National Institute For Cultural Orientation

The Director-General, United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Ms Irina Bokova, has said no nation can achieve sustainable development without cultural diversity, stressing that culture in its diversity can foster a sense of identity and cohesion for societies in times of uncertainty.

This was contained in her message, delivered on her behalf by Professor Hassana Aliyu, at the 2013 World Culture Day Celebration, organized by the Federal Ministry of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation in collaboration with UNESCO at the International Conference Centre, Abuja, on the theme: “Creativity: A Tool for Peace and National Development.”

Irina said culture and cultural diversity may not be part of the internationally-recognized development goals, yet are powerful sources of creativity and innovation, which makes them key accelerators for meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Describing the importance of cultural diversity as a wellspring of creativity, dynamism and sustainability, the UNESCO boss called for recognition and support for cultural diversity, stressing that for UNESCO, human ingenuity and innovation remains the most powerful and renewable energies, especially in this new age of limits.    

Her words: “At a time of change, we must broaden the debate about development to harness culture’s transformation power. Recognizing and supporting cultural diversity can help to address both the economic and human rights dimensions of poverty and provide creative, cross-cutting solutions to complex issues-from health and environment to advancing gender equality and education for all.”

Maintaining that intercultural dialogue is essential to make the most of diversity, deepen its roots of development and share its benefits, Irina expressed optimism that the growth of the cultural sector and creative industries and the benefits arising from safeguarding tangible and intangible cultural heritage are already indications that culture is a driver of development.

The World Day for Cultural Diversity, Dialogue and Development is celebrated by UNESCO and its member countries on May 21 every year.

Caleb Nor
Corporate Affairs

The Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) Network Station, Minna, Niger State, has expressed its commitment to partner the National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO), Niger State Office, Minna, in the forthcoming Nigerian Indigenous Language Programme (NILP) of the Institute.   The General Manager, NTA Minna, Alhaji Umar Mohammed, made this known in his office in Minna, recently, during a courtesy call paid on him by officials of the NICO Minna State Office.

According to him, NTA, as an agency of government, was established to propagate government programmes and policies, especially those that promote the Nigeria culture, which is exactly what NICO is doing, and as such, his office was obliged to help in actualizing that mandate.

Umar, who expressed particular interest in the one-month intensive indigenous language programme of the Institute, said, “It is a veritable tool in studying and appreciating a particular culture. If you don’t know one’s language, you can’t study his culture.”

He expressed optimism that the Nigerian Indigenous Language Programme (NILP) will aid in their indigenous language communication skills gave his assurance that NTA, Minna Network Centre, will sponsor some staffers to participate in the programme in August 2013. 

However, he lamented that NTA, as self-sponsored organization, is most times constrained by limited resources in the desire to assist sister parastatals of government, but assured of minimal assistance in order to continue to identify with NICO as an organ in its priority list.

The GM also enjoined the leadership of NICO State Office in Minna to partner other cultural organizations in the state to enable it achieve her mandate, just as he urged them to explore other media organizations, especially Radio, since it is affordable and most common to the rural dwellers.

Earlier, the Head of the Niger State Office of NICO, Mrs. Funke Ndukwe, had said that the courtesy call was in view of the recognition of the strategic position of the Minna Network Centre of NTA in effectively disseminating the activities of the Institute at the grassroots.

She observed that the collaboration of NTA in Niger State, in informing, educating and enlightening the citizenry on the programmes and activities of the Institute, will be invaluable and called for his cooperation.

Oyewole Akanle
Corporate Affairs
NICO Minna

Nigerians have been urged to stop treating the development of Nigerian cultural industries, such as theatre, dance, music, film/video, art and crafts, museums and monuments, foods and cuisine, fashion, literature and publishing, festivals and ceremonies with levity.

Professor Jenkeri Zakari Okwori of the Department of Theatre and Performing Arts, Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Nigeria, made the call in a paper, titled, “The Culture of Creativity and The Creativity of Culture: Implications for Peace and National Development,” which he delivered in the 2013 edition of the World Culture Day Celebration at the International Conference Centre, Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory.

Represented by the Head, Department of Theatre and Performing Arts, ABU, Professor Sam Kafewo, the university scholar described cultural industries as being knowledge and labour intensive because they create employment and wealth, nurture creativity and foster innovation in the production and commercialization process.

He averred that treating the development of the cultural industries of any country with levity amounts to ignoring its culture of creativity, cautioning that a nation that ignores its culture of creativity has ignored its creative industries and does so at its peril.

“It is in the arena of cultural production and especially cultural industries that creativity finds most eloquent expression. So, ignoring the creative industries is not in the good interest of any nation, because they add to the economic potentials and sense of nationhood, in addition to engendering and nurturing peace and national development,” he stated.

