The Lagos State Government and the United States Consulate in Lagos have harped on the need for Nigerians, particularly Lagosians, to preserve culture.
The PUNCH reports that Lagos Island was agog till the wee hours of Sunday as Lagos celebrated the Festival of Arts and Culture tagged Culturati 2024 at the Freedom Park.
Organised by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Tourism Arts and Culture, Idris Aregbe, the 19th edition of the event aimed at promoting tourism, preserving the African culture, and showcasing talents in the creative industry to the global community.
At the event with the theme ‘Celebrate Diversity and Unity,’ Aregbe noted that the annual festival was to promote Lagos economic development with a call on youths to embrace their culture.
While speaking at the event, the Public Affairs Officer, US Consulate in Lagos, Julie McKay, said the event was an amazing way to learn about culture, share culture and connect with people.
“The US Mission here in Nigeria is all about preserving and sharing culture. We’ve invested over $1.2m to help Nigerians preserve culture. It’s (about) connecting different cultures, collaborating and learning about them. We absolutely support that and I’m so happy to be here,” McKay said.
On his part, the Atayero of Aramoko Kingdom, Oba Olusegun Aderemi, noted that Nigeria is blessed with talents that are sought after globally, hence, the need for diversification of the nation’s economy from crude oil to creative industries.
He said, “My advice to youths on preserving Nigerian culture is for them to look more inwards. Foreigners are stealing most of our culture and this culture is what we inherit. The best we can do is preserve and manage it, we cannot take away from it and we cannot add to it.
“So we are using this to encourage our youths to see the benefits here and the future that is here and how expensive and profitable it is.”
Earlier, the Chief Executive Officer, Culturati, Adetola Bakinsola, stated that the high point of this year’s event was the featuring of a community library to promote increased literacy and cultural education among youths.