The Nation Newspaper

Tag: CBAAC

  • Exploring Pan Africanism as tool for good governance

    Exploring Pan Africanism as tool for good governance

    The Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilisation (CBAAC) has held an international conference on Pan Africanism in Kingston, Jamaica. Africans and African Diaspora discussed developments at the event, Assistant Editor (Arts) OZOLUA UHAKHEME reports.

    For two days, scholars and top government functionaries drawn from strategic institutions in Africa and the Caribbean converged on the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus, Kingston, Jamaica to chart a new roadmap to confront the numerous socio-economic and political challenges facing the African continent and the Diaspora using Anthropology, Archaeology, History and Philosophy.

    The ninth international conference with the theme, Toward a New Pan-Africanism: Deploying Anthropology, Archaeology, History and Philosophy in the Service of Africa and the Diaspora was organised by the Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilisation (CBAAC) in partnership with the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus, Kingston, Jamaica, the African Caribbean Institute of Jamaica (ACIJ), the Pan African Strategic and Policy Research Group, (PANAFSTRAG), the High Commission of South Africa in Jamaica and the Nigeria High Commission in Kingston, Jamaica.

    According to a communiqué, participants resolved that African scholars and public intellectuals must deconstruct Eurocentric tendencies and dependencies and develop epistemologies that are reflective of African realities, relevant to Africa and her Diaspora, responsive to the challenges of socio-political, economic and intellectual development of Africa and the Diaspora. The statement said that Pan Africanism is capable of creating enabling environment for viable and sustainable economic growth and development.

    It also recommended that “in encouraging Africans from the Diaspora to visit Africa, CBAAC and similar African organisations should provide a database of interested Diasporan Africans who would like to go to Africa as well as those in Africa who are willing to host brothers and sisters from the Diaspora.

    “The production of films, movies and documentaries on historical figures and experiences from the continent and the Diaspora should be actively pursued. Africans should value one another. This means respecting our past, our ancestry and embracing courageously the challenge of building our future together.

    “We need our scholars to communicate with us, they must be accountable to the African youth, be more approachable/available to engage with the grassroots community. Elitism must be discouraged.

    Provide funding to create a Brain Trust of best minds “experts” and ‘community stakeholders’ who will be able to design the strategic plan for Africa and Diaspora development and implement the solutions needed.”

    The communiqué added that “we must develop a language we can use similar to how the European languages are taught by strengthening the mandate of the African Heritage Project,

    •Create a database of curriculum in a format easy to use by teachers, parents and community members and made available via the internet for free, create a skills database of African intellectuals and professionals in order to identify what they are doing and could be part of Africa’s development agenda,

    •Create partnerships with historical black colleges and university that can become sister universities with African universities, evaluate the role of education and curriculum and tie it into the findings of the needs assessment,

    •Create a comprehensive needs assessment which is adaptable to each country’s needs. This assessment will be the guiding document for the creation of education and training needs for each country and will tie into internships for college students, develop international relationships between CARICOM, African Union and the Americas,

    •Develop youth entrepreneurial programmes to begin to create future business people for Africa, broaden trade opportunities between Africa and the Diaspora, open up travel opportunities and remove visa  restrictions between Africa and the Diaspora and establish African administrative structures on solid intellectual and academic traditions.

    Earlier, Nigeria’s Minister of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation, Chief Edem Duke stressed that Pan-Africanism marked a significant watershed in which people of African descent forge a common front against impediments that delay  African development. He said it represents an attempt by African and its Diaspora at destroying the leviathan and vestiges of slavery, colonisation, racism, neo-colonialism and all negative identity syndrome that have become characteristic of places inhabited by people of African descent.

    “Pan-Africanism played useful and significant role in Africa’s decolonisation process. Lamentably, years after we attained self-rule, we are yet to realise the lofty dreams of the great people that led our agitation and struggle for independence,” he added.

    Duke observed that Africa bears half of the burden of world’s misery and that life expectancy is rapidly declining while infant mortality is on the increase. According to him, at the political level, ‘we are developing and improving on culture of violence. The continent is a hot bed of frightening inter-state confrontations, civil wars and genocide.’

    “On the continent, the culture of accountability and peaceful conflict resolution is gradually paving way for recklessness, impunity and violence. These are, therefore, demands that we retrace our steps by revisiting the ideology that drives the struggle for independence in the first instance. Given the problems on the continent, an international conference that explores other ways of surmounting Africa and Diaspora’s numerous problems is appropriate and timely,” he added.

    He noted that the ‘Pan Africanism ideology is capable, if employed objectively, of providing us avenues for peace-building which can help in promoting democratic governance and respect for human rights. Pan-Africanism can also aid our quest at fostering continental integration and seeking beneficial partnership with the industrialised world.’

    Director-General, CBAAC, Prof Tunde Babawale noted that despite decades of experimentation with different economic policies and programmes, the world’s absolute poor still live on the continent.

    He said except for few, most countries on the continent are caught in the poverty trap, with more than half of the population living below the poverty line and on less than $1 per day.  “Poverty is so severe in Africa that about 22 out of the 25 poorest countries in the World are in Africa.  The problem of poverty has been compounded by needless political crises that often resulted in violent conflicts on the continent,” Babawale said.

    He stressed that the conference was organised to among others, create the desirable space and forum for African and African Diaspora experts, students, scholars and researchers to meet, debate, exchange ideas and present their work particularly the humanistic and social science disciplines of history, the arts, philosophy, anthropology and archaeology. It is also to foster understanding of the relationship between Anthropology, Archaeology, History and Philosophy and identify politics in Africa and the Diaspora;

    * To examine the extent to which Anthropology, Archaeology, History and Philosophy have promoted or hindered development in Africa and the Diaspora;

    *To enhance the understanding of Anthropology, Archaeology, History and Philosophy and how they could be explored and utilised to advance the frontiers of Pan-Africanism.