The university don continued: “The argument should not be about creating and providing budget for the cultural ministries or departments. Instead, Nigeria should empower and strengthen the mandate of the National Institute for Cultural Orientation and National Orientation Agency to develop and monitor a mechanism in which all planning involving all ministries, departments and agencies include a cultural component that would determine the effect of intervention of that sector on the people in cultural terms. The formulation of the development programmes will be framed within the cultural challenges that must be addressed and cultural resources that must be used to enable success. The agencies would develop cultural indicators that would form basis of assessment. Such indicators should take into cognisance the cultural impacts of the development actions.”

He further said it was good to give special attention to anything that has to do with culture and creativity as culture is an essential and peculiar way of life that embodies thinking, feeling, the process of organizing, existence and development, nexus of the ability to store, use and reuse society’s knowledge and wisdom from the past to the present and also store them up for future, and that creativity is the generation of a product that is not only novel and imaginative but also useful and of good quality.

The World Day for Cultural Diversity, Dialogue and Development, with the theme, “Creativity: A Tool for Peace and National Development,” had in attendance, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Culture, Tourism and National Orientation, Mrs. Nkechi Ejele, represented by Director, Planning, Research & Documentation, Mr. Chudi Uwandu, Country Representative of UNESCO, Professor Hassana Aliyu, Executive Secretary, National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO), Dr. Barclays Foubiri Ayakoroma, Executive Director, National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC), Mr. M.M. Maidugu, Director-General, National Gallery of Art, Mr. Abdullahi Muku, Director of Culture in the Ministry, Nkanta George Uffot, as well as NICO Cultural Clubs from secondary schools in the Federal Capital Territory, that provided cultural entertainment based on the theme of the celebration. 

Nwagbo Pat Obi
Corporate Affairs

The Principal of Federal Government College (FGC), Enugu, Mrs. I. U. Ifejika, has commended the National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO) for the serious commitment to ensuring the revitalization of the moral values in the Nigerian society.

Mrs. Ifejika, this statement while playing host to the Head, Enugu State office of NICO, Mr. Nnaemeka Nwajagu, who paid a courtesy call to her office, decrying the high level of moral decadence in the society, where the western culture has negatively impacted on children.

She expressed readiness, on behalf of the management of the school, to partner NICO Enugu State office, in its programmes and activities, especially the formation of NICO Cultural Club in the school.

Earlier in his speech, the Head, NICO Enugu State office, Mr. Nwajagu Nnaemeka, said they were in her office on a familiarization visit and to intimate her on the choice of FGC as one of the first set of schools, where the state office will establish NICO Cultural Clubs.

He commended the management FGC, Enugu, for their exemplary leadership style which has made the school to excel in all competitions.

Delivering a vote of thanks, the Assistant Director in charge of social and cultural activities, Mrs. Njoku, thanked NICO Enugu for the Cultural Clubs project, which came at the right time and promised to liaise with NICO in programmes that will impact positively on children and enhance their upbringing.   

Kingsley Ngoka
Corporate Affairs

The Coordinator, NICO Gombe State Office, Yahaya Mohammed Sanda, in continuation of his effort to create awareness about the existence of NICO in Gombe State and in furtherance of his commitment to publicize the programmes and activities of the Institute in the State, on Thursday, 16th May, 2013, paid a visit to the General Manager, Nigeria Television Authority (NTA), Gombe, Alhaji Aliyu Baba Barau.

The visit afforded the State Coordinator the opportunity to formally inform the Management of NTA Gombe that NICO Gombe State Office is fully operational and to also brief them about the programmes of Institute.

He stressed that NICO’s programmes are vital to the attainment of lasting socio-economic development in Nigeria, citing the National Media Workshop for Art writers and Editors organized by the Institute, all geared towards creating a synergy between Media and NICO, in the effort of harnessing culture for peace, social integration, unity and national development.

Sanda informed that the much-talked about NICO National Conference on “Culture, Peace and National Security” for Traditional rulers and Local Government Chairmen will be replicated in Gombe State, and that the Nigerian Indigenous Languages Programme (NILP), which is aimed at rekindling the interest of Nigerians in speaking their mother tongues, was to preserve them from going extinct.

In his response, the General Manager,  NTA Gombe, Alhaji Aliyu Baba Barau, commended NICO Gombe State Office Coordinator, Yahaya Mohammed Sanda, for realizing the indispensability of the media in reaching out to the larger audience and that NICO’s reorientation programmes are most needed now that virtually all the States are facing distinct social problems ranging from thuggery, hooliganism, militancy, indolence, intolerance, to exam malpractices among others, as our cultural values that hitherto placed premium on hard work, respect for elders and constituted authority, good neighborliness and selflessness had been discarded.

Alhaji Barau, therefore, called on NICO Gombe State Office to come up with programmes that will ameliorate these social problems for the betterment of Nigeria and that on his part, he will ensure that such programmes are accorded full media coverage by NTA Gombe station.  

 (c) Nico news