips, we strive to achieve this goal by conveying to you our travel experiences gained in different parts of the world, always and exclusively first-hand.”

On his favourite places in the world, Kristijan singled out “Venezuela and Afghanistan”.