Runsewe to use culture to unite Nigeria

The Director-General of the National Council for Arts and Culture, Otunba Olusegun Runsewe has said that his ultimate goal is to use culture to unite Nigeria and bring about sustainable peace and national development.

Runsewe stated this at the opening of a three-day meeting of the national technical stakeholders’ meeting of the National Festival of Arts and Culture (NAFEST) held in Ado Ekiti, in Ekiti State from August 3 to 5, 2021.

The Governor of Ekiti State, Dr Kayode Fayemi, who was represented by his deputy, Otunba Bisi Egbeyemi expressed excitement that Ekiti State would be hosting 52nd edition of NAFEST later this year.

Fayemi expressed the readiness to host this year’s NAFEST, adding that it’s a good opportunity to showcase the rich cultural heritage of Ekiti State for the world to see and tap into its economic potentials.

The governor noted that any state which failed to see the significant of culture as well as the creative capacity of its people within its developmental plan was bound to face serious social, political and economic crisis in the long run.

He, however hoped that the forthcoming NAFEST would promote national unity, social integration, redirect cultural activities, revenue generation and create windows of investment opportunities for the economic growth of not only Ekiti State but Nigeria in general.

In his opening remarks, the Ekiti State Commissioner for Arts, Culture and Tourism, Professor Rasaki Ojo Bakare said that the essence of the meeting was a reminder to the stakeholders the importance of proper planning towards having successful NAFEST.

According to him, this collective interface among all the principal implementers of the National Festival of Arts and Culture 2021 project has become and will continue to be a major success factor in every successful edition of the NAFEST.

Bakare promised all the stakeholders at the meeting that the forthcoming National Festival of Arts and Culture with the theme “Celebrating Unity in Diversity” scheduled for 13th to 20th November, 2021 promises to be a festival Nigerians would be proud of.

Professor Ojo Bakare reiterated that Ekiti State, which is the home of honour, a home of professors, a home of good food and the most hospitable and peaceful state, harbours people of different ethnic and religious groups all over the country adding that Ekiti state will set a new standard in the hosting of NAFEST.

In his address, The Director-General, National Council for Arts and Culture, Otunba Segun Runsewe, who spoke at the meeting which was attended by over 30 states commissioners of culture and other stakeholders in the culture and tourism sector of the country noted that time, had come for Nigeria stakeholders to change the narratives of culture in Nigeria.

He added that it was time for all hands to be on deck to take good ideas and good culture to other parts of the world.

Runsewe also commended the EKiti State Cultural Troupe for their wonderful performances and promised to give them more exposure to the outside world. He urge the Culture Commissioners and stakeholders to tap into the SWOT analysis and emphasise the good aspect of our country for time has come for the nation to showcase it rich potentialities.

The wife of the Governor of the Ekiti, Erelu Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi, whose presence added colour to the technical stakeholders meeting, was decorated as the Mama NAFEST 2021.

She hailed all the delegates and thanked the NCAC boss, Otunba Runsewe for giving her the award of Mama NAFEST 2021, urging the delegates and stakeholders to feel at home and explore all the good experiences that Ekiti state has to offer and expect more later in year during the NAFEST in November this year.

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