PASMAE honours prominent musicologists, teachers at Accra confab

•Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilization (CBAAC) Director General, Prof. Tunde Babawale (r) receiving his merit award for contributions to the development and promotion of African musical arts and culture in West Africa and the world at the recently concluded first regional conference of the Pan-African Society for Musical Arts Education (PASMAE) which was held at the University of Education, Winneba, in Ghana

The first regional conference of the Pan-African Society for Musical Arts Education (West African sub-region) has ended at the University of Education, Winneba, Ghana with the honouring of notable musicologists and music teachers on the sub-region.

The event which held from December 7 to 9, 2010, was attended by musical arts teachers from various educational institutions from across West Africa, as well as music students and enthusiasts.

Also in attendance were representatives of Pan-African Society for Musical Arts Education (PASMAE) from East and Southern Africa, representative of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the Director General, Centre for Black African Arts and Civilization (CBAAC) Lagos, as well as the executive body of PASMAE Africa led by the president, Dr. Adeowa Okunade.

Convened by Vice President, West Africa, Dr (Mrs.) Josephine Mokwunyei of the University of Benin, Benin-City, the conference central theme was “Musical Arts Education and Indigenous Knowledge Systems.”

The conference featured paper presentations and workshops on musical arts (music, dance, theatre, visual arts, costume and media) as well as musical and theatrical performances on the various sub-themes.

The opening ceremony of the conference was chaired by Professor Tunde Babawale, Director General of CBAAC who gave an eloquent speech on the need to maintain African indigenous knowledge systems including its arts and culture.

The conference was also an opportunity to recognise the enormous contributions of some notable African musicologists and scholars.

Ten Scholars were selected for the distinguished merit awards for their contributions to the development and promotion of African musical arts and culture in West Africa and the World. Among these were African foremost ethnomusicologist, Professor Emeritus J.H. Kwabena Nketia-grandfather of African music, founder and Director of the International Centre for African Music Development (ICAMD) University of Ghana, Legon, Accra and author of the world acclaimed Music of Africa; Africa’s first female Professor of Musicology Professor Mosunmola Omibiyi-Obidike, Professor Meki Nzewi-founder and Programme Director and Course Facilitator of the Centre for Indigenous Instrumental Music and Dance of Africa – University of Pretoria South Africa (CIIMDA).

Others are: Professor ’Tunde Babawale- Director-General, Centre for Black Arts and African Civilization (CBAAC)-Lagos, Nigeria and patron of Pan Africanism in general and Musical Arts Education in particular; Professor James Flolu from Ghana- one of the founders of PASMAE; Mr. Charles B. Wilson-veteran Music teacher; Professor Akwasi Asabere-Ameyaw-Vice Chancellor of University of Education, Winneba and Chief host; Professor Lupwishi Mbuyamba –Founding member of PASMAE, Past President of International Music Council (IMC), current President African Music Council (IMC) and Director of Observatory for Cultural Policies in Africa (OCPA) of UNESCO who was ably represented by Mr. Carl Ampah, Executive Officer at UNESCO Accra.

The conference came to a close with a meeting of stakeholders which led to the formation of PASMAE West Africa. The first executive members were elected with the Vice- President (West African) / Convener and Chairman of the first West African PASMAE Sub-Regional Conference Dr. Josephine Mokwunyei popularly known as “Joe Moks”- emerging as Chairman West Africa PASMAE, Dr. (Mrs.) Mary P. Dzansi was elected as the Vice-Chairman, Dr. Mereku Cosmos as Secretary; Apostle IfeOluwa Olorunsogo as Finance Officer and Dr. Austin Emielu as the Operations Officer.

The next general assembly is slated for 2012 in Nigeria.  It will indeed be a lot of work to beat Winneba 2010 which was supported and co-sponsored by CBAAC.

The Gambia gears up for 10th Black heritage’s Roots festival

Ministry of Tourism and Culture of The Gambia, has said it is already putting finishing touches to arrangements lined up for the 10th Edition of the popular Black Heritage’s International Roots Home Coming Festival.

The 10th edition will take place from February 4 to 10 next year and will be on the theme: Celebrating African Unity. This 10th edition is very special in that it will not only celebrate 10 years of the Roots Festival, but will also coincide with black history month, in February 2011.

It will also be held at a time when the tourist season is at it’s peak, in the little West African country, with the tourists expected to partake in the festivities.

Ms Aja Fatou Mass Jobe-Njie, minister of Tourism and Culture told journalists during a press briefing last Tuesday that the biennial festival which has been conceived to promote cultural tourism and attract visitors from the African Diaspora and other international participants is already a well-recognised event and features prominently in the cultural calendar of The Gambia.

“Apart from being a celebration of the return of long lost brothers and sisters in the Diaspora, and between Africans on the continent, the International Roots Home Coming Festival has the potential to foster understanding between people of diverse cultural orientations and also engender international peace and understanding,”  said the minister.

