ABUJA ARTISTES CELEBRATES WORLD THEATRE DAY

On Friday 27th of March, Performing Artistes in Abuja join their colleagues the world over to celebrate the 47th World Theatre Day. The event is one day theatre forum tagged We Are Theatre.

Jerry Adesewo, Artistic Director of Arojah Royal Theatre and convener of the event in his welcome address challenged theatre practitioners to remain the voice and conscience of the people. “We must use our profession to effect a change in the society without fear or favour. Theatre is not just about entertainment but a medium to inform and educate. Theatre is undoubtedly one of, if not the most effective means of communication. Most importantly, we must strive to build a theatre culture in Abuja with or without the support of the relevant government agencies of the organised private sector.
Organized by Arojah Royal Theatre, the performing arm of Arojah Concepts, an Abuja based edutainment outfit, the event which took place at the NTA arena features the presentation of Spencer Okoroafor’ The Three Wisemen, by Arojah Royal Theatre; poetry performances by the Elixir of Mankind and Adesewo Fayaman-Bay who performed Jerry Adesewo’ poem titled Worried Mother; Music and Dances by Afri-Theatre who thrilled the audience with the popular Swange Dance, SAW-SHAD Entertainment – a group of seven hip-hop dancers - and of course one of Abuja/Nigeria’s music sensation, 6 Foot Plus while Wahala, Ben Ubiri and Spanix treated the audience to rib-cracking comic performances.

The World Theatre Day 2009 message written by Augusto Baol, the Initiator of Theatre Forum and Theatre of the Oppressed was read at the event by veteran broadcaster and award winning author, Eugenia Abu of the Nigerian Television Authority while Chief Aigbokaode Asimiafele, an Abuja based poet and cultural administrator chaired the event.

Most importantly, the forum provided theatre practitioners in Abuja the opportunity to relaunch the Abuja Chapter of the National Association of Nigerian Theatre Arts Practitioners (NANTAP) which has been non-existence in the last two years. The current National President of the association Greg Odutayo had during his recent visit to Abuja mandated practitioners in Abuja. It was also hinted that plans are underway to ensure theatrical productions in Abuja on regular basis.

Reproduced below is a text of the theme talk titled Theatre As A Cultural Brand delivered by Mr. M.M. Maidgugu, Director-General, National Council for Arts and Culture who was represented at the event by Mallam Denja Abdullahi the Assistant Director, performing department of the council:

ABUJA ZOOLOGICAL PARK TO GET FACELIFT

The visit by members of the Joint Tourism Board and other participants led by the Director-General of the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) is good omen for the Abuja Zoological Park.

The visit to the eight years old Park, established in 2001 and commissioned by the administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo is one of the activities lined up for this year’s Joint Tourism Board Meeting of the Tourism sector held at the Sheraton Hotel and Towers in Abuja recently.

Mr. Ahmed Mohammed, the Park Manager who conducted the august visitors round the Park introduced them to the various animals in the Park. Some of the animals include one of the most dangerous animals in the world - Buffalos (from South Africa), Wild Beast which are said to be easy prey for lions (from East Africa), Impala (from Central and Southern Africa) and the fastest and biggest two-legged animal – Ostriches which is said to be capable of running 65 km/hour for 30 minutes non-stop. Others are Giraffe, Horses, Black Crown Crane, Crocodile, Ducks, Monkeys, Baboons and an eighty years old tortoise.

Delta State Commissioner for Culture and Tourism and Nollywood actor, Richard Mofe-Damijo who revealed that Delta State is planning an open range Zoological Park however expressed dissatisfaction that most of the animals are imported as the Park Manager informed the tourists that while the specie of Giraffe was cited in Adamawa in 1991, the Black Crown Crane is completely extinct as they were last cited in Taraba and Adamawa.

One of the attendants at the Park confessed that the greater challenge they face is security as they have to keep watch day and night to ensure that hunters don’t invade the Park with the intention of hunting the animals.