    Present at the conference include Prime Minister of Jamaica, Her Excellency, Rt. Honourable Portia Simpson-Miller, High Commissioner of Federal Republic of Nigeria to Jamaica, Kingston, Jamaica, His Excellency Ambassador Olatokunboh Kamson, The High Commissioner of the Republic of South Africa to Jamaica and CARICOM, Kingston, Jamaica, Her Excellency Ambassador Mathu Joyini, Prof Augustin Holl, Professor, Université Paris-Ouest Nanterre La Défense, France, Chairman, Nigeria’s House of Representatives Committee on Culture and Tourism, Hon. Ben Nwankwo, The Chairman, Nigeria’s Senate Committee on Culture and Tourism, Senator Ahmed Barata, The Pro-Chancellor & Campus Principal, the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus, Kingston, Professor Archibald McDonald, Chairman, CBAAC Governing Board, Senator Brimmo Yusuf, Vice-Chancellor, the University of the West, Kingston, Prof E. Nigel Harris, The Director General, Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilisation, Prof. Tunde Babawale and The Executive Secretary, PANAFSTRAG International, Gen. Ishola Williams (Rtd.).

  • Roadmap for tourism in Ekiti

    Roadmap for tourism in Ekiti

    How can Ekiti State explore the socio-economic benefits of heritage sites such as Olosunta, Ikogosi warm springs and Ipole Iloro water-falls? The Director-General of CBAAC, Prof Tunde Babawale provided the answer at the last Ekiti Festival of Culture and Art Expo.

    It is a great honour to be invited to deliver a paper on his important subject geared towards finding means of generating capital from our cultural resources; festivals and heritage sites. This revenue drive has become necessary in order to cushion the effects of dwindling earnings from the conventional sources of income; federation accounts and income taxes. Among other unpleasant effects of the diminishing and unstable revenue accruing from these sources and the attendant economic crises are youth unemployment and restiveness. It is against the backdrop of efforts geared towards complementing Ekiti State public sector financing capacity as well as the expansion of the frontiers of employment generation capacity of government and the private sector that this intervention must be seen as a right step in the right direction.

    It is a well established fact attested to by scholars, anthropologists, ethnographers, archeologists and other cultural workers and enthusiasts that when world culture is considered, art and heritage have undoubtedly been Nigeria’s most important assets, for it is through her art and other elements of her cultural endowment that Nigeria’s culture first became internationally recognized and famous. These elements have not only served to show that Nigeria has a cultural heritage that can compare favourably with that of any other country of the world, but dating back several hundreds of years as many of them do, they also reveal vital aspects of her history.

    When we talk of festivals and heritage sites in Ekiti state within this context, we imply those action-packed occasions of celebration of cultural legacies; commemorative monuments and natural endowments in the state. In specific terms, these include festivals such as Udiroko in Ado, Olosunta in Ikere, Egungun and Ijesu (New yam) festivals in most towns in the state, Ogun in Ire, Ladunwo in Okemesi, Okiti agba, Iyo, Okoya and Ina Olua festivals in Ayedun Ekiti, Aeregbe in Afao, Okorobo in Ifaki among others and monuments such as the Adekunle Fajuyi and Funmi Olayinka parks in Ado, Ule Alayegbe: first iron roofed and glass house in Ekiti, built in 1924 and heritage sites such as the ubiquitous rolling hills (Okiti) from which Ekiti derived its collective cognomen, the Ikogosi warm springs, Ipole Iloro waterfalls, Ogun Onire groove, Okuta gbokuta leri in Ado, Gbonyin/Ise Emure forest reserves, among numerous others. All these are capable of attracting visitors and investors to Ekiti as envisioned and pursued by the Ekiti State government to make the state “a most attractive destination for relaxation and holidays by building a heliport, world class hotel and accommodation facilities; developing Efon, Okemesi, Ikogosi, Ipole Iloro tourism corridor…”

    Public–Private Partnership (PPP) is a venture jointly funded and operated by government and the private sector’s companies, institutions and or individuals. It involves a contract between a public sector authority and a private party, in which the private party provides a public service or project and assumes substantial financial, technical and operational risk in the project. PPP confers a number of advantages on governance and administrative processes. Such benefits include:

    •Speedy, efficient and cost effective delivery of projects.

    •Value for money for the taxpayer through optimal risk transfer and risk management.

    •Efficiency from integrating design and construction of public infrastructure with financing, operation and maintenance/upgrading.

    •Creation of added value through synergies between public authorities and the private sector on the one hand and through the integration and cross transfer of public and private sector skills, knowledge and expertise on the other hand.

    •Alleviation of capacity constraints and bottlenecks in the economy through higher productivity of labour and capital resources in the delivery of projects.

    •Competition and greater construction capacity (including the participation of overseas firms, especially in joint ventures and partnering arrangements.)

    •Accountability in the provision and delivery of quality public services through enhanced performance incentive management/regulatory regime.

    •Innovation and diversity in the provision of public services.

    •Effective utilisation of state resources to the benefit of all users of public services.

    •Opportunity for government to effectively prioritise its limited resources and focus on critical infrastructural development.

    These are the benefits that are derivable generally from most Public–Private Partnerships. Despite these advantages, PPP are fraught with challenges. This brings us to the theme of this lecture; Branding and Promotion of Festivals and Heritage Sites through Public-Private Partnership. In other words, how can we market (brand) and encourage (promote) the cultural products of Ekiti State via public private partnership for the benefit of the people?

    In answering this question, it may be more enlightening to take a holistic view and examine the impediments militating against deriving maximum benefits from cultural endowments in Nigeria before the recent interventions as seen in the Argungu festival in Kebbi State, the annual Cross River State’s carnival, Ojude Oba festival in Ogun State, The Osun Osogbo festival in Oshogbo, Eyo and the Black Heritage Festivals in Lagos and the Ekiti State Festival of Culture and Arts, among other initiatives.

