20th March, 2019
The National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC) will continue to preserve and promote Nigerian arts and culture as part of world heritage.
Otunba Olusegun Runsewe, the Director General of NCAC, disclosed this while addressing the media on preparations for the flag off of the 2019 National Festival of Arts and Culture (NAFEST).
The event scheduled to hold from Oct. 19 to Oct. 26, in Edo has its theme as “Our Royalty, Our Pride”.
According to Runsewe, the festival is another avenue to appreciate and respect the Benin ‘Royal Fathers’ because they are the custodians of the culture.
“We cannot effectively do this without an active and sustained engagement with our Royal Fathers who are the custodians of our culture. We must begin tomorrow work in close collaboration with the traditional institution in Nigeria.
“I humbly call on traditional rulers in Nigeria to collaborate with us in the task of reviving our cherished cultural heritage and using our culture as a springboard for driving the process of national development,” he said.
Similarly, Mr Osaze Osemwegie-Ero, the Commissioner for Arts, Culture, Tourism and Diaspora Affairs, Edo, said the state was ready to host the festival.
He said that culture brings unity and collaboration among citizens, adding that cultural diplomacy is the tool to supress insurgency in the country.
As one of the most celebrated destinations for arts and culture, Edo is reputed to be the cultural hub of Nigeria and Africa at large.
The ancient Benin Kingdom has distinctive arts and crafts products as well as rich festivals rendered in songs, poetry, incantations and royal songs.
It has remained a cultural base and reference point of culture all over the world.