“2018 NAFEST in Rivers will be the best culturally packaged event in Nigeria”
He has been variously described as the man with the midas touch. He left the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation, NTDC abruptly, the Agency started wobbling and Nigerian tourism suffered. Today, he is back in the saddle as the director general of the National Council of Arts and Culture, NCAC, suddenly the agency is vibrant again.
In this interview with Franklin Ihejirika at the recently concluded NAFEST in Kaduna, the director-general of the National Council of Arts and Culture, NCAC, Otunba Olusegun Runsewe speaks on the highpoint of the 2017 NAFEST, expectations for 2018 in Rivers State, plans to re-position the art and culture sub-sector using cultural diplomacy to tackle the issue of hate speeches and bringing the country on the path of sustainable growth and development using culture among other issues.
Excerpts
What is your take on the 30th edition of NAFEST in Kaduna especially on the introduction of skill acquisition?
Basically, we have been able to introduce skill acquisition which is the major added advantage to NAFEST. Also in the history of NAFEST, this is the first time we have the next hosting state a year ahead and that is Rivers state. Also before, there used to be controversy on results, people fighting, but this time, we made sure all that is eliminated may be not up to perfection, at least some major sanity to it now. There is a leadership check, for the first time there is no quarrel, nothing, nobody is complaining, no protest. The states that came first, second and third saw that there is some level of seriousness in it.
Also, we have been able to use the festival to unite our people, if not for events like this someone can tell you that. I can go to Kaduna because is not safe, but look, we are all here everything is going well and okay.
To me, with what we have done now, there is room for improvement, we have added value to the event, by next year, we will have enough time. There was not really enough time for us this year, but we still managed to try to give the best. I believe we have been able to do something to make a difference
Where do you want to place Nigerians in all cultural windows using NAFEST and all the cultural windows we have?
The Nigerian people are open to tap into advantages that is by them, long before now, so many things are not getting across to them or close to them, so the Nigerian people want the best and if we get it right culturally the better. Yesterday, I went to the golf course in Kaduna, you know we launched it last week Saturday, look here we just bought 24 pieces of different local materials for the golf setting and people are asking, so is possible, that means, they want somebody to start. The school uniform stuff, unfortunately, we don’t have enough resources, but we want to try something that any school that use Adire, we can even pay part of the sowing, which means the tailors we have with us can help them. Nigerian people definitely want the best culturally, but nobody is championing it, that is the honest truth. So you can see that NAFEST is taking a new shape now. Let me quickly tell you, next year there will be nothing like colloquium, I allowed it because it was my first outing, I don’t want to be seen like you have not tested it. Village square sounds more ideal, even this Calabash thing in more ideal as people have started asking why are we cutting tape. But our own, we put Kola, Garden Egg, everything inside the Calabash and open it during the opening ceremony and people now eat the Kola nuts and Garden Eggs after the opening ceremony, the same goes for the closing. So there is a cultural content in it, if you notice everything am doing is how to empower ordinary Nigerians.
NAFEST has been 30 years and probably there is no DG that has made conscious effort to invite the media. You see on the skill acquisition programme, we have begged the participants because we were not able to present certificates to them because they are 349 people on the free skill acquisition programme. So Nigerian people want it, but the question is who will start it. Some people are even ashamed to see that am wearing tie and dye, I must lead by example. I have so many tie and dye now, even the jackets we used for the event is our material.
Take note, in the next six months, golf in Nigeria will take shape with this Adire, tie and dye i introduced now. For you to buy that trouser and tee shirt for golf, you pay as much as N45000- N750000 because they bring them from abroad just because somebody put Nike on it. I used to have a friend who can’t use anything except Nike is written on it. Is just like being an Arsenal fan, although I have not been a foreign team fan, my teams are still Enugu Rangers and ICC Shooting stars, am proud to say it anywhere.
So the problem has always been how do you start it, who will start it. Do you know that for the first time, the opening and closing ceremony of NAFEST was live on television, even my staff that came from Abuja used to stay in the hostel before, but this time we put all of them in the hotel, even tough we have not gotten most of our allocations, I made sure things are done properly. It may take some little time, but soon you will be amazed what this industry will become. These are some of the issues we need to relate, is something that has to be done aggressively, Please don’t forget, everything we have done here is to give it a pilot approach because NAFEST 2018 in River state is going to be something else.
What do we expect from 2018 NAFEST in Rivers?
The 2018 NAFEST in Rivers state is going to be the best ever culturally packaged event you have ever seen in Nigeria. I am going to introduce components into it. If you see what happened with the children’s programme, their drama performances, believe me you will almost weep for this country, we have all it takes, but the only thing is that we are in a society that you may not be proud to tell people what you are doing, but with all that we have put in place now , things will change.
