Nigerian Art Council :where it all began !

Many great things start small. It is hardly different with the formal sector of the Nigerian Cultural Administration.

Many of those now milking the sector hardly know or remember that the seeds of what is today known as the National Council for Arts and Culture and, arguably, one of the biggest parastatals in the sector started as a Non-Governmental organisation by the name Nigerian Art Council.

Can one then reasonably expect them to remember the deservings of people like Maitama Sule,Chief Dr Kola Balogun , Chief Dappa Biriye etc, ? In the early 80s, the NCAC issued a book on the history of the organisation. One name I eagerly looked forward to seeing was Frank Abiodun Aig-Imoukhuede.He was a member of the Nigerian Art Council team .When the transformation occurred it went through stages. First , the government was convinved to give the NAC subvention and later it was accepted as the official non-ministerial arm of the government's cultural administration efforts.
Mr Aig-imoukhuede was there through all that and became the first administrative head of the National Council for Arts and Culture in the capacity of Executive Secretary. As at the time the booklet was being issued, he was the immediate past head of the NCAC. Alas, I did not find his name on any page of that document ! I did not not know whether to laugh or cry !