NAFEST 2012: Matters Arising

The recently concluded National Festival for Arts and Culture, (NAFEST) held in Illorin, capital of Kwara State, has again brought Rivers State to the fore as the most endowed and celebrated in terms of cultural diversity and artistic prowess.

The national fiesta which had in attendance contingents from the 36 states of the federation that competed for the available laurels, ended with Rivers State contingent lifting the highest number of trophies and emerged the overall winner in the event.

Out of the seven gold medals competed for, Rivers State won two, in addition to winning other trophies in competitions such as, wrestling, moonlight, games, best costume and best in food fair, among others.

The moonlight games was so captivating that the audience was dazzled and enthralled in the messages sent across through role interpretation by the children that represented the state in this category. In apparent conformity with the theme of this year’s edition of NAFEST, “Culture, Peace and Empowerment”, the moonlight game, featured co-ordinated and consummating stories that earned the participants a more celebrated status in the national event. The budding talents were co-opted into major programmes in the opening ceremony and they equally performed brilliantly.

But did the Rivers contingent coast home the highest number of trophies through the elements of luck or was something more at work than mere good fortune?

As the pioneer council for arts and culture in Nigeria, established to foster the needed cohesion and ethnic harmony embedded in the diverse cultural heritage of the people, the Rivers State Council for Arts and Culture appears not to have lost touch with its mandate in the face of grave challenges.

Rivers State, by natural design, represents the prevailing ethos of the Nigerian state, and the diverse culture of the various component units that form the state has not only proved to be the only veritable measure of promoting peace, but also a means of creating revenue for the state.

The State Council for Arts and Culture is a pivotal agency vested with this onerous responsibilities.

The colourful and brilliant performance of the Rivers State contingent at the 2012 edition of NAFEST was therefore a classic example of opportunity meeting preparation. It has also given cause for a deep reflection on the need for the state to open new vistas for the projection of the cultural potentials of the state beyond mere platforms of entertainment to the tourists destination of Nigeria.

This in the views of a foremost historian and one of the pioneers of the State Council for Arts and Culture, Prof. E.J. Alagoa, “was the very basis of the formation of the State Council for Arts and Culture in Rivers State”.

Musing over the challenges of management and sustenance the rich heritage of the people, Prof. Alagoa, who spoke as a special guest at the last cultural summit in Port Harcourt, identified ‘research, funding and proper documentation of the cultural artifacts of the people as the only way of promoting the culture of the people beyond mere rhetrorics”. Prof. Alagoa, recalled that the founders of the Council for Arts and Culture blazed the trail in that direction because of the rich array of culture in the state.

The Prof. Emeritus recommended that “the state should come up with creative new approaches that will boost the prospect of cultural activities in the state and launch Rivers State to the global tourism map”.

However, the superlative performance of the Rivers State contingent at the NAFEST 2012, was not greeted with the deserving celebration at home which  is ostenaibly is the hallmark of such level of national outing, as is the case of sporting events, especially football. Their momentum in the track tends to have been whittled down, except for the fact that they have proved their mettle.

Apart from a low key reception and the warm embrace of a highly Impressed Commissioner  for Culture and Tourism, Dr. Nabbs Imegwu, who received the gold trophy from the management of the State Council for Arts and Culture, there was no fanfare.

But the honourable Commissioner in his speech promised to bridge the missing link by introducing the Team Rivers to the Governor for a more deserving welcome, akin to that which is enjoyed by participants in sporting activities like football which had done the state proud.

The Rivers State Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, also assured that the Government of Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi had made culture and tourism development a priority, leveraging on private sector participation.

The commissioner said ‘Rivers State was ready to key into the global revolution in cultural development to create income for the state through this participatory and profitable venture”.

The assurances of the Rivers State Government in the provision of modern functional infrastructural framework was buttressed by the commissioner, while receiving the management of the Council for Arts and Culture.

Dr. Imegwu who commended the managerial competence of the present acting Executive Director of the Rivers State Council for Arts and Culture, Chief Deede Baede, said the drive to put Rivers State on the global tourism map required the input of all.

He said modalities had been put in place to ensure that creative potentials lying forlon in the nooks and crannies of the State were fully explored for the service of the state.

Speaking with The Tide, the acting Executive Director of the Rivers State Council for Arts and Culture, Chief Deede Baede, attributed the success recorded at the 2012 edition of NAFEST, to government’s response, team work, encouragement from stakeholders and the determination to win.

Chief Deede called on the State government to give the council maximum support to ensure that the state maintains its prime position as the repository of cultural potentials and talents among the comity of states. He added that a panacea for greater success in national and international outings is that “managerial competence should be encouraged through promotion and appointments into existing committees bordering on cultural development both in the state and at the national level”.

He appealed to the  government to provide functional vehicles for the council, as most of the operational vehicles were antiquated and needed replacement.

Stakeholders are also of the view that the state government should make real its promise of taking culture and tourism to Olympian height and making it an alternative to oil and gas in terms of foreign earnings.

One of the measures of achieving this is through a holistic approach where all related agencies are made to play active rather than passive roles in all cultural activities in the state, especially the CARNIRIV which is at the centre stage of cultural activities in the state.

Analysts believe that such approach will bring better results as stakeholders will be strategically involved where abilities are best suited, especially in planning and strategic marketing of Rivers cultural potentitals.

Taneh Beemene