Ekiti Cultural Festival Holds December

Ekiti state governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi has said that the state would resume the hosting   of Ekiti State Festival of Arts and Culture ,(EKIFEST) ,in December 2019.

 

Governor Fayemi also revealed the determination of  the state to inaugurate and  establish Arts and Craft Village in Ado Ekiti with cluster outlets in  some communities  across the state.

 

Ekiti State Festival of Arts and Culture ( EKIFEST)  is  an annual event initiated in 2012 by the Fayemi led administration to showcase Ekiti cultural heritage , discover talents and use arts and culture for economic development.

 

The one week event will also create avenue for thousands of tourists from local and international communities to explore the tourism potentialities of the state.

 

Speaking at the opening ceremony of Ekiti State Council for Arts and Culture Stakeholders’ Forum on Monday, the governor who was represented by Head of Service, Hon Deji Ajayi said “We are going to organise Ekiti State Festival of Arts and Culture in December this year to enhance our capacities in crafts, dancing, weaving and other vocational areas of arts.

 ” We should not forget to teach our children those values that will make Ekiti to remember their heritage and sustain our culture as a people”.

Also speaking at the event, the chairperson of the event, Erelu Bisi Fayemi noted that activities in the culture and Arts sector nosedived in the last four years when her husband, Dr Kayode Fayemi went on sabbatical.

 

“The Arts and culture industry is one of the area through which we believe we identify and develop talents  and create opportunities for our teeming youths in the creative industry “.

 

While pledging her continuous support for creative  industry in the state, Erelu  Fayemi urged the stakeholders in the sector to collaborate with the government particularly the Council for Arts and Culture in the state for  the development of  the sector.

 

The Director General of the Ekiti State Council for  Arts and Culture, Mr. Wale Ojo Lanre, assured that  the government  was committed to  the  promotion of all cultural festivals in the state to empower the people for  economic gains.

 

” We are also going to partner Nigeria Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) , National Council for Arts and Culture and other national and international bodies to promote our arts and culture in Ekiti. Some of them will be enlisted as national festivals .

 

“We are also going to engage  creative arts entrepreneurs and accomplished   artistes of Ekiti origin  to mentor our budding stars.

 

”All these are what  Governor Kayode Fayemi is ready to do to promote our arts and culture industry and make it a force that can generate revenue for individuals and the state”, he said.

 

Guest speakers,  including Professor Ishola Olomola, Professor Rasaki Bakare, and Dr Mike Adeoye in their presentations harped on the need for consistency, sustainability and working with passion

Prof Bakare  also called for collaborative efforts among  various associations of professionals to pursue a common goal and economic benefit.

 

 

“You must be humbled to work with those who are not as high as you re and be humble to work with those who are higher than you so as to create   a market and formidable structure that would enhance empowerment and economic development”