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The Minister of
Tourism, Culture, and National Orientation, Abubakar Sadiq Mohammed,
left good tidings in his wake when he visited parastatals under his
supervision in Lagos on Thursday, May 13.

“I am happy to note
that we have scheduled June 15 for a stakeholders meeting to make new
inputs into the cultural policy, after which it will return to the
Federal Executive Council,” Mohammed said at the Centre for Black
African Arts and Civilization (CBAAC) headquarters at Broad Street,
Lagos Island.

Mohammed, who had
earlier visited the National Theatre, National Troupe of Nigeria, and
the National Museum, Onikan, added that “The Federal Executive Council
made some observations on the policy and returned it to the Ministry.
This is their second time; it is only wise that we invite stakeholders
again to look at it critically so that we can take care of all other
aspects that were hitherto not taken care of.”

Players in the arts
and culture sector have been clamouring for the adoption of the policy
since the 1990s and the Minister’s disclosure was sweet music to the
ears of those gathered inside the CBAAC conference room.

The Minister
further explained that contrary to people’s thinking, the draft policy
has not been taken to the National Assembly but to the Federal
Executive Council. Mohammed said several interest groups drew his
attention to the policy when he came on board and this explains why
action is being expedited on it.

Thanks, but we want more

Earlier, Shadrach
Gollen, the agency’s director of finance and administration, who stood
in for Tunde Babawale, Chief Executive Officer of CBAAC, had intimated
Mohammed of the body’s activities. He noted that CBAAC had achieved so
much in the last four years. He listed the series of international
conferences and colloquiums the parastatal organised in Trinidad and
Tobago in 2007, Benin Republic in 2008, and Rio De Jainero in 2009 as
examples.

Gollen disclosed
that the agency is planning another international conference in Abuja
to coincide with Nigeria’s 50th Independence Anniversary. He thanked
the ministry for its support to CBAAC, but appealed for more assistance
in overcoming some “constraints”. The director noted that CBAAC lacks
adequate office accommodation and wants support to open more outreach
centres.

Though it has
outreach centres in Abuja, the University of Ibadan, palace of the Ooni
of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, and has approval to open one each in
Lafia and Sokoto, it wants to fulfil its international scope. “We want
centres in Benin Republic and Atlanta, Georgia,” Gollen stated. He
added that CBAAC needs more funding and it will like to be upgraded
from a Grade C body to Grade A “to fulfil its mandate as an
international parastatal.”

He also expressed
hope that “CBAAC will become the cultural arm of the African Union,
like UNESCO is to the United Nations.”

Real professionals

Mohammed commended
CBAAC and noted that it has lived up to its mandate by being a
repository of knowledge for black arts and civilization in his
response. “I could see that you have put in a lot of intellectual
resource to organise the centre and clearly, it means it is manned by
people who are professionals, people who are supposed to be there. You
have done a lot, but you can do more.”

He urged CBAAC to
make sure its impact is felt outside Nigeria because it is not
established for Nigeria alone. “Your impact should go beyond Nigeria,
it should go to Africans, and Africans in Diaspora. Those who
participated in FESTAC should be able to feel your impact after 33
years and therefore, your outreach must go beyond this country alone.”

Mohammed added,
“There is a need for constant feel. The mandate of CBAAC is very lofty.
We need to promote Africa; we need to promote African culture. By that,
our identity will be upheld by people of all races. I expect that you
will develop some framework that will be able to translate this mandate
all over the world. I also expect that you collaborate with other
institutions all over the world to promote these ideals.”

The Minister said his ministry is supportive of efforts to make
CBAAC an arm of the African Union but noted “that will mean you have a
Herculean task because we will expect the activities to be dispensed
across the continent and to Africans in Diaspora. We will continue to
support you on efforts to promote the Black man, either in Africa or
elsewhere.”