Prof. Rita Pemberton of the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine in Trinidad and Tobago, on Thursday urged African leaders to intensify efforts in exploring African culture and monetise such for the growth of the continent.
Pemberton made the call during the Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilisation (CBAAC)’s 2021 International Conference held in Lagos.
She said that aspects of culture such as: craft, language, literature, folklore and music should be properly explored for revenue generation.
The theme for the conference is “The Renaissance of African Culture: Music, Crafts, Language, Literature and Folklore”.
Speaking on the sub-theme: “Africans Across the Globe: The Diaspora Answers Back”, Pemberton said that it was high time African leaders looked into ways to minimise the rate at which African youths move out of African countries to other continents in search of means of livelihood.
She said that one of the ways to tackle that problem was to ensure that African culture is properly explored to create wealth by the teeming youths and the leaders.
According to her, African government, cultural organisations and educational institutions have huge roles to play in monetising African culture, to ensure African youths are enticed to remain in their countries to grow the economy of such countries.
“African Government must develop, publicise and implement a diaspora policy to determine where we are going, how to treat ourselves with the different diaspora groups.
“African Government must also create and mobilise material-culture agenda like arranging cultural trade shows, establishing mutual cultural expos which offer a range of continental and diaspora talents and resources.
“To monetise culture, the African high commissions should provide a cultural calendar for the continent, involve the diaspora in continental cultural activity and publicise African creativity and technological achievements in the diaspora.
“The cultural organisations across Africa must also facilitate the process of recovering and uncovering African culture, provide means of preserving and promoting common African sayings, proverbs, African beads and develop cultural industries.
“The various aspects of African culture must be looked into because immense wealth exists in culture, culture can generate huge employment opportunities for the youth,” he said.
Mr Oluwabunmi Amao, the Director-General of CBAAC, said that the theme of the conference was deliberately chosen to align with the African Union Agenda 2063 which was rooted in pan-Africanism.
Amao said that for Africans and people of Africa descent to realise the vision of Africa that everyone wants, the process must begin in earnest.
He said that for Africa to make meaningful progress in advancing the fortunes of her people, Africans must utilise the potential inherent in African cultural elements like arts, music, crafts, language, literature and folklore.
Also, Dr Malusi Mncube of the University of Johannesburg, South Africa, advised African youths to be creative and get engaged positively.
Similarly, Dr Ifeoma Anyanwutaku, the Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture, was represented by Mrs Rose Kwersen.
Anyanwutaku said that if Africa were to foster and accelerate development, the pivotal role of culture and its varied elements in building peace, intensifying relations and facilitating economic growth must be the focal point of its policy instruments.
“It is imperative that in our quest for economic growth, we must refocus our attention and prioritise culture as the vehicle for driving and attaining the much-needed development,” she said
