By Moshood Adebayo
Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, has urged new board members of the Lagos State Board of Arts and Culture to go all out and explore private sector support to nurture new talents and generate events for a sustainable development of the creative arts sector in the state.
Veteran thespian, Joke Silva, filmmaker, Kunle Afolayan, influential visual artist, Kolade Oshinowo and foremost artist/designer, Nike Okundaye were among those inaugurated as members of the arts and culture board during the week. The board chairman is art enthusiast, Polly Alakija.
While inaugurating the board, Ambode said that though the state government in the last 23 months has covered a lot of grounds in terms of design and structure of the arts and entertainment sector, so much still needs to be done if it must realise its goal to become a global hub for music, theatre and film.
“The commitment of our administration to harness the huge creative talents that abound in the state in the fields of arts, culture, entertainment and sports has never been in doubt. The ultimate goal is to use all of these to drive tourism, create employment and increase the contribution of the non-oil sector to the state’s gross domestic product.
“The Council for Arts and Culture which we have just inaugurated has a huge responsibility to translate our vision in this regard into reality,” Ambode said.
According to the governor, the board would among other things, be expected to ensure the sustainable management of arts and culture facilities and infrastructures in the state and create a sustainable framework for the sector. While urging the board to generate local and international events to showcase and promote the state’s diverse talents in the field of creative arts, music, entertainment and sports, Ambode urged them to promote and preserve the rich cultural heritage while being sensitive to the diverse cultures of of Lagosians.
Ambode said the inauguration of the board, coming on the heels of the 50-day event countdown of the state’s Golden Jubilee celebration, showed the total commitment of his administration to put the arts and culture sector in the right perspective.
He further revealed that the state was currently leading the initiatives to transform the National Museum and National Arts Theatre into world class centres of history, tourism, arts and entertainment, while construction work on the six arts theatres across the state has began in earnest.
Speaking on behalf of the members, Alakija thanked the governor for reposing confidence on her and other members, assuring that they would stop at nothing to make great impact in the lives of young people through arts, culture and creative sector.
She also assured of the commitment of the board to explore all areas of possibilities to achieve the set out objectives to make the arts and entertainment sector evolve as a revenue generating mechanism for the state.
Other members include Mobee of Badagry, High Chief Patrick Yodenu Mobee, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Mr. Adesina Adeyemi and Director of Culture, Lagos State Council for Arts and Culture, Mrs. Saidat Otulana.