The Erelu Yeye Oodua Foundation, a Non-Governmental Organisation, has called for reawakening of cultural heritage, education and empowerment of youths to expedite the emergence of a new Nigeria.
The President of the foundation, Chief Abiola Dosunmu, said this at a news conference in Lagos on Thursday, on plans to unveil the ”Erelu Yeye Oodua Cultural Renaissance Centre”.
Dosunmu disclosed that the new centre would focus on research, empowerment, education, training and promotion of culture and languages.
She said that the center which would be inaugurated on Dec. 3, would be equipped with ICT rooms for research, documentation and publications.
She said that promotion of cultural values and traditions remained central to national growth and development.
Dosunmu, who is also the Erelu Yeye Oodua, said that the foundation was out to promote culture and empower youths with modern tools to reduce poverty.
According to her, the foundation is out to empower youths, focusing on the boy-child and the girl-child, because a lot of them drop out of school to no fault of theirs
She said the selected youths would be trained by well-seasoned facilitators in various vocations.
Dosunmu, who is also the Erelu Kuti IV of Lagos, listed the vocations to include welding, carpentry, dancing, drama, languages, visual arts among others.
Dosunmu said: “What we have here today is the Erelu Yeye Oodua Cultural Renaissance Centre, this center is not a rebirth.
“However, the center is a reawakening of the importance of our culture and tradition in our lives and development in whichever facet of life either culturally, economically.
“We are rethinking the interest and bringing it into focus the importance of culture in national development.”
According to her, this is the best time to look back to the cultural heritages to salvage Nigeria especially in this time of economic downturn.
“In the past, our ancestors have always been fastidious and hardworking.
“Our forefathers achieved the best of education anybody can boast for their children due to some of these cultural values, and they achieved economic empowerment through this means.
“However, we seem to have lost it because we now want white collar jobs, quick means of making money and success,” she said.
She said that the center would also be a character remodeling home for young Nigerians who had lost touch with culture and tradition.
Dosunmu said that in the last five decades, she had been championing the cause of culture and tradition of the people, even when it was not popular.
