(NAN)
The Director-General, National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC), Otunba Olusegun Runsewe has urged Nigerians to tolerate one another by using cultural diplomacy to address the challenges bedeviling the country.
Runsewe said this on Saturday night at the closing ceremony of a three-day International Arts and Crafts (INAC) Expo, organised by the NCAC in Abuja.
The theme of the exposition is “Networking Nigerian Arts and Crafts to the World”.
He described cultural diplomacy as peaceful strategy used everywhere in the world to overcome challenges.
“Nigeria does not have problem but we have challenges and you can never become a champion until you overcome your challenges.
“I can tell you that everywhere in the world, they use one strategy which is cultural diplomacy.
“The reason why you see us disagree with ourselves is that the Igbo man said bring collar, if you want to discuss with me, you get offended why?
“The Hausa man said remove your shoes before you enter my house, you get offended why? The Yoruba man wants to eat Amala with his hand, you say he is local. There won’t be understanding in such manner.
“So, we need to tolerate each other and bring in cultural diplomacy. Once we do that, all these challenges will be addressed,” Runsewe said.
According to him, all over the world, there are only two strategies which are hard and soft. The hard is no in fashion. So, the peace strategy is working.
“If it was not working, we would not have 54 countries in attendance today. Peace is gradually returning to our country.
“There is no great country in the world that does not have crime it is tackling but we celebrate ours beyond proportion.
“There is a lot of negative and fake news going near and there but what I have succeeded doing today is a testimony that Nigeria is safe.”
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According to Runsewe, If there is no peace in Nigeria, over 54 countries will not be coming to celebrate INAC.
“Today is a day to tell us that we need to put our differences behind.
“Today, we are not discussing Muslims or Christian issues or South-South or South-East but we are discussing what unite us as a people and what can make us to be stronger and better.
“However, since I’m lucky to have INAC as a platform, a lot of people have understood the role of the sector.”
This sector, he said could reduce crime, unemployment and all the challenges facing the country.
He said what has been happening is that we don’t understand the strength of this sector, adding that, “it is the only sector that nobody is a failure even if you make F9 in school, you are useful in this sector. You don’t need PhD or Msc to meet a good back.
“A lot of members of diplomatic community that are here today they are amazed that is it Nigeria?
“For instance, the Diplomat of Spain has finished his tenure and he has applied for extension. If Nigeria is not good, he will not do that.
“So, for me, we have succeeded in using our own structure of culture to showcase the strength of Nigeria, not the weakness of Nigeria,” Runsewe said.
He said Nigerians must reawaken themselves to understand that making Nigeria great is the duty of everyone to contribute.
Also speaking, Hajiya Lami Adamu-Lau, National President, National Council For Women Societies (NCWS) commended the NCAC for organising INAC exposition to train Nigerian women in various skills.
She commended the NCAC for giving them the opportunity, adding that the commission trained about 115 women on different skills such as beading, makeup, Gele and others.
These skills, she said were done free for women to preserve Nigerian culture and also to give chance to the less privileged in the society so that they can get something doing to sustain their livelihood.
According to her, the NCWS is happy to collaborate with NCAC and appreciate it for giving the training to its members.
She urged the youths to be up and doing by engaging in productive activities to avoid being used as thugs by some elements.
“I want to advise our youths that it is not only government’s jobs that pay. Our youths should be up and doing that is why people like NCAC boss are helping us on self-reliance.
“I want them to be on their own and get something doing so that politicians don’t use them for thuggery.
“Nigerian youths are our future. If you allow yourselves to be destroyed, you destroy our country because we will not have anybody to lead us in future again.
“So, that is why we are saying that our youths should be up and doing something that will make Nigeria great,” she said.