By Rotimi Ijikanmi
Abuja – Nigeria and the Republic of Ireland on Tuesday underscored the need to sign bilateral agreement on cultural relations between both countries.
The position was reached in Abuja when the Irish Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Sean Hoy, paid a courtesy visit to the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.
Speaking at the event, Mohammed said that although Nigeria and Ireland enjoyed good and cordial relationship, there was no signed cultural agreement between both countries.
He recalled that Ireland was among the first countries to open full Embassy in the country when Nigeria attained Independence in 1960.
The minister said that the possible cultural areas both countries could benefit from each other were; festivals, carnivals, music and dance, arts and craft.
He said the two countries could also explore literature, heritage management and conservation as well as capacity building of cultural workers to their benefits.
The minister welcomed the plan by the Embassy to cast an Irish play by William-Butler Yeats in Nigeria.
Yeats was an Irish poet and one of the foremost figures of 20th century literature as well as a pillar of both the Irish and British literary establishments.
Earlier, the Irish Ambassador said that the play, a 20-minute production, would be staged in Nigeria by most actors who are Irish-Nigerians.
Hoy said that the Irish Embassy and the crew would work with the Ministry to achieve successful production.
The envoy said his country had passion for Nigerian writers such as the late Chinua Achebe, Prof. Wole Soyinka and Chimamanda Adichie.
He stressed the need for both countries to have a bilateral agreement on cultural relations. (NAN)