Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has
saluted Prof. Wole Soyinka for inducting Nigeria into the Hall of Fame
through his iconic literary works.
Speaking at the Command Performance of one of Prof. Soyinka’s books,
the “Death and the King’s Horseman”, in commemoration of the 30th
anniversary of his winning the Nobel Prize in Literature, the Minister
said Prof. Soyinka’s literary creativity, ingenuity and contributions
to the growth and development of literature and dramatic arts can
easily be described as legendary.
“He has continued to play vital roles in the development of Arts,
Culture and Democracy in Nigeria and around the world. On behalf of
the Ministry, I salute Professor Soyinka and wish him longer life so
that this exemplary Nigerian and global citizen can continue to make
us proud,” he said.
Recalling the epochal event 30 years ago, Alhaji Mohammed said the
Nobel Prize in Literature was a historic moment for the Creative
Industry, for Nigeria and for Africa ”because it was the first time
that a Nigerian, an African and indeed a black writer will be named a
recipient of the prestigious Nobel Prize in Literature”.
He used the occasion to harp on the enormous potential of Nigeria in
the Creative Industry, particularly the performing arts, and the rich
cultural heritage which, he said, if gainfully harnessed will further
drive tourism and significantly lift the Nigerian economy.
“I am glad to report that our efforts to lift the Creative Industry
have received support from President Muhammadu Buhari. Not only has
the President rallied support for the sector, he has also directed
that such support must reflect in the budget of the Ministry of
Information and Culture in 2017. We will leverage on such high level
support to further our plan to develop our country’s Creative Industry
and also enhance its contribution to the national economy,” he said.
The Minister disclosed that part of the strategies adopted by the
Ministry to develop the Creative Industry is the signing of Memoranda
of Understanding with the Tony Elumelu Foundation and the British
Council on capacity building, especially the training of Festival
Managers, as well as linking the industry to the business world.
He said an an innovative part of the collaboration is the plan to
convene a Creative Economy Task Force to map the Creative Industry to
provide a better picture of what is happening and develop policies
that will fast-track the development of the sector.
Mohammed solicited the support of stakeholders in the
performing arts towards the successful implementation of the
administration’s national reorientation campaign, CHANGE BEGINS WITH
ME, which is aimed at bringing back the time-tested values that once
defined Nigerians as a people.
