The Minister for Art, Culture, and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa Musawa, has sought the assistance of Nobel Laureate Prof Wole Soyinka in devising methods to advance and safeguard the nation’s literary arts.
During a courtesy visit over the weekend to Prof. Soyinka, the minister emphasised the need of leveraging the esteemed playwright’s expertise to enhance the nation’s cultural heritage, recognising the valuable insights the visiting Professor at New York University Abu Dhabi could provide to the sector.
“It is an honour to share my vision for the development of the arts, culture, and creative economy with the Nobel Laureate,” the minister said. “The purpose of this visit is to invite you to share your invaluable experience with us, including insights, guidance, and advice on how to add to the development of literary arts in the country.
“This is the first time that we are having a ministry created specifically for this sector which is the Ministry of Arts, culture and Creative Economy.
Nigeria, she continued, boasts a rich cultural landscape encompassing music, movies, fashion, and literary arts. The ministry’s foremost concern, she said, lies in safeguarding literary creations. To achieve this, it plans to develop strategies aimed at combating the threats of piracy and intellectual theft.“Nigeria boasts of great writers like Professor Wole Soyinka, the late Prof. Chinua Achebe, Chimamanda Adichie, Prof Okey Ndibe and many others. We will be happy to see Prof Soyinka lead the way on these strategies. We look unto your antecedents for Initiatives to encourage the younger generation to embrace and celebrate their cultural identity.”
In his response, Prof. Soyinka expressed joy at the visit, highlighting his comparative interest in culture and literature, while calling for a conscious effort at the preservation of Nigerian culture and traditions.
“Culture is interrelated and inter-connected with different other cultures, so culture is universal,” he said.
“Nigerians are faced with diverse issues due to the neglect of heritages and monuments. We need to promote indigenous languages and cultures to preserve morals and values across the country.
“The performing artist is at a disadvantage, as his resources are limited. All an actor can do is join forces. Nigeria boasts of writers, musicians, painters, sculptors, and artists who believe in opening up certain horizons for human striving. I am an artist and a producer, a creative person, and I like to go into galleries, to listen to music and to read books.
“The arts are the material expression of the people’s essence, of their spirituality, and of their dignity. Return the spirituality to Africa by returning all the looted works.”
The minister also highlighted efforts aimed at inspiring young people to proudly connect with their cultural heritage, foster artistic and creative growth, foster collaborative opportunities and innovation in the creative sector, harness cultural diplomacy, and leverage arts and culture in international relations to showcase the country’s diverse cultural fabric globally.
She is excited about the prospect of partnering with Professor Soyinka in a mutually beneficial collaboration to advance the realms of arts, culture, and the creative economy.