According to her, the festival will also accord the esteemed participants the opportunity to experience the warmth and hospitality of Gambians and expose them to the unity in diversity of Gambian culture as well as the wonderful attractions of the smiling coast.

Jobe-Njie disclosed the main highlights of the festival, which she said include the official opening and carnival that will take place at the July 22nd Square in Banjul as well as the pilgrimage to Albreda and Juffureh where festival participants will experience the Roots Heritage Trail that entail visits to the heritage sites of Juffureh, Albreda and James Island, a world heritage site.

She further disclosed that as part of the 2011 event, there will be ‘Futampaf’ – African rites of passage ceremony that will take place in Kanilai, birth place of the Gambian leader under his distinguished chief patronage. “Towards this end, a National Organising Committee and various sub-committees have been established, comprising public and private sector operatives, under the stewardship of the honorable minister for Tourism and Culture who are currently working very hard to put all logistics in place for a successful festival,” she said.

The Ministry of Tourism and Culture and the national organising committee also used the opportunity to invite immigrants from America, Europe, the Caribbean and Australia to come and discover their ancestry.

Jonathan kick starts book reading campaign in Lagos

President Goodluck Jonathan (r) with Nobel Laueate, Prof Wole Soyinka at the book reading session organized as part of the formal launch of the President’s book reading campaign tagged: Bring Back the Book initiative, which held at the Expo Centre of the Eko Hotels & Suites, Lagos, Monday

President Goodluck Jonathan Monday in Lagos kick-started his book-reading campaign with a call on the Nigerian children and youth alike to embrace reading as a culture so as to secure their future in the 21st century.

The two-fold event which attracted personalities from the arts and social circles took place at the Expo Centre of the Eko Hotels and suites, Lagos with Jonathan unveiling his Bring back the Book project as well as the public presentation of his book; My Friends and I (Conversations on Policy and governance via Facebook).

The book reading project which was introduced with a book reading session by Jonathan accompanied by Nobel laureate Prof Wole Soyinka involved the president reading from Prof Chinua Achebe’s book Chike and the River while Soyinka read from his own book. Ake: The years of childhood.

The event also had in attendance Governor of Ogun State, Otunba Gbenga Daniels, Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives, Dr Dimeji Bankole, poet and activist Prof Odia Ofeimun

At the reading session preceding the book presentation which drew over 100 school children from nearly 20 schools from and around public schools in Lagos, Jonathan remarked that for the children to be reckoned with in the fast developing world, it was essential that they embraced the culture of reading as a prerequisite tool for progress.

According to him, the present situation of the book in the country was unacceptable hence his decision to target the new book reading campaign at them, adding further that: “As Soyinka is older than me and I older (Dimeji) Bankole  and he in turn older than you, that is how development starts  and spreads That is how it is all over the world. |That is the pattern of development.”

“It is important to read because by reading you get to know places and things you never knew of previously and never went to. It develops your mind to become a great thinker.”

Reading passages from the book Chike and the River, the President drew inference from the experiences and challenges of the protagonist Chike, who he told the children ‘was just like you,’

The public presentation of the book; My Friends and I (Conversation on policy and governance via Facebook) which was spiced with intermittent live performances by top young Nigerian musicians like P-Square, Dbanj, Zacky Adzee, Mo’cheda also had presentations by author of the book The revolution will not be televised and pioneer of the social network as tool for governance, Mr. Joe Trippi.

President Jonathan said his motive for both projects stemmed from the fact that the state of the book had become pitiable coupled with the disinterest by the children to follow in the steps laid down by their predecessors in the emerging years of the country’s development.

“I am here so that we can seriously begin to discuss this state of neglect facing the book in Nigeria. After due consultation we have resolved that the time is now for the campaign to restore the book culture. And following the adage of ‘catch them young’, the campaign is targeted at the youth and children. It starts now. There is hope for the children based on the recent steps taken by this government in terms of policies and programmes. I hope that this partnership between the people and the government which this book represents will continue to grow,” said Jonathan.

Knowledge is the foundation for economic development and information the foundation for political awareness and development . At all times, we must always have a book in our hands. That is the way of civilization and progress. This is the beginning of the campaign to bring back the book, “Jonathan stressed.

On his part, Trippi noted that the Facebook idea which he evolved along with others for the Obama political but which had been dropped by the same administration on assuming office had been taken a step further by Jonathan in his design to incorporate it into governance by making the people participatory members of his government.

Reviewing the book, Chairman of the editorial board of the Guardian newspapers, Mr. Reuben Abati described the book as a ‘people’s parliament’ where the citizens are allowed to contribute to governance not ‘through designed patterns’.

Panafest: Soyinka makes case for cultural festival in Nigeria

Nobel Laureate, Prof Wole Soyinka, has blamed cultural intolerance and extremism as factors responsible for the stifling of socio-cultural and economic development in Nigeria.

The Nobel Laureate also posited that present state of religious intolerance in the country was not the exclusive preserve of the orthodox religions as others were also capable of extremism, if they so choose to.

