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The Nigerian Arts and Culture Directory Project: Nigeria’s Road to Alternative Revenue Base
(Royal Communications)

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Prince Chinedu Obi
Bureau-Chief, Royal Communications, Abuja

A society without focus and vision is one of societies that have planned to fail. Great nations and economies of the world today are products of well-articulated programs and visions by individuals, who were saddled with the responsibilities of leadership of their nations. People oriented leaders, who cultivated the culture of integrity and responsive governance, have left for posterity indelible records of excellence, stable political, economic and social systems for generations unborn. Unfortunately, poverty, insecurity, unemployment, unstable economy, hunger, disease, political instability and distress in Africa has been the consequence of ‘planlessness’ and lack of sense of direction among Africa’s self seeking and unpatriotic leaders, whose penchant for ‘sit-tight’, inordinate ambitions and material wealth rather than those of collective interest of the masses has been Africa’s bane.

Only recently, African leaders took a bold step with the take-off of the New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD). You can call it ‘reawakening’, ‘waking up from slumber’! What ever it is; African leaders have for once taken a collective initiative and plan of action for Africa’s development. NEPAD Initiative is a positive and proactive step towards planning in order not to fail in Africa. The initiative is an Afro-centric model that is designed to tackle African development from African perspective. The major attraction of the initiative is the private and public sector partnership approach in economic management and the Peer Review mechanism, which is a strategy of timely assessment of member states to determine their level of compliance with the model. While this article is not meant to whitewash this initiative, it hopes that the vision would be properly implemented so as to distinguish it from previous initiatives.

In line with the NEPAD initiative and the need to position Arts, Culture and Tourism sector on the road to alternative revenue base for Nigeria, the Nigerian Arts and Culture Directory (NACD) Project was initiated by the former SSA to the President on Arts and Culture, Dr. Catherine Acholonu in 2002, having received collaboration nod from NEPAD, Nigeria. The NACD Project was commissioned on August 6, 2002 following the appointment of Mr. Joe Musa (NMA), Publisher and Executive Producer of ArtWatch Africa as National Coordinator of the Project. The National Coordinator was mandated to co-opt capable hands that will ensure the realization of this laudable national Project.

Accordingly, a multi-sectoral Central Working Committee (CWC) of the Project was constituted. The Committee has over sixty (60) members drawn from Heads of Parastatals of the Arts, Culture and Tourism, Ministry of Culture and Tourism, NEPAD-Nigeria, UNESCO-Nigeria, Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), States/FCT representatives, the Media, public and private sectoral players with Mr. Soni Irabor, a veteran broadcaster as Chairman. The NACD Project is constantly seeking collaboration from relevant agencies in order to achieve its mandate.

On June 19, 2002, the Central Working Committee of the Nigerian Arts and Culture Directory Project was inaugurated. The Former SSAP (Arts And Culture), chaired the event, assisted by then Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Mr. C.C. Chukwurah and Mrs. Maria Nnaji, Personal Assistant to SSAP NEPAD, who represented Chief Mrs. Chinyere Asika.

At management level the Project has a National Coordinator, a Head of Administration, Monitoring & Evaluation, Head of Research, Documentation and Development; a Head of Corporate Affairs, and Legal Matters. The Project also has over twenty (20) Marketers and support staff.

To achieve this onerous task the Central Working Committee of the Project recently set up sub committees, each mandated to forward to the CWC its action plan to form the basis of the central action plan for the Project. There is no doubt that with the calibre and make-up of the CWC, nothing less than the best is being awaited.

The Nigerian Arts and Culture Directory being the first of its kind will be a comprehensive listing and indexing of all practitioners, artist (e) s, stakeholders, institutions, museums and monuments, craft centres, cultural sites, galleries, centres of Arts and Culture in Nigeria, etc. The Directory would be produced in three versions, namely, print, electronic (Internet) and CD versions. These, undoubtedly, will make the Directory easily accessible to tourists, potential investors and researchers across the globe.

The Nigerian Arts and Culture Directory Project among other programs, intends to organize workshops, symposiums, lectures, seminars and conferences, which will provide technical knowledge to stakeholders and operators in the industry. This is another plus for the arts, culture, and tourism sector. It will provide an avenue for cross-fertilization of ideas and information, which will help in the development of the individuals, practitioners and stakeholders in this sector. It will in addition, provide prospects for creative partnership between the public and private sectors, while at the same time explore the great investment opportunities that abound in the sector. The Nigerian Arts and Culture Directory Project undoubtedly will be the most proactive platform to expose the great wealth of our arts, culture, and tourism sector to the world.

