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A Professor of The Performing Arts at the University of Ilorin, Jeleel Ojuade, has advocated the establishment of a University of Creative and Entertainment in Nigeria where young people who are nurturing careers in the Creative Arts and Entertainment industry will be groomed.
Prof. Ojuade made the call while delivering a Keynote Address at the Kwara Books and Arts Festival (KWABAFEST) held at the Kwara State University Centre for Archives and Development.
The event themed “Stories from Scratch: Testaments of the Origins”, brought young creative artists together under one umbrella to display and bring their art to life in the heart of Kwara State.
Prof. Ojuade, who was represented on the occasion by the General Manager of UNILORIN 89.3 FM, Mr Ibrahim Idris (Alooma), observed that while there is an urgent need for the Nigerian government to deviate from the mono-economy, the Creative and Entertainment industry has boosted the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of some notable countries.
The Keynote Speaker, who is also the Board Chairman of the UNILORIN 89.3 FM, explained that if the Nigeria government can invest heavily in the Creative and Entertainment industry, the most populous black African nation stands a better chance to multiply her IGR as successfully demonstrated by countries like Brazil, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Egypt, and Kenya, among others.
Prof. Ojuade, while commending the Kwara State Governor, Mallam Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq for being conscious of the potential of the Creative and Entertainment industry, said that the work on the Kwara State Visual Art Centre is praiseworthy.
According to him, the center, if completed, will not only attract considerable IGR for the state, it will put the state on the world map of prominent states in the international fora.
While encouraging the promotion of talents through the provision of a conducive environment for them to thrive, the President of the Association of Dance Scholars and Practitioners in Nigeria (ADSPON) admonished the Kwara State government to organise short-time lectures and seminars for the unskilled people in the state that could make them fulfill their goals in life.
Prof. Ojuade pointed out that xenophilia challenged all diverse cultural groups in Nigeria to treasure and promote their cultures, adding that, they can turn their culture into tourist destinations through cultural exhibitions.
He explained that out of the about 7.8 billion people all over the world, approximately 1.5 billion people move around the world every year for cultural exhibitions and tourism.
The Dance scholar, however, appealed to governments at all levels to look inward and make various cultures in their local and state levels attractive to tourists to put their various constituencies on the global map.
He specifically appealed to the Kwara State government to partner with communities that sheltered some tourist centres in the state such as the Ilorin Central Mosque, Dada Pottery, Mungo Park Monument, Esie Museum, Okuta Ilorin, Pategi Beach, Owu Waterfalls, and the University of Ilorin Zoological Garden, among others, to make such communities centre of attraction and improve the IGR of the state.
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