Soyinka took this position in his keynote address as speaker at the colloquium and formal launching of the Pan African Festival (Panafest) Foundation in Nigeria, which held at the Lagoon Restaurant, Victoria Island, Lagos, Thursday.

The event which was also an occasion for the official investiture of former Governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, as Grand Patron of Panafest Nigeria, was organized jointly by the Panafest Foundation Nigeria and the Ghana High Commission in Nigeria and served to announce the presence of Panafest in Nigeria, after years of activity in Ghana.

Soyinka’s paper was titled: Culture under siege, a modification from the original theme choice by the organizers of; Democracy, tourism and terrorism: The political, cultural and economic implications for Nigeria from the global perspective.

According to Soyinka, traditions and culture defines the psyche of the people, hence, any attempt to tamper or extricate that component from the mentality of the people was tantamount to causing disorientation in the society.

Continuing, the Nobel Laureate the attempts to paint aspects of the people’s cultural heritage as paganism only amounted to religious extremism and intolerance, in what he described as ‘religious terrorism’ of not accepting contrary views on religion.

“Let me say here that religious terrorism is the overwhelming prevalence of that opinion of a certain ‘I am right and you are wrong’ group of people. Terrorism begins with refusal to concede time and space to other reasons. Religious bigotry and extremism have become a problem of the Nigerian cultural space,” said Soyinka.

The Nobel laureate further added that the failure of the orthodox to uphold the people’s value system borne in various traditional and cultural festivals, which he had described as ‘complimentary homage to the source of life in the first place,’ tended to create that unsavoury atmosphere for culture itself.

With a paper that leaned so much on the lamentations of Eze (Prof) Chukwuemeka Ike, who had decried the disrespect accorded to traditional value systems and cultural festivals like the Iri Ji (New Yam) festivals under the guise of modernism and civilization in his community, Soyinka said such had become the lot of tradition and culture in Nigeria, and by extension the bane proper development of the psyche of the people.

“Bad governance, failed banks, corruption, 419, and many other ills of the Nigerian society do not have their roots in cultural festivals. The cultural festivals are not to blame for these problems. It’s religious excessiveness and extremism, intolerance, religious bigotry prevalent in the Nigerian society today that are sadly also responsible for them. These are the results of mental closure and primitiveness by the culprits of religious extremism,” said the professor.

On his part, chairman of the occasion, secretary general of the Accra, Ghana-based OAUTTU, and former minister, Alhaji Hassan Sumonnu, represented by his twin brother Hussein Sumonnu, while praising the organizers for the timely launch of Panafest in Nigeria, wondered why in the midst of the huge tourism and cultural potentials that abound in the country, tourism was yet to get off the ground, in contrast with countries like Ghana that already developed in the sector.

Sumonnu therefore hoped that the birth of Panafest would begin to create that platform and awareness for the growth of the sector in Nigeria, in the same way as the organization had done in Ghana.

“Nigeria is blessed with tourism potentials but we have not been able to harness it. Tourism is still at the infancy level while Ghana has gone beyond that. Tourism if properly harnessed can guarantee employment for over 15 per cent of the population. But why have we not been able to harness it?” He asked.

Receiving the investiture as Grand Patron of Panafest Nigeria on behalf former lagos State Governor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, was former Commissioner for Environment in the state and now Managing Director of the Lagos State Signage and Advertising Agency (LASAA), Mr. Tunji Bello.

Describing Panafest as the remaining hope for any form of regional integration in the face of previous attempts at that which had failed due to political and bureaucratic bottlenecks put in place by various governments in the regions Tinubu called for the adoption of Panafest in the sub-region.

“Panafest by extension therefore should be adopted so as for it to become that agent of cultural renaissance needed in the continent,” said Tinubu.

Ogun State governor Segun Mimiko, represented by his commissioner for Information, Mr. Oluranti Akerele, also received an honourary award from the Panafest Foundation in Nigeria, that was officially launched by the Erelu of Lagos, Chief (Mrs.) Abiola Dosumnu, in company of Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) Founder, Dr Federick Fasheun.

Onifade presents Whisper Araism in 3rd solo exhibition at Omenka Gallery

ajoji, strangeramong masks (2010) by mufu onifade

Starting today, Saturday, December 18, the doors of the Ben Enwonwu Foundation’s Omenka Gallery, in Ikoyi, Lagos, opens for the third solo exhibition of Mufu Onifade, in a showcase of a new painting technique in transition titled: Whisper Araism.

It would be recalled that the artist, Onifade successfully underwent a Residency programme at the Greatmore Art Studios, Cape Town, South Africa where he related with several international artists and produced a new body of work resulting in a 5-man exhibition called Angaza.

The Residency took place between May 5 and July 30, this year. Some of the works he produced, which explore inter socio-cultural relationship between Nigeria and South Africa will be on this show. Some of his old works will also be included to tell a story of developmental transition that has characterized the painting technique called Araism.