However, while briefing the journalist after the visit to the Park, Otunba Olusegun Runsewe assured the press that the corporation will take up the challenge of turning the park around soon. “Go to the in park in two months from now and you will be surprise what you will find. I will make it as attractive as it should be. I know what other Parks around the world look like and will definitely give it a touch of excellence. You will say I say so.” He promised.

A TOURISM VILLAGE WITH A STYLE

Long before now, the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation head office is like any other office(s) within the old federal secretariat complex located at Area 1 Garki in Abuja.

However, a trip to the same office today is a prove of the taste of its chief occupant, Chief Olusegun Runsewe who upon assumption of office decided to turn around to the area of the expansive complex that has served as the corporation’s office for close to a decade now.

Contrary to what use to exist on that same piece of land, the office, now named Tourism Village is a beauty to behold. The village portrays the rich cultural heritage of our great nation having been adorned with a medley of picture, colours and images of the different part of our cultural life.

One interesting aspect of the tourism village is that, apart from the main office building, all other structures are our local huts with thatched roofs. Some of the structures at the Tourism Village include the Village Hall, Village Restaurant, a weaving loom and a state-of the-art recording studio.

Conducting participants and journalists round the village, The NTDC DG explained the need to have such a befitting environment as the NTDC office. “We have the strongest tourism culture in the world and like my people will say Eni to ma d’aso ro ni, t’orun e la’nwo (he who will cloth another person must have good cloths himself to prove his/her ability). So, we cannot remain in some filthy environment to market ourselves. This is a re-branding of the office. We want to make the place liveable and colourful so that investors, stakeholders and Nigerians generally will take us serious.” He explained adding that it is important to set an example of what tourism should be.

“Tourism is all about beauty and wonders of creation and that is what we have created here. Our office already is a tourist attraction any tourist cannot resist and is already generating revenue for us. People come in from far and near to buy artworks and crafts, cloths, locally made shoes among others or to eat in our village restaurant. What you have here is a practical demonstration of the ability of tourism to generate much more revenue for us than oil. Besides, we also create employment for the youth” he added.

The recording studio, also located in a round thatched-roof hut, according to the DG is second only to AIT and NTA stations “what we have here is undoubtedly one of the best and I would want all the tourism board here to ensure that you replicate what you have seen here today once you return home” he appealed.

Jerry Adesewo

PRACTICAL TOURISM: RUNSEWE’S REPOSITIONING TOURISM FOR ACCELERATED GROWTH

Otunba Segun Runsewe’s passion towards repositioning Nigeria’s tourism is undoubtedly yielding result. Upon his appointment as successor to Mrs. Omotayo Omotosho in November 2006, he swung into action, embarking on what stakeholders in the tourism industry called practical tourism.

At the 2 day annual Joint Tourism Board meeting held in Abuja last week, the Director-General of NTDC reiterated his commitment to the development of the nation’s tourism sector. With a statement which has become more or less a mantra “Oil is good but exhaustible while tourism is better and is sustainable” he maintained that tourism is key to Nigeria’s growth and the achievement of President Yar’adua’s 7-point agenda and went on to charge all the states tourism board present at the meeting to ensure that they develop their tourism potentials so they could help diversify our economy and help Nigeria actualize its vision 20-20-20 and the Millennium Development Goals.

The annual meeting held at the Sheraton Hotel and Towers had in attendance Commissioners of Culture, Directors of the Tourism Boards form the 36 States of the federation and the FCT and other independent stakeholders in the tourism sector. This also included The Minister of Culture, the Senate Committee Chairman on Tourism and Culture, the Director of SSS.

At the end of the meeting the Board resolved that:
- Government should mainstream tourism to the seven point agenda and
Vision 20-2020, and empower relevant bodies at the Federal and state levels to enable them fully align with the economic and goals.
- All security agencies in the country are given full support and cooperation to sanitize the Nigerian tourism climate and create enabling environment for tourism to grow.
- Each state to concentrate efforts on the development of tourism products in which it has comparative advantage.
- That there should be understanding and cooperation between NTDC and the state tourism bodies in the National registration of Hotels and other Hospitality industries.

