Damiete Braide
Wearing colourful costumes, children and students of various schools in Lagos State performed, to the delight of the audience, through drama, music and arts and crafts exhibition competition and crafts exhibition competition, organised by Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilisation (CBAAC), which held at Exhibition Hall II, National Theatre complex, Iganmu, Lagos, with the theme “African Heritage and Economic Diversification.
The winner of the Dance/Drama competition in the Senior category was Top Grade Secondary School, Surulere; while Rolex Comprehensive College, Iba, and Holy Child College, Ikoyi, emerged first and second runners-up,
respectively.
For the Junior category, the winner was Redeemers International School, Apapa Road, Costain; while JOSAB School and Adex Nursery and Basic Sch, Ijora Badia, were first and second runners-up, respectively.
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In the Arts & Crafts Exhibition Competition, Holy Child College, Ikoyi, came tops, while Baptist Model High School, Ijegun and Top Grade Secondary School, Surulere, were first and second runners-up, respectively.
In her address of welcome, Acting Director General, CBAAC, Mrs Ndidi Aimienwauu, said, “Our children deserve much attention and celebration, because they represent continuity and serve as the vital link that connects us with the future. To achieve the transfer of positive values in their lives, we must build in them those values that will make them useful and responsible citizens of tomorrow.
This is our motivation for celebrating these children annually, especially during the festive season. Our children are the trustees of posterity, and it is in recognition of their importance and the roles they can play that CBAAC is
investing them through tailor-made programmes.”
The acting D-G added the Children’s Cultural Festival was one of the Centre’s adolescent flagship programmes geared towards giving children a voice’ on issues that touch their lives and the society at large. This year’s theme explores the varied potentials of African cultural heritage for economic development, in line with Federal Government’s initiative on economic diversification.
Aimienwau added the festival would inculcate in the children the values inherent in and the beauty of African culture but also to explore the varied contribution our heritage can make on economic growth and development.
Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Information and Culture, Mrs. Grace Isu Gekpe, disclosed that the theme of the festival aligned with the vision of the current administration and the Agency’s statutory responsibility of promoting, propagating and preserving African cultural values.
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She observed the festival would encourage children to be “conscious of our culture and make them good cultural ambassadors of Nigeria”, stressing, “It has also brought together children from diverse socio-cultural, religious and economic backgrounds, and will highlight the need for social interaction and integration among them.”
Chairperson of the occasion, Chief Erelu Abiola Dosumu, admonished the youths to combine their creative talents with education, because it held the key to a glorious future, “The prospects for arts and culture in Nigeria today is glaringly positive, because there is a large market for craft items both locally and internationally. Nigerian youths should seize the opportunity of this huge market to engage themselves in crafts instead of seeking greener pastures outside the country with its attendant and unpleasant consequences.”