Carnival c’tee pursue overtures with sponsors

While urging sponsors on the need for their active participation, he pointed out that the business side of culture and art events are usually taken for granted and hardly explored. “Not many people give art or culture the credibility of being business. I use the word ‘business’ very deliberately, conscious that not many people give […]

While urging sponsors on the need for their active participation, he pointed out that the business side of culture and art events are usually taken for granted and hardly explored.
“Not many people give art or culture the credibility of being business. I use the word ‘business’ very deliberately, conscious that not many people give art or culture the credibility of being a business,” he said, adding that other aspects like sports and trade tourism may be considered as such, but certainly not arts and culture.
The Minister said that in a bid to further enrich the content of the carnival, preparations started earlier with some pre-carnival activities like the Stakeholders’ Forum already underway even at the state level.
Also present was the father of the carnival, Hon. Justice S.M.A. Belgore who stressed the fact that the pride of every nation is its culture. He said a nation must have something to show the world which then becomes her identity. Nigeria, Justice Belgore said, is a wealthy nation with so much to offer; but the foremost thing to bring her to the world is her culture.
This year being Nigeria’s fiftieth anniversary, he urged sponsors and stakeholders to make a difference in their contributions towards this year’s outing for the sake of posterity so that generations, fifty years from now will be thankful for a foundation well laid.
Artistic director of the Carnival, Prof. Rasaki Ojo Bakare, in his chronicle of the steps taken to ensure world class event highlighted innovations for this year’s carnival to make it more concise, yet better organised and interesting for visitors and participants. Bakare informed that a cultural night has been added, as well as the expansion of the carnival route from 2kilometres to a 16kilometre stretch of residential areas. Also partnership has been formed with appropriate platforms of tourism like the Nigerian Art Community and Hotel Owners Forum. The carnival is billed to take place from November 27th to the 30th.