By Mashe Umaru Gwamna
Stakeholders in the arts & culture, tourism sector are brainstorming for a push review of national festival of arts and culture (NAFEST).
The stakeholders made the disclosure at the 1st National stakeholders review conference on NAFEST holding from 5th -8th December 2023, holding in Abuja .
The conference is to entirely change the narratives of the sector and to develop a document that will guide sector and the 36states including Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Speaking at the conference, Director General National Council for Arts and Culture ( NCAC) Otunba Segun Runsewe , said the conference was apt” Seeing that since the inception of NAFEST over35 years it has not been reviewed.
“ The national conference is a good thing, is to provide a strategy on how we can help develop a new narrative for Nigeria, whereby our dependent on oil will be reduced “.According to Runsewe, the arts and culture sector can contribute a large amount of policy money to make Nigeria self reliant.
He said what we are looking for in the sector is skill acquisition, drama stage, e-marketing and practical drama .
“ You see that is why we gathered all states to come, contribute their quota, so that at the end of the conference a communique will be issued”.
Speaking about funding, he said there are some funds available for this sector but “we have not tapped in to it before now.
“ Today we are already taking decisions on how to tap in to them.This sector has a lot of employment opportunities . In this sector you don’t need to be a graduate to be useful to the sector .Speaking on the issue of the new document, He reiterated that, with the renewed hoped agenda, the strategy will be adopted and every one will work with the newly developed strategy.
“Funding is also part of our new strategy and more collaboration with private sector “.
He explained that 1st national conference also gave opportunities to all states and FCT to contribute, observe with kin interest so as to build a long lasting document “.
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