The National Festival of Arts and Culture, NAFEST Review Conference has stressed the critical role of skill acquisition to empower stakeholders and for the development of arts, culture and tourism industry in Nigeria.
The stakeholders who include the state commissioners, permanent secretaries, directors and other major players in the industry recommended skills acquisition training programme, especially for women, youths and the physically challenged through structured processes of formal education, informal and traditional skill transfer, apprenticeship among others.
In a commuinique issued at the end of the four days stakeholders review conference on NAFEST after 35 years, held at Chida International Hotel, Abuja on Wednesday December 6 and 7th, the conference delegates noted that Nigerian cultural products should be carefully packaged and aggressively promoted through platforms such as digital marketing, creation of galleries and the participation in travel markets, among others
The conference observed that the concentration of the states in the development of one unique product in which they have comparative advantage will enable the states package and market the Iconic product, attract investors, increase internally generated revenue, enhance public, private partnership and reduce unemployment.
The NAFEST review conference recommended that this strategic approach should be vigorously pursued by the states.
The conference also noted that cultural exchange programmes can engender unity in diversity, promote international diplomacy for peace, enhance the cross-fertilization of ideas and promote intemational trade.
In light of this, it was recommended that there should be structured international exchange programmes and synergy between local and international NGOs to facilitate this process.
The pointed out that funding for this could be sourced from government Subventions, self-sponsorship, local and international donor agencies, among others.
The conference also appreciated the efforts of the Director General of National Council for Arts and
Culture for the Proposed training of 370 youths from the 36 States and the FCT in China.
It underscored the importance of cultural markets in the states as a means of employment and wealth creation, preservation of the rich cultural heritage of Nigeria and the establishment of one-stop-shop for cultural products. Therefore, it called for the establishment of cultural markets in the states to be domiciled in Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
The conference identified sources of funding of the culture sector to include government, the private sector, multinational organizations, development partners, donor agencies, charity organizations and lamented that government has never taken a deliberate step to fund the culture sector.
It was, therefore, recommended that these sources of funding should be explored by the states while stakeholders like NATOP, NANTA, RATTAWU, others should work with relevant cultural agencies of government to mount sustained advocacy in order to push for the implementation of the National Endowment Fund for Arts.
To achieve this, the commuinique urged the industry players to work together, and embark on programmes that will not only make them relevant, but indispensable stakeholders in the task of nation building.
Noting that culture provides the content for the development of tourism, the conference stressed that culture and tourism are intricately interwoven and therefore inseparable.
Accordingly, the conference recommended that culture and tourism should remain as one Ministry both at the Federal and State levels to Complement each other and contribute meaningfully to the diversification efforts of government and the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the nation.
The conference observed that leveraging technology and emarketing presents a pivotal opportunity to project the culture sector to higher height. Consequently, it was recommended that the sector should develop marketing mindset, ensure adequate marketing of identified cultural products to attract relevant funding.
The stakeholders stated that identified products should be properly packaged for presentation and sellability at the local and international market place.
Accordingly, states are encouraged to take advantage of e-marketing opportunities offered by ALEPH and CLEVENARD and other relevant social media platforms.
They observed that: ” The National Festival of Arts and Culture (NAFEST), a flagship programme of the National Council for Arts and Culture remains a veritable platform for fostering national unity, peace, mutual understanding and cooperation among Nigerians, irrespective of ethnic group, culture, creed, tribe or tongue. It should, therefore, be sustained and strengthened.
NAFEST should be developed to the status of a festival that needs no introduction and which encompasses all-year-round activities. The festival should target different relevant audience such as Diaspora Community, members of the academic community and the tourism sector, among others”.
The review conference advised that programmes which can boost economic activities in the states should be introduced into the festival in a way that missing the hosting of the festival by a state would amount to missing a lifetime economic opportunity.
The Participants commended the leadership role of Otunba Olusegun Runsewe (OON), the Director General of the National Council for Arts and Culture in the sector and noted that he has brought his wealth of knowledge, dynamism and innovation to bear on galvanizing the sector to greater visibility and development.
The NCAC DG and his management team were specifically appreciated for evolving the First National Stakeholders’ Review Conference on NAFEST after 35 editions to enable stakeholders interact, brainstorm and articulate a blue print for successfully driving the sector.
Participants were encouraged to take the outcomes of the conference seriously by commencing the implementation of these recommendations promptly.
The review Conference reflected on the past 35 editions of the festival with a view to assessing its strength and weaknesses, how it has fulfilled its goals of unifying the nation as well as articulating strategies for improving on its content and form. Including
aligning the festival with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Bola Tinubu’s administration and also enhancing the visibility of the culture sector and reposition it as a key player in the nation’s economy.
