Adie Vanessa Offiong
5 September 2008
To promote the Nigerian Arts and Crafts sector in line with the seven point agenda of the Federal Government, the National Council for Arts and Culture, under the leadership of Prince Adetokunbo Kayode, Minister for Tourism, Culture and National Orientation, organised the first African Arts and Crafts Expo (AFAC) in Abuja.
The one week event which took place at the Old Parade Ground, with the theme "Stimulating Economic Growth and Potentials of the Arts and Crafts Sector" showcased various states of Nigeria as well as of Africa. This theme is designed to bring to the fore the desires to showcase and stimulate African hidden treasures to the world as well as build around it a new wealth base that would transform the rural economy of Africa by providing economic mainstay at the grassroots and discourage urban migration.
The Vice President represented by Mr. Sam Worlu acknowledged the potentials of culture and remarked that AFAC Expo 20089 seeks to restore the past glimpse, glamour, glory and influence of the arts and crafts industry, make it a major player in our national economy and a significant contributor to the country's foreign exchange earnings. He also said that, "the crafts industry when developed, packaged and promoted, could be the elixir needed to empower our people, because of the abundant potentials in that sector."
He also said that hopefully, "the Expo would produce a legacy of sustainable arts and crafts market and a synergy between participants who would have been developed to enhance development, refinement and marketing of African arts and crafts to the rest of the world."
In his opening remark, Prince Kayode emphasised the dedication of his Ministry to use culture as a means of empowerment and wealth creation. According to him, "the ministry became even more challenged by the seven point agenda of the present administration aimed at a leap frog of the national economy to become one of the 20 largest economies in the world by 2020."
He went further to explain that it is this challenge to tap and develop the cultural sector that has come forth as AFAC Expo which "seeks to explore, grow, develop and promote, market and generally leverage our arts and culture sector to enable us achieve optimal empowerment for our people, especially the rural populace."
There was a whole range of display of rich African heritage. This was evident in the cuisine, fashion fabrics and designs, decorative materials and interior decoration, household utensils, jewelries, brass and metal designs, ceramics, cultural displays as well as carvings, paintings, sculpture, games and other various forms of art. These are all meant to provide great opportunities for effective and focused promotional marketing incentives. Asides exhibition of wares there was a display of craftsmanship especially by the Nigeriens who created workshop space in their stand where they finely carved out silver and leather ware.
As part of the intellectual side to the Expo, there was an investment forum with the aim of exploring new ideas and build long lasting solutions towards making arts and crafts a sub-sector in the Nigerian economy and African economy as well. This was of benefit of not only to stakeholders in the sector but also to the general public. It educated them on how to develop arts on the local forte and generate reasonable and sustainable income for themselves. This all served as a forum through which stakeholders expressed their grievances over the way artists and crafts men have been treated. They also expressed displeasure over the nonchalant way art is perceived in the nation to the extent that there is hardly any budget allocation towards the acquisition of art works.
The AFAC EXPO was well patronised and commended for its level of success even though it was the first in a soon to be an annual series.
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