     

    Promotion and branding of festivals and heritage sites: Limitations and possibilities

     

    First on my list is the undermining stance of Christianity and Islam. There is no gainsaying the fact that these two imported religions have caused more damage to our traditional arts, culture and religions than can be imagined. “To conquer a people, says Karl Marx, you just have to block the transfer of values, morals and beliefs between generations.” This is exactly what Christianity and Islam have done. On conversion to any of these two religions, one of the things expected of a convert is to renounce his or her link with traditional religions, arts and culture. Some converts even go to the extreme of destroying icons of these traditional religions and what are these icons? Sculptural pieces such as we are presently trying to generate money from. By this practice, many valuable sculptural pieces in wood, stone, ivory etc which could be yielding revenue to the people have been ignorantly destroyed. That more people are presently advocating a return to certain traditional religious and social practices like oath – taking for public office holders in order to curb corruption and bring sanity and accountability to the polity is a testimony to the efficacy of some aspects of our long abandoned heritage.

    Closely related to the above is the double standard of the West. To get Christianity entrenched in Nigeria/Africa, the West disparaged African sculptural pieces as; heathen, fetish and primitive amongst others, this they did to make Africans discard the pieces, but it is amazing that many of these same “heathen” and “fetish” pieces have been stolen by these same Westerners with new “shrines” now built for them in their various museums and homes.

    Another factor militating against public-private partnership for cultural development is complacency, both on the side of successive governments and the people. The spirit of enterprise is at the lowest ebb. Nigerians are a people spoilt by the discovery and exploitation of oil. Nigerians before the discovery of oil were resourceful people. We can still recollect the groundnut pyramids, cocoa dome, rubber, coffee, palm oil, cotton and other agricultural products which provided Nigeria with funds long before the discovery of oil. But all of a sudden, everything disappeared with the discovery of oil, we depended so much on oil that if oil price crashed today in the world market we catch cold and lose our sleep here in Nigeria whereas there are other viable alternative sources of income such as the cultural festivals, the monuments, the natural endowments and others. So how do we exploit this resource?

    There are so many ways of promoting tourism to generate funds. Tourism is a worldwide veritable source of income. There are countries whose main source of income is tourism and some of these countries do not have half of what we have but take for granted in Nigeria.

    Generally, the first condition for a thriving tourism industry is peace, by this I mean the absence of war, violent conflicts, bloodshed etc. And to the best of my knowledge and the glory of God, Ekiti State particularly is peaceful and conducive for the flourishing of tourism. So the first condition is present in Ekiti State.

    The second condition is availability of a good product or products to sell to the world, by this I mean something appealing, of great interest and very attractive. Good enough Ekiti State has a number of world class products in the hills, mountains, vegetation and general topography of the state. The attractiveness of some of these natural endowments is heightened by the fact of their mysterious origin, for example, the Ikogosi warm springs. These endowments can be repackaged through public-private partnership to attract greater national and international interest and patronage. How?

    It is important that relevant agencies of the state government, community associations, traditional institutions and the media should organise and promote cultural festivals and foster cultural expressions at the local level on regular basis. This will go a long way in promoting cultural practices of the people.

    There must be conscious effort at disabusing the minds of the people that entrenchment of cultural practices is not the same thing as paganism. Many people as a result of the preaching of Christianity and Islam are wont to confuse traditional cultural practices with paganism, which is erroneous. It is important to enlighten the populace that indigenous festivals are not heathen practices but celebration of the people’s heritage which are also capable of fetching them some income.

    Closely related to the above is the need to ensure that indigenous cultural practices and languages are taught in schools; primary, secondary and tertiary. This is an investment that will go a long way in preserving traditional cultural practices as many more people will become cultural enthusiasts, activists, patrons and ambassadors from the local to global level.

    As a step towards enhancing public-private partnership, I am also proposing the institution of the element of trust in government. By this, I mean, putting in place structures that the generality of the people could relate to on a sustainable basis. This would require that the government becomes business like by instituting mechanisms for guaranteeing an atmosphere for good returns on investments.

    Also essential is constant engagement between the government and the people for cultural rebirth in Ekiti and environs. Fortunately, some of Nigeria’s best cultural icons are from Ekiti State. They could be constantly engaged in drawing up action plan and modalities for effective partnership. They can also help in repackaging some of the existing traditional festivals to engender public confidence, trust and goodwill.

    Festivals by their nature are loved by people because they are periods of reunion, great merriments, appraisal and renewal of strength. The Eyo festival in Lagos, the Ojude Oba festival in Ijebu Ode, the Oshun Oshogbo Festival and many more, yearly attract corporate sponsors, indigenes, their friends and tourists from all over the world. Future festivals in Ekiti should be publicized to attract indigenes, friends, tourists and possibly corporate sponsors, and should be given incentives to include more exhibitors in different categories. These have the potentials of attracting people to the state. These festivals, like every great venture that must start small, must be sustained to attain the envisioned greatness. This is where the State government, local government, organisations, foundations and public spirited individuals should be contacted to form a partnership around these festivals as being done elsewhere.

    Existing monuments and sites across the state should be given a facelift to meet contemporary standards. A publicity drive should be embarked upon by respective agencies of government part of which may include printing of handbills with briefs about the facilities, which should be distributed far and wide, particularly in primary and secondary schools in Nigeria. This may be done state by state, according to availability of resources, so that the schools can visit and a token as decided charged per school or student. Also the hand bills should be taken to multinational companies to draw the attention of the staff mainly the expatriates to the state.

    Art and culture agencies of the state in collaboration with the respective communities can also feature on local and network Television and radio programmes periodically to enlighten the people not only about the cultural sites and festivals, but also of the new government development plans in this direction. The print media should also be considered. All these will certainly draw attention to Ekiti State. However, the point should be explicitly made that the yearly festivals are not in the service of any deity but a celebration of the artistic sophistication and cultural heritage of the Ekiti people and a means of opening up the locality. This is to make the initiative attractive to Christian and Muslim brothers who may erroneously confuse it with fetishism.

    Also, this scheme should take advantage of global technological breakthroughs in information dissemination such as the internet. It is advised that a website should be created for the state cultural products detailing the history, features and attractions. Internet advert spaces can also be procured to give the initiative the widest reach possible.

    In addition to this, postcards with pictures of selected sites and other cultural items of attraction in Ekiti can be printed as mementoes. These will be available for sale to be sent to loved ones by indigenes and tourists. This will go far and wide to publicise the state and the country.

    As a first step towards realising all these lofty goals, a fundraising dinner should be organised to generate funds for the initiative. This is a call to all stakeholders to come together to pool resources to ensure the realisation of this dream.

