EKO NAFEST 2022: Technical Committee Harp on Funding, Teaching of History
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Mr Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, Governor, Lagos State.
The maiden technical committee meeting for the hosting of the National Festival of Arts and Culture, NAFEST-2022, hosted by the Lagos State Government, concluded with a clarion call for sustainable funding for arts and culture programs and the return of teaching of history in schools’ curriculum nationwide.
These were among the issues the technical committee for the Eko 2022 festival harped on at the parley held at Highpoint Events and Lounge, Ikeja, from 25th – 28th July 2022.
The communique urged stakeholders to, among other things, stoke interest of the populace in indigenous culture and improve funding in order to sustain the national cultural programs, provide employment, promote international relationships and enhance national unity.
Furthermore, the communique demanded the reintroduction and teaching of Nigerian History with fine arts in the schools to enable youths to understand and appreciate the Nigerian Brand.
The Chief host of the committee’s micro seminar, Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, represented by the Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mrs Uzamat Akinbile-Yussuf, reminded the committee that the maiden edition was hosted in Lagos in 1977, and it was the foremost cultural event in Nigeria at that time.
Governor Sanwo-Olu pledged that the 2022 edition to be hosted in Lagos state would also be mad an epoch event saying, “we are ready to host a most befitting festival,” he said.
According to the Governor, the festival would kick-start with a seven-day pre-NAFEST event to showcase the rich cultural heritage of all the Local Government Areas in Lagos.
Also speaking at the occasion, the Director-General of the National Council for Arts and Culture, Otunba Olusegun Runsewe appreciated Governor Sanwo-Olu for promoting arts and culture to boost tourism, and described him as a “special breed”.
Runsewe said the National Stakeholders Technical Meeting was an avenue to interact, review and critically appraise plans for the impending event, disclosing that the theme for this year’s edition is “Culture and Peaceful Coexistence”.
He pointed out that the theme was designed to appraise the current security challenges facing the country and also focus on the need for sustainable peace, social harmony and national unity.
“EKO NAFEST 2022 will be one of a kind in the history of Nigeria”, Runsewe said.
Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mrs Oyinade Nathan-Marsh, affirmed that Lagos would justify winning the right to host the event by ensuring that all participants have a memorable experience during the festival.
The Stakeholders have adopted 7th to 13th November 2022, as tentative dates for the EKO NAFEST 2022 to hold in Lagos State.
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