Culture, sports festivals unifying force for national development-Runsewe

The Director General, National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC), Otunba Olusegun Runsewe says that annual culture and sports festivals remains a vital tool for national development.

Runsewe said this on Wednesday in an interview with newsmen in Abuja.

He said that the National Festival for Art and Culture (NAFEST) and the National Sport Festival are devoid of ethnicity, religion and tribal sentiment as they unite and make Nigeria one.

Runsewe recalled that after the civil war in 1970, government decided to adopt cultural and sports festival to re-orient, re-organise and bring the country together.

“These two brands; culture and sport had helped to unite the country better, instead of telling us where you come from and your religion, NAFEST is devoid of such as it integrates and makes us one Nigeria.

“It is important for our governors to be awaken and adopt these in order for us to sustain peace and national development through culture and sports,” he said.

According to him, the council needs government’s special intervention in order to showcase contents of NAFEST globally.

“This is what Chinese and American do. In 1972 when there was bomb blast in London, the British government brought over nine million dollars to rebrand London.

“With our rich cultural heritage, we need to reach out to the world and show them what we are,” he said.

Runsewe advised organisers of exhibitions shows and Pageantry to shun using western culture to showcase their talents, they rather should used `tie and dye’ and `Adire’ to depict our cultural heritage.

“The dresses we used at beauty pageant are western but I want to advise them to start using `Adire’ to do it. Let start doing our thing in our own way, we cannot continue to live under somebody’s stuff,” he advised.