     

    Conclusion

    Tourism globally is not an isolated venture that can be pursued just on its own and for its own sake. It is operated as a composite package. We have mentioned peace as a requisite; other necessities for the smooth running of a tourism industry apart from the major attraction include having good restaurants, rest houses, fun spots, hotels and security to ensure the safety of tourists. The tourism industry usually has multiplying benefits for all. Everybody, from the Okada or taxi drivers in the community, to the pure or bottled water sellers, the restaurant owners, hoteliers, artists, farmers etc enjoy increased patronage which will eventually translate to more employment, improved earnings and standard of living for the people in the state.

    I am happy that the popular Ikogosi Warm Springs resort has been given a new lease of life. I am also aware that the budgetary allocation to the sector has improved considerably and a Tourism Development Fund has been instituted. These are signs of commitment to breathing life into the sector. Despite these commendable efforts, more needs to be done to get tourism to the Promised Land. As a stakeholder, I must acknowledge the myriad of challenges we need to face before a robust tourism industry in Ekiti State and even in Nigeria as a whole can be attained. May I seize this opportunity to appeal to the Ekiti State government ably led by Dr Kayode Fayemi, to sustain the tempo of infrastructure development in the state (roads, schools, health centers, electricity, potable water, security etc) to make the lofty dreams possible.

    Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, what I have attempted to do in this paper is not to give a complete, faultless blueprint for the realisation of this lofty dream of realising greater benefits from the public-private partnership, but to set the tone for the cross fertilistion of ideas. Two good heads, it is said, are better than one. There are other areas which I have definitely not mentioned but which are relevant to the realization of this dream. As we forge ahead in our interaction, we will be able to harness and accommodate more good ideas in this direction that could facilitate a total package which we will implement and sell to the world to boost tourism in Ekiti State and Nigeria as a whole.

     

  • Remembering Segun Olusola

    Remembering Segun Olusola

    A public lecture in honour of Chief Segun Olusola who died exactly one year ago will be held at the Freedom Park, Broad Street, Lagos, on the 31st of this month.

    The lecture put in place to commemorate Olusola for his immense contributions to the development of the art in the society is being organised by the Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilisation (CBAAC).

    With the theme as Leveraging on Indigenous African Culture for Development: Legacy of Ambassador Segun Olusola, the idea is to bring to the fore the many cultural and artistic strides achieved by Olusola during his life time.

    In a statement, the Director-General of CBAAC, Professor Tunde Babawale, said the lecture which will be delivered by Dr. Kunle Filani, a former provost of the Federal College of Education, Abeokuta and a seasoned fine artist, “Is to honour a man who was a pioneer in many respects.”

    “Yes, the lecture will include an exhibition of works and times of Olusola both as a writer, a broadcaster, actor, pacesetter and more. The choice of Filani is apt because he is one artist and culture technocrat who did not only follow the works and times of Olusola but also vast in the art terrain in Nigeria.”

    Equally, as part of its outreach programmes to extend the values of culture to other parts of the society, CBAAC will on the 15th of November celebrate Children’s Cultural Festival in Calabar, the Cross River State capital.

    The event, which will take place at the Calabar Cultural Centre, is a collaboration between CBAAC and the Heritage and Culture Department of the governor’s office in Calabar. The theme of the festival is My Root: My Pride and is geared towards rekindling the interest of the youths in the cultural values of the land.

    In it, children from different parts of the state and beyond will participate in the display of various cultural dances, plays, fashion parades and more. The occasion will be chaired by the first lady of the state, Mrs, Obioma Liyel-Imoke, while the trophy to be competed for was donated by Senator Bassey Ewa Henshaw.

    Over the years, CBAAC has been engaged in programmes to make the youths understand why they must keep their culture. Indeed, it is part of their corporate engagement to export culture, not only to other parts of the country but to Africa in general.

    This is why the outing in Calabar is not only imperative but will also help children to go back to their roots and truly fall in love with what is their own both in terms of langauge, dressing, food and dancing.

  • ‘What Fagunwa’s works mean to us’

    ‘What Fagunwa’s works mean to us’

    The issue of encouraging children to fall in love with their mother tongues dominated discussions at the just concluded conference organised to celebrate 50 years of the death of Daniel Olorunfemi Fagunwa. Fagunwa was an author who devoted his entire writing career to the promotion of Yoruba language, literature and culture.

    Part of the discussions as espoused by Professor Tunde Babawale of the Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilisation (CBAAC), which he equally made known to the conferees, was that parents and guardians owe it a duty to ensure that their kids and wards are taught in the local languages right from the moment when they are born. “It has to start from their kindergarten year,” he said.

    This advocacy to stamp the language early enough in the minds of the kids is one of the primary reasons why it is usually said that when they grow up they will neither forget nor depart from it. Babawale said, “If this is done over time, they will develop this habit to be able to read these languages on their own. If they continue to read all these foreign novels, they will not develop that habit. Children who speak their local languages very well, are known to be more proficient in other foreign languages. And they can communicate better. This has been proved to be true over the years,” he said.

    “It is because we have neglected our duty to train the children and show them how and where to go that we are in this mess we are in today. What do they learn from foreign novels? Why have we chosen to expose our kids to everything foreign, values that do not lead them or even we, anywhere?” asked Babawale.

    To him, this state of anomie and the total anarchy besetting our culture today are caused by our inability to do the right things by our kids. “The only way is to depart from this situation,” Babawale further stated, “and go back to the basics. Then make available today the basic books and literary materials to read so that they will begin now to catch up. It is not only for them to read and write but to have the cognate knowledge to face the world and be the best in whatever they do. It is through this way that they can grow up to be better human beings and true citizens of the world.”

    The question of why parents do not take their kids to the villages both for sightseeing and holidays, still form part of the wrong orientation being given to them. The perception that kids become more modern and more civilised only when they go to the cities is also misdirected. In this regard, Babawale, a professor of political economy and a seasoned culture technocrat, said, “You can see that the Soyinkas and Okigbos of this world have been able to impact meaningfully on the world due to their total exposure to the rudiments of their cultures. Because of the background such writers have in their festivals and other celebrations of their people, they have been known to be on top of their game.”