In South Africa, Mufu was able to redevelop Araism painting technique which he had earlier launched with a solo exhibition in 1998. Araism has been adopted by many young Nigerian artists and is being taught in a number of Nigerian art schools. However, the experiment in South Africa has brought a hitherto new phase of discovery to the technique.

There are two levels of development captured in two works namely Sweet Father and Dreamland. While these will be presented to the public at the opening ceremony, further research into these new discoveries will suffice after the show.

Mufu’s first solo exhibition was held at the Goethe-Institut (German Cultural Centre), Lagos between  May 5 and 13 1998; the second at the French Cultural Centre, Lagos from July 15 to 30, 2005 while this third outing will take place between December 18 and 24.

As to why the choice of title, Onifade said Araism has echoed across the Nigerian arts community, contributing to artistic development of the young generation of Nigerian artists in the process.

“With the spread, it becomes imperative to continue to muster the relevance of this technique in contemporary Nigeria art development. Whispering its escapades as to how it has kept the Nigerian art scene aglow, especially with the emergence of the Araism Movement in 2006, is a sacred duty to propagate an authentic indigenous idea and concept that keep pulsating and spreading like wildfire.”

Born October 5, 1966, Mufu Onifade attended Saint Joseph’s Catholic School, Lagos from 1974 to 1980 and Dolphin High School, Lagos from 1980 to 1985 for his primary and secondary education respectively. He proceeded to The Polytechnic, Ibadan, Nigeria from 1986 to 1988 to obtain his National Diploma in General Arts. He won the Best Student Prize.

In 1992, he became the foremost Nigerian to master and practice painting on animal skin after going through a professional training under the legendary Lemma Guya of Ethiopia at the African Art Museum and Training Institute, Debre-Zeit, Ethiopia. He obtained in B.A. (Hons.) Fine Arts from the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria, with the overall best results in 1997. He also holds an M.A. in Art History from the same institution.

Mufu invented an authentic African Painting technique now popularly known as Araism. The experiments with which he achieved this feat lasted seven years (1989 to 1996). He later launched the technique with a solo exhibition of 32 paintings at the Goethe-Institut (German Cultural Centre), Lagos in 1998. His second solo show was held at the French Cultural Centre, Ikoyi, Lagos in 2005.

He has also taken part in one joint show and participated in over 50 group exhibitions including the first African Regional Summit and Exhibition on Visual Arts (ARESUVA 2008) and International Art Expo Las Vegas (2008). His works have been ceremoniously shown in Ethiopia, Austria, United Kingdom, Belgium, United States, South Africa, and others.

He founded and has effectively managed Ara Studio, Lagos since 2002.

National Troupe offers The Contest for Christmas

 

As against earlier announced plans to close its 2010 theatrical season with the epic play Langbodo by Wale Ogunyemi, the National Troupe of Nigeria (NTN) will instead end the year with a stage dance production titled: The Contest.

The play Langbodo originally lined up to commemorate Nigeria’s 50th independence anniversary will now hold in the first quarter of 2011, according to Acting Artistic Director of the troupe, Mr. Martins Adaji, who, in a statement made available to Saturday Arts, explained that the production will hold after the April 2011 elections.

‘’It will be more appropriate to produce Langbodo next year in order to embrace the mood of the election and also celebrate Nigeria unity through culture,’’ said Adaji, who added that the production could not be staged in 2010 because the National Troupe was involved in the National programme of commemoration.

‘’We had planned to stage Langbodo in Lagos but we shelved it because we were involved in the commemoration at the National level. Recall that we had to honour an invitation to perform in Germany and as soon as we returned, we performed at the presidential banquet. Besides there were great plays that were staged in Lagos courtesy of the Lagos State government as part of the independence commemoration, so it would have been an overkill to also stage such a huge production at the period. But it will return next year.  We decided on The Contest which is an entertaining piece because we want people to be entertained this season.’’

Set in a local community, the play The Contest written directed by Mike Anyanwu, revolves round Archibong who lures Amatu out of her seclusion but fails to persuade her into eloping with him, in his final bid appearance to throw an open challenge to Karibo the emerging champion of The Contest. The riddle of the contest is eventually solved with love.

The playwright and director Mike Anyanwu is a pioneer artiste of the National Troupe of Nigeria. He holds a first degree in Theatre Arts from the University of Calabar, an M.SC in Mass Communication from the University of Lagos and LLB (Hons) and BL from the University of Lagos and the Nigeria Law School respectively.

Anyanwu is a Barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria and presently heads the Legal/Corporate Services department of the National Troupe of Nigeria.

The Contest will open from December 24 through to January 2, 2011 at the National Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos.

CBAAC partners with OPS to thrill children at 2010 cultural fiesta

young adults performing at the children's cultural festival

Perhaps the now humble 2010 Abuja Carnival Management Committee (CMC) needed to have been present at the Annual Children’s Cultural Festival organized by the Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilization for tips on marketing and wooing the corporate sector for cultural events.

