From Jude Chinedu, Enugu
Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, says his administration is perfecting plans to position creative arts a major economic trigger as the state targets a $30 billion Gross Domestic Products (GDP) economy.
Mbah made this known on Sunday during the grand premier of a stage play, entitled: “The trial of King Ahebi, the woman who became a man,” by the state council of arts and culture.
The governor, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Chidiebere Onyia, said he is currently identifying centres that would be turned into major tourism centres across the state.
“It is time for the things we consider leisure to become economic triggers to boost our economy. Most of you do know that his excellency on assumption of office has set out to grow the gross domestic product of Enugu State from 4.4 to 30 billion dollars over the next four to eight years.
“In doing that, we have been very intentional in identifying each sector and the value they bring to this economic growth. So, it is on that very note that we see and believe what is about to happen today is something that adds significant value to that process.
“As we sit down and watch, I think it is time for us to begin to see arts and culture as a major economic trigger for Enugu State. We have a lot of centres that we can turn into recreational activities or centres where people can come and attract tourism to our state.
“The commissioner for Arts and Culture has been travelling around the state identifying those area and the state government is going to invest significantly in turning those places into tourism attraction to boost our economic base,” he said.
The play writer and Executive Secretary, Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Lawrence Ani, said the play depicts a 19th century female warrant chief who reigned in the present day Umuida, Enugu Ezike.
“This is a dramatised account of the legendary tale of Ahebi Ugbabe, the eponymous heroine in the play who was reputedly the only female warrant chief in colonial Nigeria, and first recorded female Eze in Igboland. The play is a variegated picture of this fiercely independent, generous-albeit somewhat flawed woman born late 19th Century in Umuida, Enugu-Ezike, in present-day Enugu State, but then a part of the sprawling British colonial outposts,” he said.
Ani emphasised the need to curate a cultural heritage and artistic resources in a way that yields immense economic benefits for the individual artist, players in arts and cultural space and the state.