Edem Duke, Minister for Arts, Culture and Tourism
Convocation
Lagos, Aug. 17, 2013. The National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO), on Saturday, graduated 217 students who have satisfied the minimum requirements in character and learning various languages of Nigeria.
They are awarded the Diploma and Post-Graduate Diploma in Cultural Administration in the three Nigerian languages they learned; Igbo, Yoruba and Hausa respectively.
The event which took place at the National Theatre, in Lagos witnessed the graduate class of 2008 to 2012 language class getting certificates of study.
NICO was established by Act 93 of 1993 by the Federal Government of Nigeria in accordance with the objectives of the World Decade for Cultural Development (WDCD) declared by by United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).
It is to teach and learn languages of the host country to forester unity and peace.
The Minster of Arts, Culture and Tourism, Chief Edem Duke, said that human capital development is strategic to the socio-economic development of the country.
``And manpower development has been recognised globally as a critical factor in realisation of corporate goals and objectives to enhance economic growth.
``Investing in culture is critical as it is targeted at ensuring that the nation’s human resources endowment, which is knowledgeable, skilled productive are healthy for the growth of the economy.
``It is to ensure optimal exploitation and utilisation of other resources from arts and culture and tourism to engender growth and development,” he said.
Duke also said that policy formulation and implementation are likely to suffer setbacks if the human capital is deficient or ill-equipped for the task ahead.
``Our sector has been identified as one of the major growth drivers for the achieving the nations vision and transformation agenda of the present administration.
``It is one of the reasons that informed our recent launch of the nation’s tourism brand ``Fascinating Nigeria”.
``If the target of diversifying the nation’s economic base is to be met cultural officers, should be adequately trained and informed in line with the goals and visions of the government.
The Chairman Committee on Arts, Culture and Tourism, Hon. Ben Nwankwo, representing Orumba North and South, Anambra state, said that Nigeria is a blessed country with many languages that ``we have to be proud of”
He said that, ``our unity in diversity should be the watch word but that we are allowing other people to separate us.
``We should be grateful for the unity of purpose and tribe and tongue may differ but in brotherhood we stand”
``God gave us what other countries didn’t have and we should protect, propagate and find ways to use it to the benefit of all.
He pointed out that Nigeria has all it takes to be one and we should endeavour to be tolerant and learn other people’s languages and culture to foster unity.
The D-G, NICO, Barclays Ayakoroma said making culture central and bedrock for national development would highlight and harness the nation’s cultural resources for economic growth.
He noted that United States of America, United Kingdom, Germany, France, China, Japan and others achieve what they are now by investing in human capital development predicated on strong cultural foundations.
``Intensive cultural training and understanding of it is a panacea to most of the problems we face as a nation.
``From security of lives and property, massive unemployment, nonstructural decay and lack of trust for one another can be adequately tackled through better understanding and appreciation of the potentials inherent in our culture.
He opined that most Nigerians today believed that our problems are products of the neglect of our cultural values.
``A better understanding and appreciation of our cultures will go a long way in addressing our challenges as a nation that is why the cultural orientation and languages,” he added.
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