Okwe Obi, Abuja
Chairman, Senate Committee on Culture and Tourism, Rochas Okorocha, has said the success of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), can only be achieved when Nigerians recognise themselves, preserve their culture, heritage and judiciously utilise them to fast track development.
Speaking, at the quarterly public lecture organised by the National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO), yesterday in Abuja, he advised Nigerians to hold tenaciously to their mores regardless of western acculturation.
Represented by one of his aides, Chigozie Emeka, he said: “No people can grow without their culture and heritage. Whether you talked about the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the truth remains that not until a people recognise whom they are, their root, it may be very impossible achieve the SDGs.
“Therefore, it is important that we know ourselves. Knowing oneself is understanding who you are; your cultural heritage and sticking to it.”
The keynote speaker Professor Victor Dugga, said the Federal Government, so far, is not investing in projects that can lift Nigerians out of poverty.
The Dean, Faculty of Art, Federal University, Lafia, added that culture has not played an important role in driving the Sustainable Development Goals and maintained awareness needs to be created on the role of culture.
The current lack of intimate collaboration with SDGs is an anomaly. The culture sector is waiting to be invited to the table of SDGs to begin to meaningfully engage and contribute further to the sustainable development of the Nigerian nation and its people. ”
NICO acting Executive Secretary, Louis Eriomala, explained that the quarterly public lecture Series was conceptualised to serve as a platform, where the nation can benefit immensely from the intellectual knowledge and wealth of experience of eminent scholars, renowned cultural administrators, top government functionaries, technocrats and critical stakeholders.