Nepad Nigeria Ceo Advocates The Standardisation Of African Arts And Crafts For Adequate Revenugeneration As The 10th Edition Of African Arts And Crafts (Afac) Expo Gets Underway In Abuja.

Abuja Nigeria, September 7th, 2017 – Arts
and Crafts have been identified as a serious
source of revenue-generation in Nigeria, which
have the potential to augment the nation’s oil
revenue receipts for the development of the
country and for the empowerment of millions of
Nigerian families.
The National Coordinator and Chief Executive
Officer, NEPAD Nigeria, Princess Gloria
Akobundu, who stated the above, Thursday,
during a Round-table Cultural Chat of the 10th
African Arts and Crafts (AFAC) Expo, which
held at the Arts and Crafts Village in Abuja,
stressed the need for Nigerians to maximise the
economic potential inherent in arts and crafts
by reasoning beyond arts and crafts as mere
objects of beauty, but of economic gains.
In her words:
‘‘It is common knowledge that arts and crafts
play vital roles not only in the aesthetic beauty
of a nation, but in the economic empowerment
of its people. Across Nigeria, diverse ethnic
nationalities have one form of arts and crafts
that can be used to generate revenue, even in
foreign exchange. Somehow, our country, in
spite of our rich cultural background, has failed
to get it right in promoting our indigenous arts
and crafts. We must learn from the experience
of countries like Kenya, the Gambia, South
Africa and even Rwanda, where in each fiscal
year, billions of tourism-generated dollars help
to finance their annual budgets and all we get
here is a paltry $1. something million dollars’’.
While advocating for standardisation in the arts
and crafts creative sector of the economy,
Princess Gloria Akobundu said it was only
through such a move that our locally produced
materials can compete favourably with those
from other climes. She emphasised the need for
the formation of clusters for artisans and
craftsmen in order to maximise the benefit of
experience-sharing and to encourage the kind
of robust competition that would bring out the
best in the practitioners. The NEPAD Nigeria
CEO used the occasion to urge governments at
all levels to establish what she called Centres of
Arts and Crafts Excellence, noting that such a
Centre, apart from organising periodic
competitions among artists, would help to
deepen learning and output in the profession.
Earlier, while welcoming participants to the
events, the Director-General, National Council
for Arts and Culture, Otunba Olusegun
Runsewe, emphasised the importance of arts
and crafts as revenue earners that could
change the face of the nation’s GDP. He
appealed to Ministries, Departments and
Agencies of Government, art promoters and
investors, including other corporate sponsors
and partners in nation-building, to join hands
with the Council to achieve the best from a
sector that has all the potential to drive
Nigeria’s non-oil economy.
Also speaking in a Paper entitled: ‘‘Arts and
Crafts in Nigeria: the untapped Treasure’’,
Professor Mabel Evwierhoma of the Department
of Theatre Arts, University of Abuja, Abuja,
Nigeria, emphasised the fact that the fame of
every nation is hinged on the cultural
manifestations that showcase its existence and
that these are the concrete manifestations that
attract tourists to lands far away and different
from their own. The University don, also, opined
that, in spite of technological innovation and
advancement, which hold sway in comity of
nations, the future of such nations would be
bleak without arts and crafts as contributory to,
or derivatives from what such nations hold as
their cultural pride. She ended by saying: ‘‘A
pledge to Nigeria is a pledge to culture and our
ways of life. It is a resolve that can push to
reveal, expose and bare the treasures that
require exposure as we have come to do at this
AFAC event. The diversification of the Nigerian
economy is a necessary precondition for the
nation to fully recover from economic
recession’’.
This year’s event is the 10th Edition of what has
come to be known as African Arts and Crafts
Expo, which is organised annually by the
National Council for Arts and Culture. The
event is marked by various activities, including
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lectures, exhibitions, dances and other
performances. Among those attending this
year’s activities are the Honourable Minister of
Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed,
Directors General of different Agencies and
Commissions, members of the diplomatic
community, bankers, arts collectors and
enthusiasts, investors and many others.
The event shall end on September, the 17th.