In a communiqué signed by Commissioners of Culture and Tourism of Kaduna and Delta States, Hon. Allahmagani H. Yohanna and Richard Mofe Damijo, and the MD/CEO of Gateway Tourism Development Corporation, Mrs. Tomi Shoboyejo commended Otunba Segun Runsewe for his giant strides and positive impacts towards the development of Nigerian Tourism made since his assumption of office three years ago, and especially for providing a platform for participants to interact and exchange ideas. He was also commended for the new vision he has brought to bear in the tourism in Nigeria.

The communiqué also appealed to the government to give all the necessary support to NTDC to continue its international tourism promotional drive, using the nation’s diverse cultural festivals, entertainment and tourism endowments to rebrand Nigeria at international tourism fairs and expositions.

In a press briefing with journalist after the meeting, Otunba Runsewe further revealed that it has been agreed that there is the need to come up with a uniform calendar of tourism events in Nigeria in order to eliminate duplication of responsibility and ensure wider participation in domestic tourism programmes.

“My dream is to make Nigeria a one stop shop tourism destination. Already, we have investors who are willing to build state-of-the-art tourist centres in six locations which will be selected by the investors from the six geo-political zones. This will require the state contributing only 25% of the cost of the investment while the investor provides the rest.” He further revealed.

In further demonstration of his practical tourism approach, Otunba Segun Runsewe took all the participants and journalists on a tour of the federal capital territory showing them, especially the first timers in Abuja all the important landmarks of the city. The journey which began from the tourism village at Area 1 ended at the Abuja Zoological park where the Park Manager, Mr. Aminu Mohammed introduced the tourists to all the animals in the park. The team then return to the Tourism Village where this year’s proceeding was rounded up with a plush luncheon.

BUILDING THE MAN: Spiritual Re-branding Key to Re-branding Nigeria

The renewed attempt by the Honourable Minister of Information and Communications, Professor Dora Akunyili to re-brand Nigeria has been greeted with mixed relations by Nigeria. Why some readily accepted it as been the right step in the right direction considering the battered image of our country. Some others simply believe it is business as usual. This skepticism was borne out of the fact that many such attempt has been made without any meaningful result but a waste of tax-payers money.

While this may or may not be the case with many others, they already find their place in this familiar project. As the fever catches further, different Nigerians from different walk of life already designed are carrying out various programmes to demonstrate their relevance. In fact, there have been claims and counterclaims from different quarters about who should and who should not be responsible for the image laundering of Nigeria and what form it should have taken or not.

It is against this background and in line with the word of our Lord Jesus in his that “seek ye first the kingdom of God....” that the Eckankar, a Spiritual Organisation believes that it behoves on us as a nation to think first of building the man spiritually rather than waste time and resources in building structures that may not last if proper foundation is not given to the man which made up the society that we are struggling to build, re-build and re-brand over and over again.

In further and practical demonstration of their believe in the spirituality of man over the building of structures, the Eck as they are popularly known and referred to by their faithful will be holding a public discourse on Building the Man as they present five new books by the Spiritual Leader of Eckankar, American Born Harold Klemp on Friday 3rd & Saturday 4th of April at the Shehu Musa Yar’adua Centre.

The books exhibition and public discourse will feature the five new books by Harold Klemp, Spiritual Wisdom on Health and Healing, spiritual Wisdom on Relationship, Eckankar: Ancient Wisdom for Today, Truth has no Secrets Touching the Face of God and other such life searching books.

