Oredola Adeola |
Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi has promised to revive and reposition the Ekiti State Festival of Arts and Culture, EKIFEST, as platform to showcase Ekiti cultural heritage, discover homegrown talent and harness economic gains of arts and culture in the state.
He made this statement on Monday during the maiden edition of the Ekiti State Council of Arts and Culture Stakeholders' forum, where he was represented by Hon Deji Ajayi, Head of Service.
Recall that EKIFEST was initiated by Governor Fayemi in 2012 during his first term in office, as an annual event to showcase the richness of arts and culture of the state.
The one-week event is billed to serve as avenue for thousands of tourists from local and international communities, to explore the tourism potentialities of the state.
The Ekiti State Governor said, "We are going to organise Ekiti State Festival of Arts and Culture in December this year to enhance our capacities in crafts, dancing, weaving and other vocational areas of arts.
”We should not forget to teach our children those values that will make Ekiti to remember their heritage and sustain our culture as a people”
The Governor however affirmed the determination of his administration to inaugurate and establish Arts and Craft Village in Ado Ekiti with cluster outlets in some communities across the state
In her address at the Arts and Culture Stakeholders’ Forum, Erelu Bisi Fayemi, who was the Chairperson of the event, noted that activities in the culture and Arts sector nosedived in the last four years when her husband, Dr Kayode Fayemi went on sabbatical.
She said, "The Arts and culture industry is one of the areas through which we believe we identify and develop talents and create opportunities for our teeming youths in the creative industry "
While pledging her commitment and passion for the creative industry in the state, Erelu Fayemi urged the stakeholders in the sector to collaborate with the government particularly the Council for Arts and Culture in the state for the development of the sector.
The Director-General of the Ekiti State Council for Arts and Culture, Mr Wale Ojo Lanre, restated the commitment of the government towards the promotion of all cultural festivals in the state, as platform to empower the people and for economic gains.
He said, ”We are also going to partner Nigeria Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), National Council for Arts and Culture and other national and international bodies to promote our arts and culture in Ekiti. Some of them will be enlisted as national festivals.
“We are also going to engage creative arts entrepreneurs and accomplished artistes of Ekiti origin to mentor our budding stars."
”All these are what Governor Kayode Fayemi is ready to do to promote our arts and culture industry and make it a force that can generate revenue for individuals and the state”, he said.
Guest speakers including Professor Ishola Olomola, Professor Rasaki Bakare, and Dr Mike Adeoye in their presentations harped on the need for passion, consistency, sustainability and working relationship amongst the various stakeholders in the state.
Prof Bakare also called for collaborative efforts among various associations of professionals to pursue a common goal and economic benefit ” You must be humbled to work with those who are not as high as you re and be humble to work with those who are higher than you so as to create a market and formidable structure that would enhance empowerment and economic development"
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