    Generally, it was noted that students perform poorly in most subjects in tertiary institutions due to their disinterest in what is their own. Professor Femi Osofisan, who teaches playwriting at the Obafemi Awolowo University, (O.A.U), Ile-Ife, Osun State, was one of those who was so piqued by the development, having seen many generations of students who never got it right due to this apathy. He said, “it is so annoying that these students come least prepared to face the academic rigours. In the first place, they don’t have the appropriate background to fit into the academic world,” Osofisan bemoaned, shaking his head.

    He went on. “they are not only too lazy to read, they do not also know how to speak either their local languages or the English language. This becomes worrisome because you discover you are teaching people who are deficient in their language of communication. And language, as you know, is the tool for learning. If you do not know it, then of what use are you to yourself and to the academic world?”

    Owing to this, the Ondo State government has decided to make the reading of all D.O. Fagunwa texts compulsory in schools in the state. Governor Olusegun Mimiko said, “this is to enable us bring back the values we have lost. It is not too late to start now. So we will go back to the use of literary materials in our local tongue to help our kids master them. This way and with time, we will make progress.”

  • CBAAC seeks preservation of African history

    CBAAC seeks preservation of African history

    The African Union (AU) recently marked its 50th anniversary in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, during which the Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilisation (CBAAC), sought the preservation of African history.

    Days before President Goodluck  Ebele Jonathan led a delegation to the 50th anniversary of the African Union (AU), the flag of Nigeria had been flying at full mast in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethi`opia, otherwise called the Diplomatic capital of the continent.

    In particular, the ambience of the old Conference Centre of the AU in Bole area of Addis, which had that week been engrossed in celebratory mood, was filled with the spirit of the biggest country on the continent.

    This was through the activities of the Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilisation (CBAAC), which through its collaboration with the Nairobi-Kenya-based Trust African for Rock Art, TARA, had set up a Colloquium on African rock art and Pan African Renaissance to mark the golden anniversary of the AU.

    As it turned out, the colloquium was more or less a saving grace for what could have been a near absence of any major programme by the giant for Africa. Not that other African countries had any special programme set up anyway, save Sudan which staged an exhibition in the foyer of same Old Conference centre, but the Colloquium facilitated by the CBAAC emerged as a major cultural and educational event by Nigeria to mark the AU 50th celebration. It is also remarkable that it was staged in the Old Conference Centre, which was said to have been donated by Nigeria. Curiously however, nowhere in the building it is indicated that it was indeed a gift by Nigeria to the pan-African body.

    The colloquium impressively drew huge and active participation from the Nigeria culture bureaucracy, led by the  Minister for Tourism, Culture and National Orientation, High Chief Edem Duke; and including the Permanent secretary of the Ministry, Ms. Nkechi Ejele; the Federal Director of Culture, Mr George Nkanta Ufot, as well as  one of the Assistant Directors in the Federal Department of Culture, Ms. Grace Gekpe. Also in attendance were heads of culture parastatals including the Director of the National Troupe of Nigeria, Mr. Martin Adaji;  the Director General of the National Commission for Museums and Monuments, NCMM, Mallam Abdallah; the General Manager of National Theatre of Nigeria, Mallam Kabir Yussuf; and with a full complement of the directors of the CBAAC led by its Director General, Prof. Tunde Babawale – the chief host and convener of the discourse.

    With this high-power team, Nigeria could be said to have made a strong presence at the celebration; thus setting a template for what eventually turned out an impactful participation by the country in the golden jubilee as led by the President himself.

    The colloquium drew speakers in experts from institutions around the continent and the Diaspora, among them archaeologists, anthropologists, historians, culture scholars, artists and curators.

    In his introductory paper, which set template for the two-day discourse, the chief convener, Prof Babawale, explained that the project is focused on the reconstruction of Black and African peoples’ history. “African rock art provides glimpses and illumination into African history, culture and indeed civilisation,” he said, adding that, through research and study, the presence of Rock Art Sites has been established across Africa.

    Findings, Babawale said, have “revealed a wide distribution of Rock Paintings in the predominantly rocky areas of East, West, South and Central Africa as well as the Sahara”.

    Stressing the importance of the project, and especially the interest of Nigeria, which drew CBAAC into the partnership with TARA for the current efforts including the colloquium, Babawale said, “Findings revealed extensive distribution of Rock Paintings in the predominantly rocky areas of Nigeria, namely Ikom Local Government area of Cross River State and its environs; different locations in Bauchi State, and Iwo Eleru, in Ondo State. Searches also revealed extensive distribution of unique sets of stone paintings, otherwise known as Monoliths. The drawings which were on stones have been classified as “sophisticated” by scholars, with each carved stone carrying the NSIBIDI writing – a mode of writing credited to the Ejegham peoples, of the Bantu stock who were carriers of the Bantu Civilization, and who claimed to have migrated from the Congo Basin”.

    Nigerian ambassador to Ethiopia and Permanent Representative to the African Union and UNECA, Ambassador P. Lolo, had emphasised the significance of Rock Art to the continent’s quest for civilization. “It is a path to the African Renaissance”, he said, continuing that the colloquium was timely, coming in the in the course of the golden jubilee of the AU. Nigeria, stated the Ambassador, “is proud to champion the cause of reinstating the Rock Art as part of our (Africans) precious heritage.”

    Permanent Secretary of the Tourism and Culture and National Orientation Ministry, Ms Ejele, said that the CBAAC would remain committed to the preservation, documentation, promotion and exhibition of vital historical materials of the continent in line with its mandate of being the custodian of the properties of the second festival of World and Black African Arts and Civilization, FESTAC held in Nigeria in 1977.

    The African Union Commissioner for Social Affairs, Dr. Mustapha Sidiki Kaloko, said that the AU was impressed with Nigeria’s leadership role in the preservation and promotion of Rock Art, and is committed to partnering the country through CBAAC in exploring the social-cultural and economic benefits of resource. The colloquium, he said, has emerged as one of the highly valued events marking the AU’s landmark golden jubilee.

