By Taiye Baiyerohi
Lagos – Dr Ferdinand Anikwe, the Director-General(D-G), Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilization (CBAAC), said that the celebration of FESTAC 77 after 40 years was targeted at bringing economic boom to the nation.
Anikwe told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Friday that the centre had carved out programmes capable of eradicating the economic recession currently being experienced in the country.
According to him, the centre had been able to attract the interest of dignitaries from most of the African countries since the kick-off of the event held in Abeokuta earlier in the month.
“It is going to be an endless economic boom and cultural revival because our idea of FESTAC today is no longer going to be rigidly localised.
“The entire world will go into an interaction of cultural progress.
“Since the kick-off in Abeokuta on March 3, we have been receiving commendations from African countries.
“The Africa Union (AU) has accepted our consent note and sent it across to its member nations.
“The Nigerian economy will be thrown open to the world in terms of the dynamics of economic progress.
“This will be possible because when people are going out of the country and coming into the country from May to December, all manners of economic activities will be taking place,’’ he said.
Anikwe said that the season would be characterised as that of when Africans were undergoing acculturation and cultural diplomacy.
He said that Africans would be coming into the country to showcase their cultural practices, dancing styles, visual and fine arts, poetry, crafts, cultural parade, acting process, and different forms of cultural behaviours.
“It will be a period when Africans will be expected to tap from one another positively.
“Let us all maximise our economic benefits, Nigerians should turn up en-mass at the venues, appreciate the positive contributions and do their best by impressing the world.
“Expect this to be the most interesting and exquisite cultural presentation ever known in the history of man.
“Let us all ensure this festival revamps our creative economy and tourism sector,’’ he said.
NAN reports that the second Festival of Arts and Culture popularly called Festac 77 was hosted by Nigeria in 1977 during the military regime of the then General Olusegun Obasanjo.
CBAAC has begun activities to commemorate 40 years of the occasion