The event set aside for December of each year gathers children and young adults of primary and secondary school in and around the state to a fanfare of cultural displays and competitions on the platforms of schools represented. This year’s theme was: My Culture, My Identity.

The CBAAC cultural festival which took place Thursday at the expansive Main Exhibition Hall of the National Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos, saw the Nigerian Organized Private Sector (OPS) out-numbering participating schools by a ratio of nearly two to one.

And when considered against the backdrop of the fact that the recently concluded biggest platform for cultural and tourism showcase of the country’s potentials, the Abuja Carnival, flopped on the grounds of what the organized heaped on failure and refusal of the private sector to participate, the CBAAC expertise at successfully partnering the OPS seemed to have rested that CMC argument for good.

As corporate organizations were falling on each other for the children’s attention, the children on their part appeared the better for it as they were served with endless rounds of food and drinks, stationeries, and gift items to take home.

Indeed, the just concluded Cultural festival scored on all counts as far as partnership with the OPS to enhance culture and tourism is concerned just as it further buttressed schools of opinion that if properly spelt out, the OPS could play a role that would better the lot of the culture practitioners in particular and the arts and tourism sub sector in general of Nigeria.

The event which had more than 14 as at last count, notable private sector operators sponsoring with provision of lots free items to the children and adults present, outstripped previous editions of the festival, just as it also topped in cultural events organized under the auspices of the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation, including the National Festival of Arts and Culture (NAFEST) and the Abuja Carnival.

“Who says the private sector is not interested in culture in Nigeria? They are not telling us the truth of the matter. There are cultural festivals in the country solely sponsored by communications firms in Nigeria and they are not complaining. The problem is that you have to define roles for the corporate sector and then hands off. This CBAAC children’s festival is another proof of the point I am making. They (companies) want to be part of our culture and celebrations. They want to be involved. It’s part of business but you have to be sincere with them. But that is also the problem with government establishments,” said Mr. Kolawole Adeyinka, a media consultant and parent in attendance.

Declaring the festival open, Minister of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation, Alhaji Sadiq Mohammed, represented by Mr. Gambo Dori, Director of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), expressed the hope that the festival afterwards would encourage Nigerian children to be conscious of the country’s culture while making them good ambassadors of the country also, just as he praised the organizers for ‘consistently living up to their statutory responsibilities of promoting, propagating and preserving African values.’

According to Mohammed, the country stands to benefit economically from a proper harnessing of her cultural potentials and diversity.

“Our continent and country, I must confess, are richly blessed culturally. We can derive huge economic benefits from our cultural diversity. These gains are only possible when we identify with our culture. Identifying and taking pride in our culture is therefore a sine-qua-non to our country’s socio-economic growth. Identifying with culture must start therefore with our children,” said the minister.

Mohammed further commended CBAAC for the ‘timely effort at national re-engineering’ as the country moved into another phase of development after 50 years of nationhood.

According to him “The children represent the unity, peace, progress and prosperity this administration envisions for our great country Nigeria. And if these lofty visions are to be realized then our children should be initiated into those cherished values that are inherent in our culture.

On his part, Director General of CBAAC, Prof Tunde Babawale, said his agency is using the cultural festival and party as platform for the redirecting of the attention of the Nigerian children to build a sense of pride in them, just as he expressed the firm belief that event will position them for the challenges of this millennium.

“The Children’s Cultural festival is one of such programmes which our centre uses to achieve its goals. It aligns with and enhances the realization of our aims and objectives. CBAAC is using this festival to draw and redirect the attention of our children the beauty of the African culture. The festival is also designed to build a sense of pride in our children and position them for the challenges of the millennium.

The 2010 edition of the CBAAC children’s cultural festival/party witnessed cultural displays and competitions, fashion parades of local fabrics by the over 200 children and young adults representing over a dozen academic institutions drawn from the primary and secondary schools in Lagos, Ota in Ogun State and Oyo State.

CBAAC’s int’l workshop on sustaining new pan-Africanism ends in Namibia

(From left)--High Commissioner of Nigeria to Namibia, Prince Adegboyega C. Ariyo; Founding President of Namibia, and Patron of Pan-African Centre of Namibia (PACON), Dr. Sam Nujoma and Mrs. Maureen Hinda, Vice-President, PACON

The International Workshop themed on: “Sustaining the New Wave of Pan-Africanism – Youths Shaping Global Africa’s Development in 21st Century”, has come to a conclusion in the southern African country of Namibia.

The workshop hosted by the Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilization (CBAAC), in partnership with the Nigerian High Commission in Namibia; Pan-African Strategic and Policy Research Group (PANAFSTRAG) Lagos, Nigeria; Pan-African Centre of Namibia (PACON) Windhoek, Namibia and the National Youth Council of Namibia held at the University of Namibia from December 6 through to 9.

The workshop was convened in recognition of the fact that the full realisation of the laudable goals and vision of Pan-Africanism lies with the future generations of global Africans in being resolute in overcoming the present challenges of globalization facing Africans particularly within the context of identity, values, norms and ideas.

