Abuja Carnival set to go !

The next big thing on the Nigerian scene is the Abuja Carnival, the national carnival of the world's biggest assemblage of black people.

It is scheduled to take place from the 27th- 3oth of this month in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory.

The states are fully mobilised to take part in it as the Management Committee had earlier done a series of Zonal Workshops to enlighten the states as to what the shortcomings were in their efforts at participation in previous years. Based on the new level of enlightenment amonmgst the states, it is expected that the competitive elements of the carnival will much more closely contested than in early years.

The foreign participation componewnt already has the presence of Egypt, South Africa and Canada in the kitty. It is scheduled for the 29th.

The Abuja Carnival has entrenched itself as the world's most diversified carnival. Aside froim the usual street parades and the Foreign troupes' participation mentioned above, it also features a durbar, a boat regatta, a children's participation component, a food fair and a cultural market.

It is about Nigeria's most stable cultural tourism event, holding unfailingly in the third week of November every year. It is in its sixth edition this year.

Make sure you do not miss it.

NAFEST is from 30th October

Yes, and that is official.

NAFEST 2010 will now hold from 30th October to 7th November. Venue is still, Uyo, capital of Akwa Ibom State.

See you there !

Ayakoroma moves to the next level !

When praying at the closing ceremony of the National Festival of Arts and Culture(NAFEST), Minna, Niger State 2009, Barclays Ayakoroma thanked God for the fact that NAFEST had moved to another level. As it happens, God was busy that moment preparing him(Barclays) for moving to another level. And so, Barclays Ayakoroma (Phd) is the new Executive Secretary of the National Institute for Cultural Orientation(NICO).

We let you know earlier of the dynamism of this young icon of the Cultural Sector in our posting on the Bayelsa State Council for Arts and Culture, which he was in charge of then. Well, he did not leave that dynamism out of his approach to the new job.

Just go over to the NICO site and see for yourself. That is only a sign of the many great things this cultural administrator is intending to do at NICO, of which we shall be informing you as they unfold.

Visit Bayelsa Council for Arts and Culture online !

Whatever might have been the faults of Diepriye Alamieseigha, his credits as a culture loving and culture-supporting Governor can never be denied or wished away. He it was that gave that establishment a young, dynamic and field-active Chief Executive in the person of Barclays Ayakoroma. The result has been an Art Council that is not only active on ground, but one of the very few that have any internet presence, making it a leader in the community of State Art Councils inspite of belonging to one of the youngest states. I have the honour of inviting you to visit Bayelsa State Council for Arts and Culture online.

Government realigns the Cultural Sector.

The Nigerian Cultural Sector which until recently was paired with the Tourism Sector to form the Federal Ministry of Culture and Tourism has once again been realigned. This time it goes into a Ministry of Culture and National Orientation.

What Is The Nigerian Cultural Sector ?

So what excactly constitutes the Nigerian Cultural Sector ?

At the core of the Nigerian Cultural Sector structure is a ministerial department that goes by the name - Federal Department of Culture.

Complementing it at the Federal level are the following extra-ministerial departments :

(i) the National Council for Arts and Culture ( NCAC )
(ii) the National Commission for Museums and Monuments ( NCMM )
(iii) the National Gallery of Arts (NGA)
(iv) the National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO)
(v) the Centre for Black Arts and Civilisation (CBAAC)
(vi) the National Troupe of Nigeria (NTN) and
(vii) the National Theatre Management Board ( NTMB)


Officially, the following are no more part of the Cultural Sector but continue to have cultural relevance :

(i) the National Copyright Commission (NCC) and
(ii) the National Archives.

Virtually all the 37 states of the Federation and the National Capital Territory have their equivalents of the National Council for Arts and Culture though they are known variously as : State Council for Arts and Culture, Cultural Centre Board orHistory and Culture Bureau.

Also to be added to the sector structure are the Professional Associations like the National Association of Nigerian Theatre Arts Practitioners(NANTAP), the Society of Nigerian Theatre Artistes ( SONTA), the Society of Nigerian Artists (SNA) etc, the Non-Governmental Organisations including the foreign ones like the British Council, the Alliance Francaise, the Italian Cultural Institute etc, the Performing Troupes, the Exhibition Groups like AKA etc and finally, the myriad of unassociated artists and artistes.