New Telegraph

Eko NAFEST 2022: Stakeholders pledge commitment to festival

A lot of fireworks are expected at this year’s National Festival of Arts and Culture (NAFEST), tagged Eko NAFEST 2022, to be hosted by the Lagos State government, as arts and culture stakeholders have made a pledge to make the festival, which is the 35th edition, the most colourful, exciting and biggest in its annals.

This is even as the Lagos State government through its Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mrs. Uzamat Akinbile -Yusuf, said it is hosting to win, noting that the festival is coming back home as the state was the first to have hosted the event when it was first staged. These pledges were made during the 53rd National Stakeholders’ Technical Committee Meeting of the 35th edition of the National Festival of Arts and Culture (NAFEST) held between July 25 and 29 in Lagos State, with the Director General of NCAC, Otunba Segun Runsewe, moderating.

The meeting which was jointly hosted by the National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC) was attended by state commissioners of Arts and Culture, chief executives and directors of arts and culture departments and councils as well permanent secretaries in the ministries of tourism, arts and Culture, and staff of NCAC.

A total number of 25 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja were in attendance. Among other issues discussed at the meeting were modalities and strategies for staging the festival, which theme is; Culture and peaceful co-existence, as well as the detailed syllabus for the various events while onsite visit was made to the designated venues for the various events, which included the National Stadium in Surulere. At the end of the session, a communiqué was issued outlining some of the decisions were taken.

Some of the highlights include: That states and stakeholders should continue to mobilise interest to sustain the various national cultural programmes so that government can understand the importance of the sector to national development; That government and the legislature at all levels should as a matter of urgency put proper legislation in place to accord culture its proper place within the framework of national development; That government at all levels should make more budgetary commitment to culture and tourism promotion as a tool for enhancing national unity, improving employment generation and promoting international relationships; The need for more synergy and cooperation between cultural agencies for greater and more sustainable gains was emphasised, with particular reference to CBAAC’s memo concerning the 45th anniversary celebration of FESTAC ’77; Participants called for the reintroduction and teaching of Nigerian History, Fine and Applied Arts in our school curriculum as a means of understanding and appreciating the Nigerian brand, encourage productivity and an all-round development of youths; Participants adopted November 13 and 17, 2022 as the date for Eko NAFEST 2022 in Lagos State; Ratified the investiture of the wife of the governor of Lagos State, Dr. (Mrs.) Ibijoke Sanwo – Olu as Mama NAFEST; and That participants expressed their profound appreciation to the governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu and the entire people of Lagos State for accepting to host the 35th edition of NAFEST and for the technical meeting.

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