    Kaloko said time was auspicious for Africans to tap into their rich history and cultural heritage in the quest for development of the continent. The sheer spread of the Rock Art around many African countries, enthused Kaloko, is an indication that it could also serve as a source of further integration and unification of the various peoples of the continent.

    According to Kaloko, African youths should be exposed to the rich resources of their forbears through the inclusion of the teaching of the history and heritage in the continent.

    In his mesage to the colloquium which had over 40 experts from well over 30 institutions in attendance, the Deputy Director General of UNESCO, Getachew Engida, also praised the role Nigeria through CBAAC is playing in the preservation of various aspects of African heritage. The leadership role, according to him, is in tandem with the status of the country in the continent; and he pledged further support of the organisation to the efforts of the Nigerian government in ensuring that the educational potential of Rock Art was tapped for the benefit of the people, especially the youths.

    Tourism, Culture and National Orientation Minister, Chief Duke had expressed Nigeria’s deep commitment to exploring and exploiting the inherent properties of the Rock Art to harness its social-cultural and economic benefits to boost tourism potentials of the continent. He said that the Rock Art could help stem rural-urban migration by facilitating creation of jobs and helping to boost the economies of those countries where it is found. While lamenting the lack of deep interest in the study of African histories in many parts of Africa, the Minister urged other African countries on the continent to deeply explore the potentials of the Rock Art. He called for the declaration of a decade for the African History. Duke urged a systematic preservation of Rock Art in such a way that it can be reinterpreted into other discourses about Africa’s contribution to world civilisation.

    The colloquium was boosted with the exhibition of photographs of the various discoveries and sites where the Rock Art could be found around Africa as sourced from TARA, which is the custodian of the images. The impressive collection of images and map of sites mounted in the foyer of the first floor of the Conference Centre was declared open by the African Union Social Affairs Commissioner, Dr. Kaloko, assisted by High Chief Edem Duke.

    In tracing the origin of the African Rock Art project, the CBAAC head, Prof. Babawale had stated that the Rock Art and the Pan–African Renaissance project “began as a mere dialogue between two individuals, Ms. Amolo Ng’weno of Kenya and retired General Ishola Williams of the Pan-African Strategic and Policy Research Group (PANAFSTRAG) in the course of a meeting on an on-going pictorial coverage of some unique rock paintings in East, and Southern Africa, by David Coulson of the Trust for African Rock Art (TARA). The dialogue later metamorphosed into small group discussions which resulted in the revisit of the pre-historic art and artists as well as art works. The desire to further action on the subject informed the broadening of the membership of the discussion group, to include African Agencies, experts and scholars involved in the study of African history and civilization”.

    Babawale continued, “Thus, CBAAC was invited to further engage scholars and experts in the field of Archaeology, Anthropology, Cultural Linguistics, Curatorial and allied services to unearth the intangible heritage information hidden in African Rock Art. The maiden two-day meeting held in Nairobi, Kenya, from May 23 and 24, 2006. It was hosted by the Trust for Rock Art (TARA), a non-governmental agency based in Nairobi, Kenya, in whose custody some of the Rock Art photographs are kept.

    “It was unanimously agreed at the forum that CBAAC should serve as the “arrowhead” of the Pan-African project on the reconstruction of the history of the Black and African people’s. CBAAC and TARA were thereafter, mandated to liaise with scholars in the area of Rock Art studies — Archaeology; Culture Linguistics; Palaeontology, Anthropology, Folklore, and other areas of relevance to Rock Art, in East and Western Africa, in preparation for the Phase II of the project. CBAAC was further mandated to undertake further studies on the presence of Rock Art Sites in West Africa, with particular emphasis on Nigeria”.

    Babawale said the various research  efforts of the CBAAC, which covered areas, such as Geji, Shyra, Marshall Caves and Shadawanka Rock Sites – all in different locations within Bauchi State.

  • Babawale’s day of honour

    Babawale’s day of honour

    Director-General of Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilization (CBAAC), Prof Tunde Babawale has been honoured as distinguished personality of the year by the Lagos State chapter of National Association of Nigerian Theatre Arts Practitioners (NANTAP). He was honoured in Lagos last week at the commemoration of this year’s World Theatre Day held at the Banquet Hall, National Theatre, Iganmu Lagos. Others honoured included Lagos State Commissioner for Tourism and Inter-Governmental Relations, Mr. Disun Holloway, Mrs Ego Boyo, Mr. Dele Morakinyo, and Dr. Sola Fosudo as cultural ambassadors. This year’s celebration has as theme, Sustainable environment on reaction to climate change.

    Chairman of the occasion, Chief Rasheed Gbadamosi disclosed that he would soon return to live theatre as part of his efforts at bringing the crowd back to live theatre in the country. He urged theatre practitioners to do their best in bringing the crowd back to stage, saying that the yearly celebration of the World Theatre Day as a tribute to the pioneers who labored for the sustenance of theatre.

    “The remembrance of today is a tribute to those who labored for theatre. Live theatre is not the same as celluloid where you cut tape. I shall return to play writing when I will take one year of sabbatical at the university. Do all you can to bring the crowd back to live theatre and stage,” he added.

    Prof Babawale who felt overwhelmed by the honour said he is not sure he deserves such appreciation by NANTAP describing it not only as a challenge but also as a vote of confidence.

    He said: “I express my appreciation for this honour, which I am not too sure I deserve. It is not only a challenge, but also a vote of confidence.

    Lending his voice to Gbadamosi’s clarion call, Prof Babawale said it is high time Nigerian artistes went back to live theatre. According to him, Nigerians celebrate galleries that promote films ‘but we have all of these in abundance before now. So, we have lots of ground to cover. And it is high time we went back to live theatre.”

    President of the association, Mr. Gregory Odutayo observed that theatre space and audience in the country are being dismantled thus depriving artistes of the infrastructure to be able to speak for the people. He urged government and private sector to embrace theatre going culture noting that theatre lacks the support of the corporate sector.

