Stakeholders call for more utilisation of CBCIU in promoting Yoruba culture

The state of the main building, housing archival items retrieved from the German Ulli Bier, is enough to tell the recent story of the Centre For Black Culture and International Understanding (CBCIU), Osogbo, the Osun State capital.

The massive edifice which sits well on top of a hill at the southern region of the Osun State Government House has its painting alarmingly fading and the entire compound crying for urgent attention.

After what many would describe as a long lull of activities at the centre, a public lecture was recently delivered by Professor Tunde Babawale of the Department of Political Science, University of Lagos.

The Inisa, Osun State-born Professor Babawale, until his return to the ivory tower, was the Director-General of the Centre For Black and African Arts And Civilisation.

His choice for the lecture was described as a right peg in a right hole. Prince Wale Olayemi, an historian and public affairs analyst said only a few could do justice to the topic of the lecture, ‘Reflections on The Need For The Promotion of Nigeria’s Cultural Heritage’, saying it would amount to disservice to Yoruba culture should the centre be reduced to mere blocks of structures without activities.

The professor of Political Economy and International Relations lived up to the pre-lecture hype as he dominated the rostrum with analytical presentation, which earned him intermittent applause from the attentive audience who occupied every seat in the auditorium that hosted the lecture.

He lamented the state of indigenous languages struggling for survival among English and French languages in particular. The professor called to task parents who have penchant for undermining indigenous, urging them to change their attitude to save the language from extinction.

“One of the signs of a nation that is going under is that her people will begin to jettison core values that make them stand out as a people. The whole world is a market place where different people and nations come to display, sell and profit from those things in which they have comparative advantage of uniqueness over others,” he said.

He acknowledged the rising profile of Nigeria’s entertainment industry as an evidence of the richness of Nigerian culture and its acceptance offshore, pointing out that the sector had translated to more benefits to the stakeholders, especially the actors, scriptwriters, directors, producers and entrepreneurs who market the videos to the final consumers, the viewers.

In spite of what he called noticeable limitations in many Nollywood movies and home videos, he maintained that the sector had emerged as Nigeria’s largest private sector employer of labour.

“It has turned out to be a $500 million movie industry and the world’s second largest cinematic industry after India’s Bollywood with a production of nearly 1,000 movies a year,” he revealed.

The Executive Director of the centre, Professor Siyan Oyeweso smiled, an indication of his sense of fulfillment during the lecture.

In a flowing white agbada that depicted him more of a business man,Oyeweso also spoke on Protecting Our National Heritage, Projecting our National Treasure, assuring that the centre under his leadership would not leave any stone unturned in fulfilling the dream of its founding fathers, one of whom, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola incidentally clocked 67 years on the day of the lecture.

Oyinlola, the immediate past governor of Osun State attended the lecture alongside his wife, Princess Omolara Oyinlola. He used the occasion to refresh the memories of the audience about how the centre came into being and his connection to the acceptance of Professor Bier to release his archive for the use of the centre.

The popular Yoruba panegyrics master, Ajobiewe, thrilled the gathering which included the chairman of Micom Golf Hotel and Resort, Ada, Osun State, Prince Tunde Ponle.

Different cultural troupes also took turns to perform while a stand-up comedian known as Dr Smile also lightened up the space with his rib-cracking jokes.

Other dignitaries who attended the lecture included the Vice-Chancellor of the Osun State University, Osogbo, Professor, Labode Popoola, Professor Micheal Omolewa, Professor Toyin Falola, The Araba of Osogbo, Chief Ifayemi Elebuibon.

On the list of traditional rulers were the Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Jimoh Oyetunji; the Olokuku of Okuku, Oba Abioye Oyebode; the Aragbiji of Iragbiji, Oba AbdulRasheedOlabomi, the Eesa of Iragbiji, Chief MurainaOyelami; Chief JimohBuraimoh among many others.