How does Nigerias next president affect the Arts & Culture sector?
As Africas most populous country go out to vote their preferred candidate in the 2023 General Elections, we look at how this decision will impact the Arts & culture sector in the country.
Source: UNDP Nigeria
Founder and creative director of Retro Africa, Dolly Kola-Balogun speaks to Ben Luke from the Arts Newspaper about the potential for restructuring the policy in Nigeria:
"Things are changing in Nigeria, the days of simply focusing on oil and gas extraction and, at most, the banking sector and telecommunications isn't sufficient to have a diversified economy. Given the waves Nigeria is making in the film, music & Art industry ... we need (The Nigerian Government) to be present".
On the Institutional Sector
"Outside of the Benin Museum, there is the ICAF (Institute of Contemporary Art and Film) in Ilorin, Kwara State and, The John Randle Centre for Yoruba Culture and History.
Ironically these Museums are all state-initiated projects and so far none of the museums coming up are federal government projects. Yet we have a Ministry of Tourism and Culture. So the question is, what does that ministry serve?"
On Nigeria's Potential
"In the event of restructuring Nigeria, (we are talking about a diversified economy) culture needs to be taken seriously-not just as a means for leisure for people to simply enjoy themselves or passively collect or passively listen to music but as a major net contributor to our economy"
Comments