The workshop was also a prelude to, and geared towards giving meaning to the celebration of the International Year of the People of African Descent slated for the year 2011.

The gender balanced workshop brought together some 45 resource persons, drawn from the global African Youths, Youth leaders and Youth workers.

Among its objectives were: to focus the future generations of Pan-Africanists on the outcomes of the previous Pan-African Congresses/Conferences held from 1900 to 1994; to discuss ways and means of implementing these resolutions and to make recommendations with respect to the role and responsibilities of future generations.

Participants at the workshop also hope to deliver their own vision of a programmatic Pan-African agenda. The Workshop enjoyed the support of the Founding President of Namibia, the National Assembly of Namibia, The Prime Minister of Namibia and the Namibian Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Finance as well as Youth, National Service, Sport and Culture.

Founding President of Namibia, and Patron of PACON, HE, Dr. Sam Nujoma gave the Keynote Address and declared open the workshop at the Safari Hotel, Windhoek Namibia December 6.

Other dignitaries at the workshop include: HE Ambassador (Prince) Adegboyega C. Ariyo, High Commissioner of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to Namibia; Hon. Prof. Peter H. Katjavivi MP, SWAPO Party Chief Whip, National Assembly of the Republic of Namibia and former Vice-Chancellor, University of Namibia; Dr Mongane Wally Serote, National Heritage of South Africa.

Others include: Mrs. Angela Martins, Representative of AU Commissioner; Mrs. Maureen Hinda, Vice-President, PACON; Dr. Tapera O. Chirawu, Policy Matrix and Development, Namibia; Ms Ndahafa Kaukungua, National Assembly of the Republic of Namibia; Francine Muyumba, SRC President, University of Namibia; Bankie Foster Bankie, Secretary and Member of International Relations Sub-Committee, National Youth Council of Namibia; among others. The Workshop attracted delegates from Nigeria, Namibia, Mauritania, Sudan, Congo, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Tanzania, Jamaica, United Kingdom, Eritrea, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, and the USA.

I want Nigerians to start reading again—–Jonathan

When a recent forum, the Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Dr Ahmed Modibbo Mohammed, described the reading culture in Nigerian as ‘dying’, he could not have picked a better description.

Mohammed was guest at an International Conference lined up as part of the 9th Nigeria International Book Fair (NIBF) which held at Afe Babalola Auditorium, University of Lagos, Akoka, Yaba, Lagos.

Also at the same forum, former Foreign Affairs minister, Senator Ike Nwachukwu, pointed out that in the whole of the country, only 5,000 bookshops exist, which he explained is not healthy for a nation like Nigeria which aspires to become one of the best twenty economies by 2020.

Such is the precariousness of the Nigerian case in point that the advent of the digital age rather than help has compounded the already endangered lot of the book in itself. This is just a school of opinion has posited that the country does not have even a reading culture in the first instance let alone a dying one.

Indeed challenges faced by the Nigerian youth in today’s society is compounded by the seeming scarcity and paucity of the printed materials in form of books, limited resources to fund the purchase of books if inclined to reading coupled with technological gadgets like the mobile phones, hi-tech video games and the mobile internet age.

This year alone, despite several appeals to Nigerians and the youth in particular to rekindle their passion for the reading culture, the pleas appear to have fallen on disinterested ears of the populace. And while some are wont to lay the blame for this appalling scenario on the doorsteps of socio-cultural and economic factors, most also agree that the Nigerian society is on the receiving end of the global onslaught of technology.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) even acknowledged that modern technology has begun to pose a very great challenge to the reading culture and hence the need for policy decision-makers, publishers, educators and civil society to consider once again the most effective ways of promoting that irreplaceable tool of knowledge; the book.

With mass failures recorded by Nigerian youth at the West African Examination Council (WAEC) and the National Examination Council (NECO) as well as the Universities Matriculation Examinations (UME) examinations for this year alone, the case appeared to have reached a disturbing level thus requiring desperate government attention.

Attributing the remote reasons for the failures in particular to a poor reading culture among the youth, Mohammed said the immediate reason for this is the fact that the electronic media has supplanted reading as parents and children, are most times preoccupied with movie series, especially powered by the popular Africa Magic, which he said is now viewed in all major Nigerian languages.

“The Universal Basic Education Commission believes that to enhance the quality of our education, children must interact with books, no matter the quality. This is the approach in many Asian countries so as to get books to all their children. Our publishers must start thinking in this direction and publishers should as a matter of priority, begin to think on how to make books cheaper in the light of this”, Mohammed had said.

“Time was when foremost literalists, academicians, scholars, and nationalists formed the core of role models to whom the youth looked up to as cult heroes worthy to be emulated in society. Today, sadly, it is entertainers, actors, and musicians with no regard for education who have become role models for our youth. So what do you expect?” asked a Nigerian parent Mr. Tunde Jimoh,

Indeed, experts have reasoned that in the Nigerian case economic factors are not so much to blame for the poor reading culture among the populace, as the encroaching digitalization of information and poor infrastructure at the country’s libraries.

