Stakeholders in the culture sector have raised the need for a theoretical framework and policy orientation for ethnic harmony in Nigeria towards strengthening our national identity.
This was part of the resolutions contained in a communiqué issued at the end of a one-day Annual Roundtable on Cultural Orientation (ARTCO), organized by the National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO) on Wednesday, September 4, 2024 at the Cyprian Ekwensi Cultural Centre, Area 10, Abuja with the theme: “Harnessing Nigeria’s Diverse Cultural Identities To Berth A Strong National Identity”.
According to the communiqué, Nigeria must work towards achieving a national identity in order to ameliorate the current challenges faced by the nation where dialogue and understanding would be fostered through community initiatives and government policies.
“National identity requires political will from the government. Therefore, the cultural policy of Nigeria needs to be revised, and the agencies in charge of these cultural policies should be better structured for internalization and inclusivity. NICO should liaise with other relevant agencies and civil society organizations in advocacy and activism for contributions on programmes to harness culture for national identity”.
“For us to firmly establish a national identity, we must first give our younger generation a strong identity that can be exploited and projected into national pride as neglecting their voices and failing to bridge the divides between ethnic groups will ultimately weaken the fabric of our nation. In doing so; there must be inclusivity of all ethnic groups rather than the three majorly promoted ones”.
It further stated that as Nigerians, we have diverse experiences and perspectives that have plagued our quest for common and shared identity and as a people; we should be galvanized to harness our cultural resources by ourselves to give the nation an alternative source of revenue generation.
“Petroleum and other extractive materials are major sources of foreign exchange. We can overcome this, if Nigeria should look inward for fashion, diet, architecture, and other non-obstruct ways of life to create a shift from dependence on foreign currency. Government should concentrate more on culture for national and economic development. The Federal Ministry of Arts, Culture, and the Creative Economy should collaborate with the Federal Ministry of Youth and Social Development to develop a workable material on culture and national identity”.
Two papers were presented by erudite scholars at the event to include; ‘‘Fostering Inter-generational and Inter-ethnic Understanding and Collaboration for National Unity by Professor Femi Omotoso, Former Dean, Faculty of the Social Sciences, Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti and “Harnessing Nigeria’s Diverse Cultural Identities to Berth a Strong National Identity” by Professor Mabel Evwierhoma of the Department of Theatre Arts, University of Abuja.
Caleb Nor
Media Asst.-ES
NICO, Abuja
