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‘My Culture, my
Identity’ was the theme at this year’s edition of the Centre for Black
and African Arts and Civilization’s Children’s Cultural Festival.

The annual event,
which took place December 9 at the National Theatre in Lagos, saw
scores of school children turn out in their uniforms and in cultural
attires. The students were billed to stage various cultural
performances during the event, and they did not disappoint.

Dignitaries
expected at the event included: Abimbola Fashola, the first Lady of
Lagos State who was to chair the event; Senator Grace Folashade Bent;
and Abubakar Sadiq Muhammed, minister of tourism, culture and national
orientation, among others. All were however, unavoidably absent, and
sent in representatives.

“CBAAC is
statutorily entrusted with the responsibility of promoting,
propagating, and preserving African cultural values,” said Tunde
Babawale, director general of the centre, as he began his welcome
address.

Speaking about
cultural continuity, he stated that children deserve much focus because
they represent continuity and are the link between today, tomorrow, and
the future. It was therefore, appropriate that CBAAC was placing its
focus on children.

According to Mr.
Babawale, “This is being done because of the realisation that the
ideals which CBAAC represents are better inculcated in youth early. Our
interest in children is further strengthened by the fact that children
learn easily, and very fast too.

“It is in
recognition of these that we are investing in children in the belief
that they will assimilate the cultural values we represent, promote,
and propagate,” he added.

Mr. Babawale
decried the pervading influence of Western values upon the nation’s
youth, to the detriment of indigenous languages and cultures.

“Central to our
quest for cultural continuity is the need to restore and promote
interest in cultural values, which are continuously ebbed by the impact
of exposure to Western norms and values,” he stated.

He blamed the tide
of rapid urbanisation and changing economic situations for the
inability of parents and the elderly to impact African cultural values
on their children. He further explained that the theme of this year’s
festival, ‘My Culture, my Identity’, is the organisation’s way of
redirecting children’s attention to the beauty of African culture.

The chairman of
CBAAC governing board, Semiu Adesina Barkinson, echoed similar
sentiments in his speech at the event. According to him, “the
deterioration in our social values informed CBAAC’s decision to
organise this programme which targets younger members of our society.”

“This programme, I
am sure, will encourage children to showcase our rich culture in all
its ramifications,” Mr. Barkinson added.

The children’s
efforts did not go unrewarded as the stage of the main Exhibition Hall
of the National Theatre was arranged with various gift items which the
winning schools and their pupils went home with.

The minister of
tourism, represented by Gambo Doris, director general of the National
Orientation Agency, in his address, lauded CBAAC for the initiative of
the festival. He observed that the festival would make the children
good cultural ambassadors.

“Our continent and
country is richly blessed culturally. We can derive huge economic
benefits from our cultural diversity. These gains are only possible
when we identify with our culture,” he pointed out, underscoring the
benefits of culture to economic growth.

Zachary Madayi,
representing Folasade Bent, brought goodwill messages from the senator
for the children. She advised them to obey and respect their parents,
and also emphasised the importance of indigenous languages.

The consular
general of Ghana High Commission in Nigeria, Sylvester Parker-Allotey,
in his own remarks stated that culture goes beyond dressing. “When we
talk about culture, we see attitudes and ways of life,” he asserted.

He went on to task parents on what he described as the dying reading culture among children.

“Parents, outside of school textbooks, how many of you have bought a
book for your children? We have to address the dearth of reading among
our children in Africa,” Mr. Parker-Allotey said.