What can you do to encourage the remaining states who did not participate in Kaduna to participate in future events?
Some of the Governor have watched the live coverage today and they will feel bad that their States did not participate. Before you will ask of what benefit is it for a state to host NAFEST, but the benefits are many. Two months before NAFEST, I came to Kaduna to inspect the venues, this is how is done, you saw NEMA, i brought them, I knew the kind of things we need and i put them in place. Like Lagos state found it difficult to come for this event, but the State has informed me now that they are ready for 2018 NAFEST.
Now we want to be sincere to ourselves to reduce the aspect of Abuja carnival. With a NAFEST, you don’t need Abuja carnival, the problem is that if you are Governor and your director come to you that he want to go to NAFEST, AFCAC, Abuja Carnival, Calabar Carnival, the Governor will ask if is only culture they are doing in the state and all these are done within the end of the year. What we have done now is that we are moving AFCAC, which is no more AFAC but International Arts and Craft Expo, INAC, to the early time of the year, that is one of my strategy. When we do that, we now get a good date for NAFEST. When we went to Calabar recently, the Governor was very upset, he lambasted everybody saying the federal government is competing with the states. If NAFEST is doing well, I can tell you today nobody will talk of any carnival. You can do Calabar Carnival that late time no problem, you can remember that the slogan of NAFEST is uniting the nation culturally. NAFEST in Rivers is going to live up to expectation. I am ready to cancel NAFEST if we don’t get a host on time, that is the implication. Now states will have to bid to host the event. With this, why wouldn’t the states bid, when there is benefit to the states. From next year, am going to change the narrative, we are going to properly package the event. When we are going to inspect the venue for NAFEST, we are going together with the media. If you have watched the children’s programme, you will be shocked on the kind of proverbs coming out of this children’s mouth, even me as an adult have not heard some of them before. So we have to as a matter of urgency go into some of this things quickly . Nobody will regard this sector, we have to rebuild it, am not pretending about this, that is why am saying we need to do it together. For NAFEST 2018 in Rivers State, I have told the officials that we are going to deal with the Governor direct, then he can now bring in the secretary to the state government to stand in for him. Is not this one I will come to Kaduna and be talking to a director, I will not get what I want, the commissioners are going to come into this business now.
Are we looking forward to having the private sector players coming on-board to tap into this cultural goldmine?
If you want to meet the big time players, you must have a brand. If today Tiger Wood comes to Nigeria, you don’t need to do advert, just tell people that Tiger Wood is at the stadium and the whole place will be filled up, he’s a brand. Until now, we didn’t have a brand.
The opening ceremony of NAFEST is spectacular, for the Dubar, what the Emir of Zaria brought was almost unbelievable, with that opening ceremony, so many marketers are now saying look at this man doing this alone without anybody, that is why I said tourism is a non issue till they establish culture. Culture is the palm oil, used in eating good Yam. So if you are sure of the brand you are building, sponsors will come. Let me tell you by next year, sponsors will be jumping on each other to be part of NAFEST, they saw the live coverage of the event, they know what is live coverage of the event. Even some companies have vote for this kind of event, but you have to meet them ahead of time. What I want to do first is to build a brand which I have succeeded in building, by the time the brand is built now, people will be asking questions like, has culture not been there, what is the big deal about culture now. Do you know that most people think that culture is about beating drums and dancing, that is why we have brought in Cuisines, foods, performances, essays, even visited the Governor for the children to able to influence their future.
You cannot begin to spread your chest when you have not been able to build a brand, the cultural brand identity is what is called tourism. If you don’t have a product what do want to market, nothing.
Are you looking at addressing the issue of collaboration with local manufactures like some of your trainees on skill acquisition by creating market for their products?
We have already addressed the issue, that is the whole essence of the N3000 million Bank of Industry Loan, the would be beneficiaries must go and form clusters and from the clusters, they get soft loans to be able to help themselves. We are ready to assist them, but they must be ready to assist themselves.
For the use of local fabrics like Adire and others for school uniform, are you looking at legislation compelling them to adopt that as school uniform?
Compelling them may look too hash for now, that is what I think, but Ogun State government has passed a motion that you wear local fabrics, the Lagos State government has also passed Yoruba Language Bill. They are also using one day of the week to do their legislative proceeding in Yoruba Language. So some states have started keying in based on their understanding. I have told you, our problem is who starts something first, so, we are ready to support these kind of people, but the first thing is that they have gotten the skills, so from there, they move on.
In between NAFEST and AFCAC, there is a long-span of time, what are the activities you will be doing to continue this cultural movement you have set in motion?
We will be involved in anything that will help to promote culture, you don’t need to even invite us. The AFAC and NAFEST are statutory, that will not stop us from our daily cultural activities,we will still continue to build on that
