AFAC 2011: Business as usual?
Beginning Monday May the 16th at the Old Parade Ground, Garki Abuja, residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) as well as guests from all over the world are expected to be treated to an impressive outing of the regional Arts and Crafts Expo (AFAC) tagged ‘Promoting Craft Industry for Economic Transformation’. According to organiser […]
Beginning Monday May the 16th at the Old Parade Ground, Garki Abuja, residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) as well as guests from all over the world are expected to be treated to an impressive outing of the regional Arts and Crafts Expo (AFAC) tagged ‘Promoting Craft Industry for Economic Transformation’.
According to organiser of the Expo and Managing Director/CEO, National Council of Arts and Culture (NCAC), Mr.M.M. Maidugu, this year’s edition, which is the fourth in the annual series, “Will remain a veritable platform for showcasing indigenous African products to the global market. Aside creating employment for both youths and women, especially among rural populace, the annual expo also aims at promoting locally manufactured goods as a means of reducing influx of foreign goods into the country.”
According to the MD/CEO’s invitation letter to prospective participants on the NCAC’s website, “The last three (3) editions generated lots of interest and participation as well as improved standard and quality of designs and products, manifesting that this AFAC has emerged as a platform with great potentials for growing the economy of the rural African populace as well as assisting towards African integration.”
A lot of planning for a successful cultural celebration seems to have been put in place but previous participants and residents express displeasure over past editions.
Trader, Onyebuchi Uzor who participated in last year’s event as well as that of 2010 expressed displeasure over themes of the event. He said, “These themes in my opinion are just fanciful words and never achieve the desired aim. In 2009, they said AFAC will woo investors to the Arts and Crafts market. Last year AFAC was meant to grow the rural economy through the crafts industry. This year it has been tagged differently. I don’t know how realistic the targets they have are or if they actually work towards achieving their set goals; because as far as I have observed from participating in both the 2009 and 2010 editions, these ambitions have not at all been met. It is a national event and a lot of us anxiously look forward to it. But as a participant coming all the way from Lagos, I don’t think the outings are what can be described as successful. The logistics was poor and late. I am so baffled by the reports you press people have at the end of these events because I ask myself if it is the same AFAC I was a part of that you people are reporting about or an entirely different one. More than half the time I think it will help if you are more objective in your report because it will help the organisers sit up. I am hoping that the next one will be better.”
Abuja residents and diehard fans of crafts, Mr. and Mrs. Wahab Ahmed opine that AFAC is a venture that has a lot of room to grow if organisers restructure their agenda. They spoke to our reporter while attending an exhibition on the Old Parade ground last Thursday evening. “We didn’t even know that AFAC is here already. A major problem I see with the organisers is their publicity which we consider inadequate. Imagine if we living here in the FCT don’t know it is starting in about only four days away, how do they expect that the rest of Nigeria know of their event? This notwithstanding, we believe strongly in this venture and see that it has a lot of room to grow and improve. But there are basic mistakes that should not be made in the first place and for us, good publicity is one that should not be taken for granted. Look, it is Thursday evening and there is not even a banner here indicating that any such thing will hold on Monday.”
A general complain in the past editions as Clementina Aje, an FCT resident, points out is the lack of sales. “It is common site to see participant sitting idle hoping for customers. I hope it will not be so this time around with more awareness on the event being created.”
An estimated five thousand crafts entrepreneurs from Nigeria and most of the West African coast like Republic of Benin, Niger, Togo, Ghana and Mali, are expected to participate in this year’s fiesta to display their unique creativity and style. In line with the objectives of AFAC to promote import/export business of African arts and crafts to buyers worldwide and showcase some aspects of African Cultural heritage and to establish an International African Arts and Crafts market place in Nigeria, more countries from across the globe have also indicated their interest to be a part of the cultural extravaganza. They include Trinidad and Tobago, Egypt and South Korea. The event whose exhibitions will begin 16 of May will however be officially open on Friday, May 20th. The programme will run for two weeks.