    “Government must as a matter of urgency look to the establishment of cottage theatres in at least every local government of Nigeria. We must bring theatre and the allied arts to the people. This is a no brainer in the creation of massive employment for the vast theatre graduates that are churned out every year from our numerous universities. It is the only way to bring massive development to the sector and generate employment for the youths of our country,” he said.

    Chairman, Lagos chapter of NANTAP, Ms Eki Faith Eboigbe said the celebration of the World Theatre Day is a platform to project policy directions for the Nigerian art and culture sector. “As we recognize the contributions of culture to the development of nations, we recognize the salient role of NANTAP, as the moral conscience of the society,” she added.

    The occasion which also witnessed the investiture of Prof. Duro Oni, Alhaji SHamsudeen Olaleye, Sina Elegbede, OLukunle Sotade as patrons of the art was not all about speeches as there were drama performances by Footprints and House of Dance. Other certified thespians included Steve Ogundele, Olu Adeniregun, Edmund Enaibe, Francis Onuochie, Hassan Adesina, Kayode Odumosu, Zik Zulu Okafor, Abiodun Aleja, Seyi Fasuyi and Sola Onaiyiga.

  • CBAAC DG stresses need for Nigerian history

    IF Nigerian youths must be prepared for the challenges of the present and the future, the study of History and culture must be made compulsory at all levels of the education system, says Prof Tunde Babawale.

    Babawale, who is the Director-General, Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilisation (CBAAC), spoke at a seminar organised by the Lagos First Generation Colleges Association (LAFGECA) which was held at King’s College, Lagos, last Tuesday. In his lecture entitled: History, youths and Nigeria’s transformation, Babawale said the importance of history cannot be underestimated in the nation’s development.

    “History and culture are the basis of development; we can’t develop without history. The nature of youths is such that they can only be successfully weaned on the nutritious diet of history. A society that ignores history is like a river that ignores its source, it will dry up,” he said.

    He lamented the removal of the subject from the curriculum and appealed to authorities involved to ensure its re-inclusion.

    He said: “We have to advocate for the return of History to the curriculum by talking to decision makers who were responsible for the removal in the first place. By taking out history, they have taken our source of knowledge. The youths deserve all the attention we can give them because they represent the continuity, linking today with tomorrow and the future.”

    He urged parents to promote their cultural values, and the youth to shun vices that can hamper Nigeria’s development.

    “There is need to restore and promote interest in cultural values which are being progressively undermined by the effects of westernisation, urbanisation and globalisation. As a result of rapid urbanisation and changing economic situation, parents and the elderly no longer have the time to impact African cultural values in our young people. These situations have hampered their ability to understand and appreciate the beauty of African culture. Our young people, because of lack of attention, are now dangerously exposed to Western values transmitted through the media,” he said.

     

     

     

  • Scholars chart road map for Africa’s growth

    Scholars chart road map for Africa’s growth

    For three days, scholars in Africa and Africans in Diaspora converged on Missouri, US to brainstorm on how to explore the huge opportunities Africa offers and how the Diaspora can strengthen its relationship with the continent, reports Assistant Editor Arts, OZOLUA UHAKHEME.

    “Although Africa’s presence in the Diaspora was made possible under unsavory historical circumstances of enslavement (particularly to the Americas) and emigration imposed by stifling economic conditions on the continent, the continent’s Diaspora remains a major but largely underexplored segment of the African population in the effort to galvanise Africa’s growth and development.”

    This statement by the Director-General, Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilisation (CBAAC), Prof Tunde Babawale set the tone for discussions at international conference held at Millennium Students Centre, University of Missouri, St. Louis, Missouri, USA. He said there is limited shared knowledge about Africa and her huge untapped and underutilised resources between Africans and peoples of African descent. These potentials, he added, receive footnote acknowledgement whenever references are made to them adding that little is known about them worldwide. According to Babawale, numerous opportunities abound on the possibilities of deepening relationship between the continent and its Diaspora but only limited efforts have been made to take advantage of these opportunities.

    He said the conference, which has as theme; Africa and the Diaspora in the New Millenium is spurred by the need to assist in the exploration of the huge opportunities Africa offers the Diaspora to expand and consolidate its relationship with the continent. But Babawale said that in 2010, African migrants recorded $40 billion in remittances to their home countries, which play important roles in reducing the incidence and severity of poverty on the continent. These, he said, help many African households diversify their sources of income and give them opportunities for the much needed savings and capital for investment on the continent. “Added to this, Africa’s Diaspora can limitlessly provide the intellectual, financial, political, cultural and social capital required for the continent’s growth and development.

    He said that the conference theme was informed by the need to address the challenges and opportunities created by the phenomenon of global linkages and transnational networks that impact and shape identities, cultural heritages and relationships between Africans and the people of African descents worldwide. He hoped that the conference would promote relationship between Africa and her sixth region (African Diaspora), promote research and scholarship on Africa and the African Diaspora, and showcase to the world the contributions of Africa and African Diaspora to human progress.

    “CBAAC’s choice of theme for this year’s CBAAC’s International Conference is further informed by the impending declaration of this decade as Decade of People of African Descent. The decade, if so declared by the UN would help to strengthen national actions and regional and international cooperation for the benefit of people of African descent in relation to their full enjoyment of economic, cultural, social, civil and political rights, their participation and integration in all political, economic, social and cultural aspects of society, and the promotion of a greater knowledge of and respect for their diverse heritage and culture,” he said.

    In a communiqué, the conference recommended that activist scholars, civil society organisations and the press should critically re-engage African governments to make them proactive, transformational and accountable to their people. Scholars should deepen their knowledge about typically African epistemology and employ African systems of thought to provide explanations for Social Science issues of development and democracy in Africa. It also recommended that declarations, reports of working groups and protocols affecting Africans and people of African descent in the Diaspora should be given the widest publicity and circulation to ensure awareness, promote interest and inclusiveness.

    Other resolutions included: that African intellectuals, research institutes, cultural agencies, public intellectuals, mass media and engaged individuals should design an Afro-centric model for the creation of a supra national consciousness based on the intrinsic values of African culture to provide a counter discourse to the existing ideology of racial inequality, stigmatization and intolerance.