Even as most libraries remain few and far between with most poorly equipped, many believe that if that was not the case, the average Nigerian child has less time to visit them in view of the present economic situation in the country where most parents compel their children and wards to contribute to family earnings; leaving the child at the mercy of the internet or television for the remainder of the day.

It is therefore against the backdrop of the present situation that the initiative by President Goodluck Jonathan to lift the reading culture in the country is better appreciated, as the nation’s number one citizen is taking concrete steps in the face of the hitherto lip service his government had paid to the campaign by the private sector to promote reading culture in Nigeria.

The President will on December 20 unveil a campaign tagged: Bring Back The Book campaign, aimed at reviving the culture of reading among Nigerians. Targeted primarily at the youth, President Jonathan will also unveil strategic policies to be put in place by his government geared towards driving the programme.

Speaking to the media Friday, in Lagos, Senior Special adviser to the President on Research, Documentation and Strategy, Dr. Oronto Douglas, revealed that the President would also on that day present to the public the outcome of his almost year-long interaction with Nigerians on his Facebook page and which has been compiled in a book titled: Goodluck Jonathan: My Friends and I (Conversations on Policy and Governance via Facebook).

“The campaign by Mr. President is spurred by his desire to raise the awareness on the reading culture in the way it should be rightly done. He believes we need to get our young people to get back to the reading culture; to get back he fire and zeal of reading in them. In such a way a way as to make it a national culture,” said the Presidential aide.

On policy framework to be put in place by the President that is expected to rive the campaign, Douglas said President Jonathan will task schools’ heads to revive reading clubs and other literary societies that previously promoted such culture but which may have died out because of years of neglect.

“Mr. President will also charge corporate organizations to institute prizes and other reward systems for excellence in the literary activities in schools so as to rekindle these practices which used to be in place before now.

“President Jonathan will call to action, give direction and insist on it being followed and adhered to in his government as part of a bigger and concerted policy framework aimed at reviving the reading culture. He is concerned with the poor reading culture in the country no doubt  especially among our youth and since he plans to retire to the classrooms when he leaves the Presidential Villa, he wants to leave that legacy behind of having contributed greatly to the revival of dwindling reading culture in the country,” said Douglas.

According Douglas, for once the President is showing greater concern to activities in his constituency as he is also a teacher, and frowns at the appalling and declining rate of illiteracy in the country occasioned by the poor reading culture in the country.

“Mr. President wants Nigerians to start reading again; he wants to personally champion that cause of reviving and promoting the reading in Nigeria. The benefits of reading cannot be over-emphasized for an economy that wants to grow. It is the bedrock for any meaningful development in the country and President Jonathan understands this and wants to achieve results in that sector, having scored high in the political sector with his strong belief in credible elections  by appointing a man considered right for the post even though he never knew the man personally,” said Douglas.

The Presidential aide also announced that there were plans to build 50 libraries in the country through the Community Defence Law foundation, a non-governmental organization with two of those already built in Oloibiri and Yenagoa and aimed at getting people to read. These libraries, he added, are linked to schools, actions, and activities such that their stay in those communities is designed to achieve the desired results.

As laudable as this project to revive the dwindling reading culture in Nigeria is, the challenge remains that of sustainability, as experts belief it is not enough announcing an initiative as Herculean as resuscitating a dying reading culture among a youth in the face of distractions in the shape of globalization, but instead platforming a strong policy framework that will drive the goals and objectives of the commendable project.

Experts evolve roadmap for 21st Century Pan-Africanism at CBAAC confab

September 2010

International conferences by the Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilization (CBAAC), an agency in the Federal Ministry of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation, have lately become a landmark in discourse circles as it has acquired an enviable reputation for advancing burning cultural issues affecting both country and continent in public discourse for urgent solutions to be proffered.

The sixth edition which held in the country at the International Conference Centre, Abuja, from September 21 to 24, did not deviate from that established pattern of identifying issues that have become stumbling blocks to the development of either country or continent in line with previous editions.

Indeed, since political independence by most or even all African countries, there appear to be a muzzled progress if not in some cases fast-paced retrogression into economic, cultural and political chaos rather than the opposite in comparison with the optimism that heralded the achievement of independence in the first place.

Rather than prosperity and boom, countries on the continent including Nigeria, have been enmeshed in strife and underdevelopment to the embarrassment of the founding fathers who had staked their lives for these very laurels.

Thus, as over 50 Pan-Africanists and African historians, academics, right activists and other experts within Africa and the Diaspora, brainstormed at the ICC for three days, to chart a new course for the continent and its peoples to thread, the underlying objectives remained that of re-positioning the continent for socio-economic and cultural growth and emancipation through a new cultural re-orientation in the 21st century, as it had succeeded in other climes.

