NCAC unveils school competition on culture

The National Council for Art and Culture (NCAC) on Monday announced that it had initiated the National Culture Quiz Competition for Secondary Schools as a stand-alone annual event.
Mr Segun Runsewe, the Director-General, National Council for Art and Culture (NCAC), said this at the national conference of Nigerian Folklore Society (NFS) in Abuja.
The conference has the theme “Resilience and dynamism in folklore in the 21st century”.
He said that the event would go a long way to minimize the infiltration of western values and dire consequences on youths.
Runsewe said the competition centred on a mélange of cultural expressions ranging from dexterity of indigenous languages, understanding of social innuendoes, identification of crafts associated with Nigerian creativity and knowledge of tourism sites.
“The objectives of this programme include minimising infiltration of western values and dire consequences on youths, grooming Nigerian youths by deepening their interest and knowledge in their cultures and traditions and promoting friendship and intercultural ties among them.
“It will also aimed at inculcating wholesome morals and norms to this very significant and crucial segment of our national fibre,’’ he said.
Runsewe emphasised that a people’s folktales never dies but transformed by the prevalent mass media or technology for some social media functions.
He said that moral instructions, value and skills are importation, adding that it aims at society wellness and citizens’ materials and spiritual empowerment.
According to him, the council is redesigning its various programmes and activities with an eye on global patronage of cultural expression as our dynamic response to globalisation.
“To this end, we are actively expanding the frontiers and platforms for international discourse, patronage and consumption of Nigerian folkloric expression.
“The impetus that propels our agenda is to expatiate the economics of pleasure, joy and lifestyle to mean the peoples’ art, their creativity, their craft, architecture, their fashion, dances and every form of expression as commercial items to be marketed for revenue generation.
“In short, our driving impulse is to network the folkloric expressions of Nigeria to the world in the return for legitimate tourist expenditure in Nigeria, among others,” he said.
Runsewe noted that the theme of the conference was intended to acknowledge the evolving role of oral traditions and to explore its relevance in contributing to the development of modern states.
Such concerns, according to him, are how we could ensure that the process of globalisation facilitates rather than eliminating local cultural heritage.
“The concern is also how do we enhance the local so that it becomes global and not obsolete?,” he said.
He emphasised that our new tales must be appropriately clothed in new technology, from oral to book form and ICT compliant media.
He emphasised that the future of folklore cannot be navigated without an investment in animation.
Runsewe explained that the mega millions of Disney folktales told in celluloid, DVD must be replicated by a surge in Nigerian animated pictures supported by aggressive merchandising and promotion market.