    That in view of the failure of existing methodology, the UN should bring activities associated with the declaration of 2011 as the International Year of People of African Descent and decade following, away from the cozy conference rooms to the public domains in Africa and the Diaspora,

    That existing linkages between Africa institutions and their counterparts in the Diaspora should be strengthened and deepened to promote a better understanding of African social realities, and that the African Union should create opportunities for Africa and Diaspora cooperation to address contemporary problems of HIV/AIDS, public health challenges and youth empowerment, gender matters and not just money remittances.

    The conference held between October 30 and November 1, had participants and delegates drawn from Nigeria, Brazil, France, Cape Verde, Eritrea, USA, Niger Republic, United Kingdom, Argentina, Antigua, Jamaica, Liberia, Senegal, South Africa, Israel, Kenya, Ethiopia and Ghana.

    Present were Nigeria’s Ambassador to the United States of America, Prof Adebowale Ibidapo Adefuye, Nigeria’s Tourism, Culture and National Orientation Minister, Chief Edem Duke, Prof. Niyi Coker Jnr, Mr Ephrem Andemariam, Chancellor, University of the West Indies, Cave Hill, Barbados, Prof Sir Hillary Beckles, the Secretary for the Policies on Traditional Communities of the Special Secretariat for the Promotion of Racial Equality – SEPPIR, Mrs. Silvany Euclenio Silva who represented honourable Minister of SEPPIR, Brazil, Ms. Luiza Barros, and St. Louis County Executive; Mr Charlie A. Dooley. Others were Chancellor of the University of Missouri–St. Louis; Professor Thomas George, Associate Provost for Academic Affairs and Director of International Studies and Programmes, University of Missouri-St. Louis,   Prof Joel Glassman and Prof Wande Abimbola, (Awise Agbaye) of Ifa Heritage Institute, Oyo.

  • ‘Funding is bane of culture’

    ‘Funding is bane of culture’

    Since September 11 bombings in New York, United States, the world has seemingly lost its peace. No nation can boast of being immune from violence. Yet, every nation is aggressively promoting its culture and tourism. In Nigeria, funding is bane of culture, according to Director-General of the Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilisation (CBAAC) Prof Tunde Babawale in this chat with Assistant Editor (Art) Ozolua Uhakheme

     

    The Nigerian government still needs to understand perfectly what culture and tourism mean to the nation. There are some of us who cannot compete with the oil and gas sector. But, we must understand that it is not everything that translates into Naria and kobo. There are intangibles in our heritage that are more important than Naira and kobo, and that is what culture is all about.”

    This is the position of Director-General of the Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilisation (CBAAC), Prof Tunde Babawale while speaking on why the different tiers of governments must promote culture as an antidote to the increasing violence in the country.

    Prof Babawale said culture provides the essential ingredients for tourism growth in most countries of the world, and as such must be marketed, promoted and funded. Culture, he said, is relevant to any society because it is economics and part of politics, as it epitomises the life of the people. According to him, most tourists from across the globe admire America today not because America gives them money or because America is very rich.

    “But it is because of the American culture that is being promoted by Hollywood. If we don’t have agencies such as CBAAC promoting our culture, supporting structures and institutions like Nollywood to do that all over the world, we will get nowhere. We will remain derided as a people and be disrespected everywhere as a nation of scammers.

    “That is not all. There is no nation in the world that does not have scammers. But when people make it look as if it is only in Nigeria that people throw bombs, when bombs are thrown regularly in Israel and Lebanon, we must rise to the challenge using our culture. Interestingly, people still visit these countries either on business trip or on pilgrimage,” he said, noting that people still travel to flash points such as Syria where there is a war going on.

    According to him, in Europe today, no one is sure of when the next bomb would be thrown; yet, Nigerians still rush to the continent. He blamed this on the nation’s inability to put its right foot forward by promoting culture through effective and adequate funding.

    Reacting to what he calls the Ministry of Culture’s poor budget, Babawale said in such a situation much cannot be achieved. CBAAC, he said, that had a budgetary allocation that is 82 per cent less than what it had last year, adding that from what is being proposed for next year, the Centre would get a 13 per cent further reduction from its budgetary allocation. He said unless something drastic is done to prevent that abnormal situation, the Centre would be made redundant. The culture ministry has 10 parastatals and agencies under it, and CBAAC has the least budget, even when it is the only agency that has an international mandate. The latest 13 per cent reduction, according to him, is to some extent a general policy by the Federal Government.

    He said: “It is not only ironic it would have been laughable if not tragic, that the only agency that is empowered by law to pursue cultural diplomacy for Nigeria is the least budgeted for in the ministry today. I have written to the finance minister over this development and I am positive that something would be done to redress this situation.”

    Considering the Pan-African orientation of the centre and its international mandate, Babawale said it is imperative that the agency is provided with sufficient funding to enable it meet its statutory responsibilities. “The 82 per cent reduction in its 2012 budget from that of last year has literally handcuffed the centre and made it impossible for it to effectively carry out its activities,” he added.

    Notwithstanding these challenges, Babawale is determined to realise the objectives he set for himself on assuming office in 2006. He recalled that his objective from day one has been to ensure that CBAAC would be to the African Union, what UNESCO is to the United Nations. This process, he said, would soon be completed and he would have left a CBAAC that has been repositioned with a staff that is motivated, committed, and can compete favourably with any of their contemporaries in the world.

    How far has he fared in realising this? On assumption of office, he pledged to lift culture beyond the realm of antiquity and get feedback from the man on the streets. Today, CBAAC has held top flight conferences and seminars in Nigeria and in the Diaspora ranging from the UNESCO slave route project international scientific committee meeting, to conflict prevention, resolution and reconciliation in Africa, international conference on Africa and African Diaspora, Africa Day symposium and expo, international conferences, harmonisation of cross border languages, promotion of African indigenous stimulants and the Black History month celebration, among others. In fact, in the last two years, over 15 of such events have been held by CBAAC, aimed improving bilateral relationship between Nigeria and countries such as Brazil, Niger, Trinidad and Tobago, Cameroon and South Africa.

    Besides, the centre has developed an African heritage centre with cultural objects belonging to different African countries and the Black race on display.