NCAC holding arts, crafts expo to network Nigerian cultural strength – DG

The Director General (D-G) of NCAC, Otunba Olusegun Runsewe, said this on Wednesday night at the 14th International Arts and Crafts (INAC) Expo in Abuja.

Runsewe said that INAC was one of the platforms being used to engage and network arts and crafts makers to the world.

He said: “We have to do this now, particularly at the time COVID-19 has kept us at home, Nigeria should take the lead in Africa to show that we have tried to come out of it so that life can come.

“It has affected every economy and it is not in our interest.”

He blamed the prevailing security challenges on the COVID-19 pandemic, which he said affected people’s businesses and the country’s economy, leading to crime and others.

“COVID-19 is the cause of some criminal activities like kidnapping and banditry because people are not engaged.

“This is one of the platforms we are engaging the people. We have 10 states here who have come to show the strength of their states to the world through the NCAC.

“So for me, it is a wake-up call that we are getting out of the huge COVID-19,” Runsewe said.

According to him, INAC has made tremendous contributions to Nigeria’s growth and development as the ordinary artifact person who produces a new item now has the opportunity to touch a new thing in life.

“For us as an organisation, we are happy that our platform is being used to network the strength of Nigeria golbally.

“Before now, people didn’t understand the meaning of culture, it is an intangible contribution to human endeavour.

“So, what I have been trying to do is to carry culture to the next level and tell Nigerians that this is our heritage.

“This is to change the perception of other people about us. We need to tell our story, and one of the platforms to tell our story is the INAC,” the D-G said.

(NAN)