The sixth international conference which had as its theme; Global Africans, Pan-Africanism, Decolonization, and Integration of Africa-Past, Present and future, was organized in conjunction with Pan-African Strategic and Policy Research Group (PANAFSTRAG) and deliberately fixed to coincide with and commemorate Nigeria’s 50th Independence Anniversary.

With a keynote address delivered by Professor Kwesi Kwaa Prah, of the Director, Centre for Advanced Studies of African Society (CASAS) in South Africa, the colloquium attracted the presence of Minister for Tourism, Culture and National Orientation, Alhaji Abubakar Sadiq Mohammed, as well as Ana Candida Perez, the Brazilian Ambassador to Nigeria, the Internal Adviser on Governance and Minister of External Affairs of Virgin Islands Government, Dr. Calyle Corbin.

Informed by the firm belief in the unity of all continental and Diaspora Africans as espoused by the founders of Pan-Africanism since inception, the international conference attracted over 200 registered participants from the media, diplomatic corps, directors of other agencies in the ministry, as well schools.

The objectives of the Conference included among others; To highlight the contributions of Africans in the continent and the Diaspora to post independence Africa; To identify, assemble and document the contributions of Africans all over the world for proper preservations; and also to create a platform for the proper co-ordination of Pan-Africanists’ vision, mission ideals and activities.

Experts at the conference had observed in the summation of their various paper presentations that the place and role of Africa in the 21st century are inextricably linked with her history, jus as it was also pointed out that Pan-Africanism has not been re-defined to recognize the ecological realities of the 21st Century in order to advance the cause of Global Africans in a globalizing age.

While noting that the ideology of globalism has been substituted for globalization as a cultural and ideological programme to bastardize and trivialize African cultural values, heritage and even integration, they also observed that Pan-Africanist education is not being taught in African educational institutions with a view to passing its ideals to the teeming African youth.

While equally noting that the spirit of Pan-Africanism is not alive among African youths on the continent and in the Diaspora as it was in the 50s and 60s and also that there is scant regard for indigenous African knowledge system as basis for development in Africa, they observed that failure to fortify indigenous languages could expose global Africans to continued imperialist domination.

Other observations include: That African achievements and successes have not been adequately recognized and appreciated to draw attention to African endowments and contributions to humanity; That the lessons of the first black revolution in Haiti have not been properly recognized in liberation and revolutionary literature; That perennial intra and inter- ethnic conflicts that have ravaged Africa are anti-antithetical to the growth and development of Pan-Africanism, decolonization and integration of the continent; That there is not in existence a comprehensive and theme defined data base that could enhance the quality of research and activism in Pan-Africanism.

Other observations by the culture and historical experts include: That successive African governments (rulers) are grossly incapable of redirecting the enormous resources available in Africa for people-centred development; That the complexities of Africa (climate, cultures and its peoples) have not been properly understood, hence, the lack of understanding of the developmental challenges facing contemporary African countries.

Also, they noted that: That financial dependence of New Economic Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) on imperialist donor states on organization has limited as an inter-governmental institution to proffer solutions to the myriads of developmental problems confronting Africans, which is made obvious, given the contradictory positions of the West in their support of the objectives of NEPAD; That African history must be told by Africans as a way of disallowing foreigners from distorting our history. Our destiny lies on our own hands.

Concluding , they observed that: That an African Union (AU) funded by Western and Arab imperialists forces can not engender the liberation and development of global Africa; That though the roots of secessionist pressures across post colonial Africa are traceable to colonial heritage, the emergent African leadership undoubtedly deepened the contradictions of sustainability; That the frivolous change of African indigenous names is condemnable and antithetical to the spirit of Pan-Africanism as it erodes the beauty, mystique and spirituality embedded in the said indigenous names.

Against the backdrop of the various challenges clogging the wheel of the continent’s progress, the experts therefore posited that the peer-review mechanism of the African Union (AU) be re-positioned and strengthened to serve as a platform for the transformation of the African states through the active participation of the people as prelude to total integration of the continent and global Africa.

Also, they called for Curriculum development at all levels of education (primary, secondary and tertiary) in Africa which they maintained should be made functional, culturally relevant and purposefully designed to emphasize Pan-Africanist visions/ideals.

While stressing the need for definite Afro-centric language policy for African states, because sustainable development can be better achieved through indigenous languages, the paper presenters noted that o effectively grapple with the multifarious problems facing Africa, NEPAD should be redefined, strengthened and made independent.

Other resolutions include: That relevant agencies of government be re-awakened and re-positioned for the onerous task of preserving conserving and documenting of Africa’s historical sites, monuments, and other rich intangible cultural heritage. These, no doubt, will boost tourism and facilitate integration of global Africa; That there should be the creation of a Ministry of Regional Integration and Co-operation by all member states of the African Union.-Such a ministry should be adequately funded and run by credible experts.

They further maintained that African government and people should begin to use Pan-Africanism as a functional instrument or mechanism to fight Western ideas that Africa is the backyard of global development.