ABUJA – The National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC) has honoured Governor Babangida Aliyu, Chief Gabriel Igbinedion and five others for their contributions to the growth of the arts and culture sector.
Presenting the awards at the 11th NCAC Honours Lecture/Awards series, Chief Edem Duke, the Minister of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation, said the sector was fast becoming the new frontier for the country’s development.
He said “all over the world, the sector is becoming a preferred sector that has great economic prospect and when fully developed, it can be rated as one of the greatest contributors to national economy.
“Hence, all hands must be on deck to grow the sector into the oil substitute that the country eagerly awaits.’’
Duke said the award was a platform that continued to promote the culture of appreciation and reward for hardwork.
He urged the award recipients to utilise their creativity, talent and expertise to advance the culture industry with a view to meeting the transformation agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan.
The minister said that the NCAC staff award was a motivational mechanism that could result in improved staff productivity and work place integrity.
“I urge the council to not only keep it up, as a form of encouragement for growth, but to expand it further to cover most of the achievers and practitioners in the industry,’’ he said.
Dr Gabriel Igbinedion, the Esama of Benin, urged Nigerians to think of ways to develop culture and groom the next generation of Nigerians to remain formidable apostles of the country’s culture.
He stressed the need to focus on inspiring the youths and to give them opportunity to discover and develop stronger desire for cultural themes and cultivate the right mindsets and attitudes toward learning.
Igbinedion said that the portrayal of ritualism, diabolism in Nigerian movie was erroneous reflection of the Nigerian culture.
“I want to urge producers of such movies to portray our rich culture instead of the negative aspects,’’ he said.
On his part, Governor Babangida Aliyu of Niger decried the loss of cultural values among Nigerian youths and called for a resuscitation of the country’s good cultural values.
Aliyu, who was represented by the state’s Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Mrs. Suzan Gana, said that the country’s cultural values encourage hardwork, hence the need for deliberate effort to promote the sector.
Earlier, Mrs. Dayo Keshi, the Director-General, NCAC, said that the objective of the award was to celebrate Nigerians who had distinguished themselves and contributed to the development of the country’s arts and culture sector.
She said that the platform had recognised many eminent Nigerians for their various contributions to the growth of the sector.
According to Keshi, the NCAC Honours Lecture/Awards is tied to the council staff excellence and productivity award, which aims to encourage and reward members of staff who distinguished themselves in their respective assignments.
Responding on behalf of the recipients, Mr. Adetokunbo Kayode, former Minister of Defence, who was also honoured, said, “the award is a call on us to work harder to develop the sector as a substitute to oil.”
Kayode, who received the NCAC award for outstanding promoter of culture, solicited the creation of culture industries in all the 774 local government areas in the country.
He said the industries should be such that would assist in reducing the rate of unemployment in the country, thereby boosting the nations economy.
Recipients include Sen. Haliru Dantoro, the Emir of Borgu, for promoting Nigerian culture through festivals; Alhaji Adedayo Salami for promoting Nigerian culture through Nollywood.
Mr. Dayo Adedayo also got an award for promoting Nigeria’s culture through photography.
