BY ANTHONY OCHELA, ABUJA
The 2024 Edition of the National Festival of Arts and Culture (NAFEST) kicked off at the weekend with the Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism, and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, reiterating the commitment of the Federal Government to fostering a conducive environment for the growth of arts and culture in Nigeria as part of a strategic initiative to enhance the development of the country’s creative sector and to enhance its revenue generation capacity.
Speaking on Saturday at the Craft Village, Abuja, while declaring open the 36th Edition of NAFEST organised by the National Council for Arts and Culture(NCAC), with the theme “ Connected Culture”, the Minister was represented by Dr. Shaibu Husseini, the Director General of the National Film and Video Censor Board(Nfvcb).
The Minister noted that Nigeria’s diversity, creativity and resilience stands it in good stead to enhance growth, charging Nigerians to eschew negative divisive tendencies and work together to ensure its potentials work for the good of the people.
The Minister’s novel singsung can be said to flow from the historical perspective of NAFEST which was based strictly on national integration and the understanding of making unity in diversity work for the people in the mold of the National Youth Service Corp(NYSC).
From a historic perspective, NAFEST was initiated in the 1970’s, and is organised annually by NCAC in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation.
The festival came into being in 1970 following the protracted Nigerian civil war which lasted from 1967 to 1970 and its idea was conceived to facilitate the reintegration of the war-torn zones into the nation.
But with the advent of the President Bola Tinubu administration and it prioritising profiting from all national efforts and initiatives, the paradigm shift to economic returns on investments can be described as clinical.
Speaking at this year’s event, the Director General of the NCAC, Obi Asika, said the edition with the theme “Connected Culture,” was apt and promises to be the most dynamic and innovative in its history.
He said the new initiative is designed to broaden the festival’s scope and attract a larger, more diverse audience, including members of the diaspora.
According to the DG, “Nigeria’s culture in its richness is an asset that can be exploited, monetized and made profitable’.
Emphasizing that the festival celebrates national unity and mutual understanding despite the nation’s cultural diversity, Asika said “what binds the Nigerian people is greater that what seems to divide it.”
Described as the DG with a swag, Asika sure knows what he is talking about.
Obi Asika, before his appointment as DG NCAC, was known for his involvement in the growth of Nigeria’s music industry, as the founder and CEO of Storm 360, an indigenous music label.
Storm 360 has spawned a lot of Nigerian entertainers including Naeto C, Ikechukwu, Sasha P, General Pype, L.O.S., Ms Jaie, Tosin Martins, and Yung 6ix.
He is also a founding partner of Dragon Africa, a strategic communications firm based in London, Lagos and Accra, and the chairman of OutSource Media, a leading communications and content production company.
Asika is a prominent figure in laying the infrastructure for the growth and development of the media & entertainment industry in the country.
The opening ceremony of the 9-day events holding November 22-30, 2024, featured a cultural dance parade by representatives of the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT)Abuja.
The dancers were in the beautiful cultural attires that represented their ethnicity and performed dance steps peculiar to their heritage and nativity, showcasing what the NCAC DG says could be molded into a unique universal selling point for the nation.
Writing ahead of the event, the Head of Media of the NCAC, Dr. Dennis Olofu, said NAFEST 2024 will celebrate national unity, mutual understanding, and cultural diversity through various activities that showcases the richness of Nigeria’s cultural heritage.
The Commissioner, Bayelsa State Ministry of Culture and Tourism Development, Dr. Iti Orugbani, speaking on the sidelines of the events, said the state aligns with the renewed concept of the Federal government.
He noted that the state is taking strategic steps to ensure that its plans for development of the industry meets not just the entertainment needs of its environment but also reap from the global creative value chain.
Speaking about the programmes lined up for events that encompasses NAFEST 2024, a member of the Benue State contingent, Saaniyol Akiga, said the new national initiative to ensure its activities get global recognition and patronage is a welcome development.
Akiga, the assistant PRO of the Benue State Council for Arts and Culture, also said the group from Benue State have been known for their creativity which have earned them national and global awards and intend to surpass previous records and win laurels this edition too.
Given the rejigged orientation to the way government intends to re-tune its Art&Culture sector, one hopes that the planned resources, both material and human, projected to be committed to it yields expected results.