Particularly, the book Touching the Face of God is an expose on the way we experience God in our life which is important to becoming the man that God want us to be so that we can be a leading light in our society. Each quote in the book help every individual discover how daily practice of contemplative techniques and spiritual exercises helps you to receive guidance via direct communication with the divine spirit to become a wholesome being and in effect build a society to behold.
Going the way of the Ecks and other schools of thought, it is obvious that it will do us a lot of good to think of how to build the individual by ensuring that those in power search their minds, re-brand themselves spiritually and not their pocket. It is pathetic to think that day-in-day-out, our leaders divert funds with which they are suppose to provide the basic necessities of life for the people to their personal account for the benefit of their families and generations to come alone, sowing the seed of corruption which has now eaten deep to every facet of our lives – religious organisations, schools, offices etc

Ford Foundation Celebrates 50 Years of Grant Making in Nigeria

Nigeria returned to civil rule in 1999 after long periods of military colonization. One distinguishing characteristic of this return is frequent civil strives and conflicts pitching one ethnic or religious groups against another in a case of identity politics and violence. This situation has for a long time remained a threat to our national life and peaceful-co existence. A good example is the recent crisis in Jos which is yet to be resolved and already pitched the Federal Government against the State Government.

Thus, when Ford Foundation, the International Organisation which had provided funding for development in different aspect of Nigeria’s life – education, development, arts and human rights - celebrated recently, its Golden Jubilee anniversary in Nigeria, it does so, not with partying but with a 2-Day National Conference on Citizenship and Identity Politics in Nigeria.

The conference, held in Abuja at the NICON Luxury Hotel on from 24-26 organised in collaboration with another NGO, CLEEN Foundation drew participants from more than twenty civil society groups involved in human rights issues.

In his opening address at the conference, Ford Foundation’s Programme Officer for Human Rights at the West Africa Office, Dr. Joseph Gitari who reveals that the organisation’s annual budget is $10m for the West African Region went on to inform participants that the organisation will not relent in his effort at contributing to the development in Nigeria. “Identity problem is a big problem and the best we can contribute to finding a solution to it is by bringing the attention of both the government and the public” he said.

Professor Okwudiba Nnoli who chaired the conference challenged the participants to ensure that a line is drawn between Individual and group identity politics because in his view, Individual base citizenship is a myth. “Over time we have conducted several studies on this issue but it has defiled all analysis and solution. What is the impact of our studies if the problem intensifies rather than abating” he lamented and went on to explain that citizenship is a collaboration between individuals and the state which varies depending on the dynamism of the individual and state involved.

Commending Ford Foundation on his 50th anniversary of grant making for governance and human rights in Nigeria, Mr. Innocent Chukwura, the Executive Director of Cleen Foundation in his welcome address revealed that the conference becomes necessary at this time because conflicts arising from identity politics and problems have led to so much blood letting, destruction of properties, displacements and disruption of people’ and livelihoods in Nigeria. “In the last ten years of elected civilian government, it is estimated that over 20,000 people have lost their lives and hundreds of thousands displaced in over 200 outbreaks of violence traceable to identity related disputes” he added.

Senator Ike Ekweremadu, Nigeria’s deputy Senate Present who declared the conference open through his representative, Mr Tobi Okechukwu, charged the organizers to take their campaign to the public. “The issues we are discussing here should not remain a purely academic matter treated in the comfort of a hotel. There is the need too take our campaign to the street” he advised and the appeal to them to bring whatever they intend to do within the context of law once the problems are identified. The Senate President however revealed the Senate’s readiness to partner with Cleen and Ford Foundation in addressing the issue of identity politics especially as it is set to review the nation’s constitution.

Having declared the conference, the participants broke into plenary session where Professor Ashutosh Varshney of the Department of Political Science, Brown University, Providence, USA presented a paper Citizenship and Identity Politics: The Indian Experience while Professor Ogoh Alubo of the Department of Sociology at the University of Jos presented a paper on Citizenship and Identity in Nigeria.

Some of the personalities present at opening ceremony of the conference include Chief Chika Ezeife, former Governor of Old Anambra State, Mr. Yinka Odumakin of the Afenifere Renewal Group, a representative of the Inspector-General of Police, Alhaji Shiunkafi of the Arewa Consultative Forum and a host of civil societies and guests invited to the event.