NEPAD Nigeria CEO, Princess Gloria Akobundu, while addressing
the Round-Table Cultural Chat of the 10th African Arts and Crafts
holding in Abuja. Among those that are sitted on the high Table are
the DG, National Council for Arts and Culture, Otunba Olusegun
Runsewe; DG, National Institute for Cultural Orientation(NICO), Dr.
Barclays Ayakoroma; Ozo ( Dr.) Another of Center for Black Arts
and Culture(CBAAC) and among many others.
DG, National Council for Arts and Culture, Otunba Olusegun
Runsewe as he delivers his welcome address at the event.
GROUP TO COLLABORATE WITH
NEPAD NIGERIA ON SUSTAINABLE
URBAN DEVELOPMENT.
Abuja, Nigeria, September 9, 2017 – A NonGovernmental
Organization, the World Habitat
Ambassadors Foundation, WHAF, has
concluded arrangements to partner with
NEPAD Nigeria in its plans to build inclusive,
safe, resilient and sustainable human
settlements across Nigeria in line with the
United Nations Habitat core value of delivering
the Sustainable Development Goals 11.
Project Director of the group, Amb. Hillary
Emoh, who revealed the above, Friday, at
NEPAD Nigeria when he, alongside other
members of the Organization, visited the
NEPAD Nigeria CEO, Princess Gloria
Akobundu, told media men that, given the
global reach of NEPAD and its mandate of
seeking to make life better for the African
people, a partnership in the area of building
sustainable urban settlements was one in the
right direction.
The World Habitat Ambassador said Africa was
in dire need of sustainable cities that seek to
meet the vision of the United Nations’ goals in
the public housing sector and called on NEPAD
Nigeria to take advantage of the activities of his
Foundation in the area to increase awareness
on the challenges that exist in the sector, while
also joining the group to mobilize energy and
diversify resources to improve the situation on
ground.
In his words, Emoh explained: “We have seen
what NEPAD Nigeria CEO is doing in the Agency
since she came into office. We have, therefore,
come to request her and the Agency to extend
their vision to the housing sector as our
Foundation is doing. Only recently, we have
concentrated our energy and finances on
building and rehabilitating selected schools
across the FCT and the neighboring States. Our
products are built to last with materials that
can easily be sourced from our local
communities and we are inviting NEPAD
Nigeria to come and partner with us to increase
awareness on what we are doing and to use its
reach to improve our funding base”.
According to Emoh, the group was not resting
on its oars in the area of funds mobilization for
its projects. It was, therefore, in line with the
above that a Gala and Award Dinner tagged
World Habitat Humanitarian and Philanthropic
Awards for Excellence has been scheduled for
October this year to recognize and celebrate
individuals and institutions, who have made
remarkable marks in some fields of human
endeavours and acts of philanthropy. This, he
said, was in order to raise awareness and funds
to sustain projects already initiated by the
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Foundation, which are on various stages of
completion.
The World Habitat Ambassadors Foundation is
an NGO that is committed to working in tandem
with the United Nations Habitat core values. It
is dedicated to achieving the set-goal for urban
development, the SDG11, which calls to make
cities and human settlements inclusive, safe,
resilient and sustainable.
The Organization has offices scattered across
Nigeria.
From Left to Right: Donald Achibong of World Habitat
Ambassadors Foundation, Ify Oguatuegwu, CEO, House of Angels
Foundation, NEPAD Nigeria CEO, Princess Gloria Akobundu and
Amb. Hilary Emoh, Project Director, World Habitat Ambassadors
Foundation, when members of the two Non-Governmental
Organizations paid a working visit to the NEPAD Nigeria CEO in her
office, Friday.
AKOBUNDU ADVOCATES FOR ADULT
EDUCATION AS THE WORLD
CELEBRATES INTERNATIONAL
LITERACY DAY.
Abuja Nigeria, September 8,2017 – The
National Coordinator and Chief Executive
Officer, NEPAD Nigeria, Princess Gloria
Akobundu, has called on Nigerians to take
advantage of the many initiatives of the Buhari
Administration in the education sector to
improve themselves academically, stressing
that age was not a barrier for better education,
which, she said, places everyone in a position
for greater impact in life.
