Lagos – Mr Tope Babayemi, an expert in the Arts and Culture Management, on Wednesday said that balancing investments between traditional and contemporary cultures would hasten development in tourism.
Babayemi told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that balancing these two cultures would attract both the old and young thereby improving the state of the sector.
“When you hear culture, you are thinking of tradition but what about contemporary culture; how about new works and productions?
“Therefore, government needs to invest in that.
“For example, currently in the contemporary music culture, most young people prefer to listen to hip-hop artists and electronic dance music.
“The most successful artists of the time receive recognition for their contributions to contemporary culture through awards and shows such as the Grammy Awards, among others.
“People from older generations may find it difficult in identifying with contemporary culture; therefore, it is not about investing solely in heritage because culture is dynamic,” he said.
According to him, young people troop out to watch the latest movies in the cinemas as against going to the theatre for theatrical shows.
“So, we have to strike the right balance in cultural management in terms of investments.
“If we invest too much in tradition, there will not be enough to invest in the contemporary stuffs and in the future.
“The challenge for cultural policies and for financing culture is that, there are certain heritages that we must allow to die a natural death.
“Then, we can focus on cultural development in a macro sense,” Babayemi said.
He advised the Ministry of Information and Culture to engage in the right strategic partnerships at the international, national and corporate levels to attract funds for the development of the sector. (NAN)