Culture organisation receives visitors
The Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilization (CBAAC)
is not relenting in its efforts to explore areas of cooperation with
like-minded organisations and individuals around the world in the fulfilment of
its goals.
On Friday, July 16, the management of the Centre hosted some
guests at its headquarters on Broad Street, Marina, Lagos. Deputy Ambassador,
Embassy of Brazil in Nigeria, Jose Mario Ferreira Filho, was the first caller
received by Tunde Babawale, Director General of CBAAC, and management staff of
the body.
Brazil, it will be recalled, recently signed a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) on cooperation in the area of cultural rights, combating
discrimination, and promotion of racial equality with Nigeria. CBAAC is the
parastatal of the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation
responsible for the implementation of the programmes and projects of the
agreement.
Speaking at the occasion, Filho said the Brazilian architecture
he saw in the neighbourhood, also known as Brazilian Quarters, made him
nostalgic. He disclosed that a cultural centre would be part of the Brazilian
Embassy in Abuja when it is completed, and assured CBAAC of the Embassy’s
continuous support.
Responding, Babawale said the body would try its best to assist
in preserving the buildings. He assured that the parastatal doesn’t joke with
Brazil because it is a valued strategic partner. Babawale presented bound
copies of papers presented at the two international conferences on improving
relationships between Africans in the continent and those in the Diaspora, held
in Brazil in 2008 and 2009 to Filho.
He also presented a preliminary programme of CBAAC’s forthcoming
conference, holding in Abuja in September, to the diplomat and disclosed that
CBAAC’s 2011 international conference will hold in Cape Verde, a Lusofone
country like Brazil.
Filho, who while going through some of the publications given to
him, expressed regret at Nigeria’s looted artefacts, especially the original
copy of the Queen Idia mask at the British Museum, was later taken on a grand
tour of the CBAAC complex and its annexe.
Niyi Coker also visited
While Filho was watching the video of FESTAC ’77 at the
parastatal’s audio-visual studio, Babawale attended to playwright, Niyi Coker,
and officials of the Pan African Society for Musical Arts Education (PASMAE).
Coker, a professor of Drama in the Department of Theatre, Dance
and Media Studies, University of Missouri-St. Louis, and author of
‘Preemptive’, a stage play currently touring Nigeria, explained that he was at
CBAAC to explore areas of cooperation. The E. Desmond Lee Endowed Professor of
African/African-American Theatre and Cinema further disclosed that he organises
the Africa World Documentary Festival with his endowment and organises
conferences on Afro-American Studies. He reiterated that he was at CBAAC
because the only country with a body that does what CBAAC does is Barbados.
Babawale expressed CBAAC’s readiness to partner with Coker on
some of his projects. He disclosed that the parastatal has two forthcoming
projects in the US: establishment of an International Centre for Black and
African Studies in Atlanta, Georgia, and an exhibition in partnership with the
Nigerian Embassy in Washington – both of which Coker can buy into.
The Director General, however, suggested that since Coker didn’t
come with a concrete proposal, he should be taken round the centre “to have a
good mental image of what we can do together.”
The two officials of PASMAE, Adeolu Okunade and Josephine
Mokwunyei, came to solicit CBAAC’s support for the association’s West African
sub-regional conference holding in December at the University of Education,
Winneba, Ghana.
Mokwunyei, who teaches Music at the University of Benin,
acknowledged CBAAC’s support for its last conference, and disclosed that
Babawale will be the special guest of honour at the conference holding from
December 7 to 9.
Babawale expressed CBAAC’s readiness to partner with PASMAE, but
disclosed that the parastatal presently has financial challenges because of the
downward review of the national budget.
“We shall do our best because encouraging and supporting causes like yours
is a must, it’s a duty. That’s how Africans can assert themselves. We don’t
have to rely on outsiders. Some people feel we are profligate, but the truth is
that we have a duty to promote African culture,” Babawale stated.
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