Speaking on the occasion of this year’s World
Literacy Day in her office, Friday, the NEPAD
Nigeria CEO, who observed that, with the
Universal Basic Education programme and the
Open University initiative of the Government,
including the array of short-term academic
programmes that now exist everywhere around
our communities, more opportunities have
been provided for those who are not adequately
educated to acquire the basic rudiments of
functioning perfectly in a highly dynamic world.
According to Akobundu:
‘‘Let me avail myself of the opportunity of this
year’s World Literacy Day to urge our people to
return to the classroom. Today, we have seen
that age is no longer a barrier to learning; and
with the benefit of technology and the policies
of Government in the education sector,
everyone can study anything from the comfort
of homes and offices’’.
‘‘Any day we stop learning, we start dying
gradually’’. We must, therefore, strive to keep
on learning something new or else the world
might leave us behind. Self-improvement is the
name of the game; and we must continue to
improve ourselves to be on top of our games in
our work places, in our homes, in political
offices and in society generally. We must be
determined to explore and exploit all avenues
placed at our disposal by Government or
technology to learn to be a better us. Those who
have a degree should go for another one or a
higher one. Those who do not possess any,
should strive to get one. You can take lessons
in Computer Appreciation or other areas of it.
Those who cannot read and write, Government
has given you the opportunity to study free-ofcharge.
There is no excuse for ignorance
anymore, Akobundu concluded.
The 8th of September is set aside every year as
World Literacy Day.
National Coordinator / Chief Executive Officer NEPAD Nigeria,
Princess Gloria Akobundu.
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AKOBUNDU SUES FOR MORE
COOPERATION FROM NEPAD NIGERIA
STAFF
…As the NEPAD Nigeria CEO Prepares for
the First-year-in- office Anniversary.
Abuja Nigeria, September 9th, 2017 – Staff of
NEPAD Nigeria have been called upon to
redouble efforts and enthusiasm in their duties
in order to effectively pursue the realization of
the goals of the 4-R Agenda of the CEO in line
with the pro-people vision of President
Muhamudu Buhari.
Addressing participants in a meeting of the
Management and Senior Staff of NEPAD
Nigeria, which took place at the Nigeria Office,
Thursday, the Organization’s CEO, Princess
Gloria Akobundu, said it was necessary to reassess
progress achieved in the last one year in
her vision to reposition NEPAD Nigeria through
her 4-R strategic framework for Repositioning,
Relaunching, Rebranding and Realigning the
Agency to fully realise the original vision of its
founding fathers.
While enumerating some of the achievements
recorded since her assumption to duty in
September last year, Akobundu said she could
not have performed any magic without the tacit
support of the members of staff at NEPAD
Nigeria. She also used the occasion to laud the
commitment of the Management and staff of the
NEPAD Continental Office, who, she said, had
given her the rare opportunity to be more than
just a voice in the activities of the Agency on the
continent.
Continuing, Akobundu said, in spite of all that
she had put behind her in the last one year at
NEPAD Nigeria, that so much lay before her.
She promised to use the next few months to tie
all the loose ends in her vision for better staff
welfare for NEPAD Nigeria staff, while using the
occasion to reveal the many investment
opportunities and benefits through which the
Agency could better deliver on its dreams and
vision. She charged the staff to be alive to their
responsibilities in the knowledge that there
were high expectations for everyone’s benefits
in the near future.
Responding on behalf of the staff, the Director,
Planning, Research and Statistics, Alh
Abubakar.A. Ibrahim thanked the NEPAD CEO
for her forbearance and ability to keep up the
tempo of performance amidst dwindling
finances. He promised that the staff would
stand by her in her vision of changing the story
of NEPAD Nigeria, especially, in relation to her
strategic vision for the Agency and the Agenda
of the Buhari administration.
Among those present at the well-attended
meeting were Directors, Deputy Directors and
Assistant Directors of the Agency. Other
selected members of the senior staff were also
present.
NEPAD Nigeria National Coordinator / Chief Executive Officer,
Princess Gloria Akobundu in a roundtable meeting with NEPAD
Staff