Abuja – The National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO) says it is working closely with the Chinese Cultural Centre to sponsor a `Cultural Diplomacy Programme’ towards promoting peace and security in the country.
The Executive Secretary of NICO, Dr Barclays Ayakoroma, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Thursday.
Ayakoroma stated that the programme, along with others, is aimed at sensitise the country’s royal fathers, being primary peace agents, to the security challenges in the country.
According to him, the programme will feature at all the study centres of the institute across Nigeria.
Cue in audio
“We have put Talking Cultural Diplomacy as a programme and we have discussed with the Chinese Cultural Centre in Nigeria and they are interested in the programme.
“And UFUK Dialogue (Foundation), Turkish Foundation based here in Nigeria; they are both interested.
“In short, UFUK Dialogue has offered to host the first edition of our talking culture diplomacy of NICO’s public lectures series because we want to make our public lectures quarterly.
“This year we hope to actualise our public lecture series, which will be quarterly.
“We hope to actualise our talking diplomacy; we hope to actualise our national conference on culture leadership.
“And national conference on culture, peace and national security.
“We started this programme in 2012.
“Because of the security situation, one needed to sensitise our royal fathers because they are the primary peace agents.
“They are the people at the grassroots and we wanted to sensitise them to the security challenges around us and we are happy that people are talking peace.’’
Cue out audio
NAN reports that UFUK Dialogue Foundation was founded in 2011 in Nigeria for the purpose of fostering inter-faith and inter-cultural dialogue.
It aims to stimulate exchange of ideas on the ways and means of supporting democracy and promoting peace. (NAN)