…Tasks unemployed to take advantage
The federal government has concluded plans to replace the booming oil industry with Art and Culture even as the former is yet to dry up, urging the unemployed Nigerians to take the advantage of the industry in early enough.
Speaking Tuesday in Abuja at a cultural expo organised by the National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC), Permanent Secretary in the office of Secretary to the Government of Federation (SGF) Habibat Lawal, said there are vast opportunities in the sector to create jobs and sustainable income for the nation and individuals. She urged unemployed young Nigerians to take advantage of the industry.
According to the Permanent Secretary, the yearly event has become a forum where Africans from different backgrounds interact, exchange knowledge and ideas as well as showcase their cultural heritage, creative skills and capacities.
She said: “I want to use this opportunity to call on our youths, especially the unemployed, to take full advantage of the opportunity in the Arts and Crafts industry like leather works, Textile, Fatigue, Pottery, Wood works, Paintings and so on, which are in high demand all over the world and could serve as a source of foreign exchange for our nation.
“As an international exposition which brings together industry players all over the world, I expect this programme to provide the platform for very robust and engaging interaction, as well as exchange of ideas and knowledge that will lead to improvement in product design, finishing, packaging, presentation and marketing.”
In his opening speech, Director General of the NCAC, Otunba Olusegun Runsewe, declared that the day of booming oil will soon be over, asking “oil to go and sleep while culture takes over. We want to use culture to replace oil, that is the business we are networking here.
“Someday and sometime soon, the oil will finish, so the best we should do now is to embrace culture.”
Runsewe revealed that this year’s cultural expo programme will provide opportunity for poor Nigerians to access free healthcare services while about 200 medicated glasses will be given out.
For the deputy governor of Edo State, Philip Shuaibu, who said the next destination for the country is Arts and Culture, Nigeria has to invest heavily on the sector.
According to him, Europe and some other countries are making much money through Arts and Culture.
While suggesting that NCAC should coordinate and ensure that all the States of the federation are carried along, Shuaibu said the country is blessed with potentials, “all it requires is partnership with private sector to achieve this. If we can develop this in all the states, the cases of unemployment will become a thing of the past and Nigeria through tourism will re-unite all African countries.
Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Muhammed, who was represented by his Permanent Secretary said it is the determination of his Ministry to take the Arts and Culture sector to a level that can create employment and generate income for the country.
