By Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti
The Director General of the Ekiti State Council of Arts and Culture, Mr. Wale Ojo-Lanre, has said placing premium attention to the promotion of arts and culture will improve the economic and moral values of the country.
The Director General said apart from the revenues it will generate, the moral regeneration in culture will reshape the minds of the people and curb all manners of crimes in the Nigerian society.
He spoke on Monday during the celebration of the 2019 International Dancing Day in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital.
Ojo-Lanre lamented that the country has lost enormous values in terms of revenues and causing of unwarranted crimes owing the dwindling trends of the country’s cultural and tourism potentials.
The Ekiti State cultural troop performed at the rally held round the state capital to celebrate the global dancing day festival.
Ojo-Lanre said Governor Kayode Fayemi was prepared to invest in the cultural and tourism potentials of the state to further make the state economically viable and promote cultural values.
He said the dancing festival was significant in the lives of Africans because it adds value to the society by promoting happiness among the populace.
According to him, “The significance of dancing in African and global setting can’t be quantified. Dancing has gone beyond mere entertainment to empowerment.
“Many people today earn their living through the monies they make by dancing as professionals.
“To further underscore the importance, dance has become a whole course in the university under Dramatic and Performing Arts. This is apart from bringing happiness and reducing depression.”
He said the state cultural troop did exceptionally well in the just concluded drum festival held in Abeokuta, adding that this has further attested to the fact that Ekiti has joined the league of states that have passion for arts and culture.
“We stunned the event with good performance and with this, we have shown that Ekiti is ready to hit the global map in arts, culture and tourism.
“Under Governor Fayemi, the sector will become a veritable source of income to the state and practitioners.
“We are ready to partner with local people, corporate and academic world to promote culture and tourism, because the benefits therein can’t be quantified,” he said.
