Gov Simon Lalong of Plateau State
As the National Council for Arts and Culture holds the first National Festival for Arts and Culture virtual meeting, the stakeholders in the Arts and Culture sector have appealed to the Plateau state governor to consider hosting the cultural festival in November rather than December this year.
The stakeholders made up of 36 state commissioners of culture, permanent secretaries, special advisers and directors of culture and tourism in the 36 states of the federation including Abuja said that November was a better date as December is usually full of activities.
‘The meeting which was held to review the syllabus for the festival drew participants from all the states of the federation
The Director General National Council for Arts and Culture Otunba Segun Runsewe in his welcome address at the technical stakeholders virtual meeting in preparation of the National Festival for Arts and Culture told all the stakeholders/ participants that the advent of COVID- 19 has made it imperative for everybody to think outside the box in order to invent new ways of making the Arts and Culture sector busy and relevant.
Runsewe informed his audience that the National Council for Arts and Culture in the second week of the month of May this year organized the first ever government Drive In Theatre in Nigeria to demonstrate that even in the midst of the COVID- 19 pandemic, entertainment is still possible.
He reminded the participants that the Council within this period of the pandemic produced and distributed personal protective equipment to journalists, frontline workers and other Nigerians to mitigate the effects of the pandemic, keep the sector busy and reposition it for greater visibility and relevance.
In the virtual conference, the Executive governor
of Plateau state, Simon Bako Lalong in his welcome address to the National Stakeholders Technical meeting in preparation for 33rd edition of the National Festival of Arts and Culture tagged Plateau NAFEST 2020, commended the Director General of the National Council for Arts and Culture, Otunba Segun Runsewe for the dynamic, purposeful and visionary leadership he has provided the Arts and Culture sectors since his appointment in 2017.
The governor who through his commissioner of Tourism, Culture and Hospitality declared open the commencement of proceedings of the National Stakeholders Technical meeting for the 33rd edition of the National Festival of Arts and Culture NAFEST Plateau 2020, reassured the participants that Plateau state is fully committed to hosting the 33rd edition of NAFEST 2020 in the auspicious city of Jos and that they are working hard to put all the necessary facility in place for a successful hitch- free festival later this year to the glory of God.
