In art and entertainment promoter, Jide Johnson has urged the federal and state governments to immortalise fallen heroes through the arts.
Johnson gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos against the backdrop of recent activities in honour of the Afrobeat music maestro, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti.
He said that the use of art and music to tell African stories would propagate their philosophy and attract foreign investment.
“We can only celebrate ourselves as Africans or as a people.
“We are the ones who can tell the world our own story.
“Art is life, music is life; Nigeria has one of the biggest exports of music in the world today and if not for people like Fela and other maestros, these things wouldn’t have been achieved.
“Fela, being a legend in Africa and for his struggles for the common man, it is just strategic for us to build his philosophy by exploitation of art, music, culture and tourism, all put together,’’ Johnson said.
According to him, many Nigerians erroneously take art as something to just put up in one’s room.
“Art is life and brings alive an experience.
“We are trying to achieve this, knowing that the man (Fela) was a maestro in music and then using the arts to bring this to life.’’
The art and entertainment promoter further advised government to harness the full potential in the industry as something to export to the outside world. (NAN)
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