The Directory Project is a vital step in the provision of an enabling environment for Arts, Culture, and Tourism development in Nigeria. The Project is already a huge success, because of its widespread acclamation in the Arts and Culture world. Nigerians within and outside have been expressing their satisfaction with the concept and vision of the Project and pray that the vision be realized in good time.

This is the time to maximize the collective advantage of the arts, culture, tourism and investment friendly portfolios as well as regional developmental initiatives, namely, the Office of the Special Adviser on Cultural Affairs and Traditional Matters, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Nigerian Export Promotion Council, Nigeria Investment Promotion Council, NEPAD, and other relevant bodies which are creations of this administration to promote the sector as a tool for alternative revenue base, sustainable economic stability and the elimination of poverty in Nigeria. The Nigerian Arts and Culture Directory Project is therefore the beginning of a new success story in our economic development and quest for alternative revenue base.

The Nigerian Arts and Culture Directory Project if achieved would be one of the dividends of Democracy in Nigeria. Similarly, Nigeria’s first attempt to maximize the gains of the arts, culture and tourism sector was the FESTAC 77. FESTAC exposed to the world the rich natural and cultural heritage of the Nigerian societies and peoples. Although I was only a little boy in 1977, the impact of the Festival still speaks for itself. The event exposed to the world the great arts, cultures, and tourist attractions of Nigeria, which unfortunately cannot be quantified for the simple reason that no proper records were kept or being kept of the direct and indirect income and revenue accruing to this sector. In addition, subsequent administrations did not consider it necessary to consolidate the gains of FESTAC by creating the enabling environment for Arts, Culture and Tourism development in Nigeria.

There are great potentials for Arts, Culture, and Tourism as a source of foreign exchange revenue earnings and for greater employment opportunities. But these potentials have remained largely underdeveloped and underutilized. Employment and revenue generation from the sector have been insignificant, while foreign exchange earnings have been virtually non-existent in the arts, culture and tourism sector. The failure of governments to create an enabling and sustainable environment for private sector involvement combined to retard the development of this sector.

Nigeria’s enormous arts, cultural and tourism based resources is enough to yield more than 500% percent of the income accruing to Nigeria from oil. It is sad to note that these enormous resources are not only inadequately exposed to the world, but are not properly harnessed. In the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Report of 1999 is a shocking revelation that in terms of Global export earning in 1998, International Culture and Tourism topped the table with an income of US$504 billion, while Petroleum and allied products generated US$435 billion and ranking fifth behind automobile, chemicals and food. This statistical trend has been consistent and will remain unstoppable because of the enormous opportunities that abound in this sector. It will become an indictment on our collective responsibility if the sector is left untapped.

Clearly too, is the fact that Nigerians, nay Africans, are gradually relinquishing our cultural norms, values and heritage to those of the western world. It is on records that apart from our quest for foreign cultures and values, some dubious and criminal minded Nigerians with foreign collaborators, steal and smuggle some of our vital artifacts and antiquities to places outside the shores of Nigeria and Africa.

We have heard a lot of pronouncements by government on the need to diversify the nation’s revenue base. The reliance on oil in this period of the century is a serious indictment on our ability to adapt to changes in line with global trends. In 2002, Brazil made over $18 Billion from arts, culture and tourism, while Cuba made over $15 Billion in tourism in one quarter of the same year. Nigeria should borrow a leaf from these experiences, the Kenyan experience, the South African experience, etc., since I will be going too far if I began to mention countries of the western world, where tourism has taken a scientific dimension. The expectation is that by the launching of the three versions of the Directory in October 1, 2005, by the President and Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, GCFR, His Excellency would have set the Project’s management in motion to carryout its vision for the First All African Cultural Olympiad.

As a believer in the possibilities that abound in the arts, culture and tourism sector, I urge all Nigerians, stakeholders, the media, donor agencies, the international community, the public and private sector and lovers of the arts, culture and tourism to support the Nigerian Arts and Culture Directory Project. Support for the Directory Project, is support for national development, poverty eradication and economic growth in Nigeria.

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