KEYNOTE PAPER DELIVERED BY

DR. WALE OKEDIRAN

NATIONAL PRESIDENT,

ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIAN AUTHORS.

FORMER MEMBER, FEDERAL HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

 AT

THE 62^nd CORA ARTS STAMPEDE AT THE NATIONAL THEATRE, LAGOS ,

ON SUNDAY JULY 1, 2007.

Mr. Chairman, Guests of Honour, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen.  I wish to say how honoured I am to have been asked to give the keynote at this 62^nd edition of the Arts Stampede as organized by CORA. 

I will like to commend CORA for the important role it has been playing in the country this past 16 years as a formidable pressure group.  It may be tempting for CORA to think that the outcomes of the various Arts stampedes are not taken seriously by those in authority.  This is not so.  About two years ago, I was with one of our former Ministers for Culture and Tourism when he complained to me that some of the comments at one of the CORA’s arts stampede were unfair to him. That goes to show that even if they don’t respond, many of our policy makers are following most of the discussions that emanate from the pages of our newspapers.  Apart from this, those of us who were associated with the arts sector before going into public office are always mindful of the possible outcome of our official activities.  I could recollect an incident that occurred during one of Professor Wole Soyinka’s visits to Abuja.  When one of the guests was trying to commend me for my performance in the National Assembly, Professor Soyinka quickly replied that I had no choice but to do well knowing fully well where I was coming from and where I will return. It is therefore my fervent belief that CORA has done favourably well as an effective pressure group in the area of arts discourse. I equally believe that this is one of those occasions when I have to return to give an account of my stewardship.

PREAMBLE:      Going through the resolutions from the 46^th stampede on the same theme of OUR ART, OUR DEMOCRACY which held on Sunday March 2, 2003, two particular points captured my attention;

i).       “The dismal rate of development in the arts sector has been a reflection of the lack of idea of government as far as moving the art and culture sector forward is concerned.”

ii).      “As far as Nigerian politicians are concerned, artists and all the instruments of their trade are nothing but ingredient of political assumptions and thereafter, they become tools of amusement at both private and public functions.”

My purpose this afternoon is not to refute or confirm the above statements and any other previously held assumptions about the position of our policy makers as regards the arts sector. My mission is  to give an appraisal of what has transpired in the last political dispensation. In the process, I will to throw up some important issues.  It will then be up to the distinguished array of discussants and the audience to map out the way forward.

INTRODUCTION:   The arts has not always been given much degree of prominence in the political agenda in Africa, Latin-America and Asia.  Nevertheless, an increasing number of governments are now recognizing the importance of culture in itself and in connection to social and economic development.

In Nigeria , the right to culture is anchored in the constitution and plays an important part in retaining the national unity in the country.  The Federal Ministry of Culture and Tourism which was established in 1999 by the then Obasanjo’s administration and its 10 parastatals is in charge of the cultural activities in the country.  Even though some degree of progress has been made in the area of culture, the Ministry is still seen as one of the most inferior ministries in the country.

An inkling to this could be gleaned from the experience of a former Minister of Culture and Tourism.  This Minister once observed that when his appointment as a Minister was confirmed, he was hailed and celebrated by his town people.  However, the moment it was announced that he would be in charge of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the celebration turned to mourning because he was deemed to have been sent to an inferior Ministry.  This perception of the cultural sector as the Cinderella of the government has persisted till date.  Apart from the fact that the ministry with four departments and ten parastatals is at the bottom of the budget ladder, (allocated less than 1% of the annual national budget) more worrisome is the poor level of budget releases (from 0% to 50%) of amount appropriated.  We shall talk more on this later.

The Administration of Culture in Nigeria .

At the risk of being accused of preaching to the converted, I will like to briefly review some basic information on culture.  For instance, it is now generally accepted that culture is fundamental to human existence and human civilization, embodying in its dynamism the totality of a people’s response to the challenges of life and living.  Culture offers meaning, purpose and value to the socio-economic, political and aesthetic ethos of society.  Inevitably therefore, cultural and political formation are inseparable.

In materialistic terms, culture ramifies the production, distribution and exchange categories of social and relational existence of mankind.  Culture, both of the material and intangible categories, offers a window unto the actual contribution of a people to human civilization.

When well funded and managed, the arts has the potentials to create employment opportunities through the establishment of cottage and culture-based industries.  Against the background of the recent spate of literary awards won by foreign based Nigerian writers, the arts has the potentials of giving the country the much needed positive publicity that even the most expensive public relations outfit cannot match.

With the vast and diverse cultural wealth of this country, it is a pity that the country still relies heavily on oil and allied products for its economic resources.  The culture sector has the potentials of being the basis of the much needed technological break through for Nigeria .

As was stated earlier, the current Federal Ministry of Culture and Tourism was established by the Obasanjo’s administration in 1999.  Prior to this, it was under Obasanjo’s leadership between 1976-1979 that Nigeria hosted the entire black world during the World Black and African Festival of Arts and Culture tagged FESTAC 77.  The coming of FESTAC then gave birth to such monuments as the FESTAC Town in Lagos , the once magnificent National Theater edifice and the Durbar Hotel, Kaduna .  Also include is the Museum Kitchen and the craft village built outside the premises of the National Museum Lagos.  Just before his exit in 1979, Obasanjo also approved the establishment of a unique Gallery in the National Museum, Lagos as well as the creation of the National Commission for Museum and Monument and the centre for Black and Africa Arts and Civilization (CBAAC).  It was therefore a confirmation of his interest in the Arts sector that President Obasanjo on his return as a civilian President in 1999 created the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

I have gone into all the above as a basis for my subsequent observation on how a president with such an impressive credential as a pro-culture and arts enthusiast could have inadvertently or deliberately spoilt what could have been a glorious cultural era through poor funding and haphazard policies.