By Olawale Ajimotokan
The Minister of Information and Culture, Mr. Lai Mohammed, has restated the resolve of Nigerians to remain as a united people in spite of the various challenges facing the nation.
Mohammed made the remarks yesterday in Abuja at the opening of Nigeria at 60 Photo Exhibition with the theme “60 Years of Our Togetherness.
He said the theme of the photo exhibition was carefully couched to reflect on the unity of this great country in the past 60 years, despite its diverse cultures, traditions, practices, languages and challenges.
“Like other countries in the world, it is an incontrovertible fact that Nigeria, over the years, has gone through challenging times, but we must not miss the fact that its resolve to remain as one indivisible entity has remained unshaken,” he said.
He said the independence anniversary celebration photo exhibition would be an opportunity to educate Nigerians, especially the youth, who needed a re-awakening voyage into the historical and unique heritage of the country and the secrets behind its unity in diversity.
The minister said that the exhibition captured the six decades of Nigeria’s independence, footprints of Nigeria’s political leaders and 60 years of the labour of the heroes past in ensuring the country’s unity and peace.
He also added that the exhibition also captured ancient and modern fashion, attires and hairstyles in addition to Nigerian cuisine, tourist attractions and festivals as well as Nigerians in diaspora and their achievements.
Mohammed said the exhibition told Nigeria’s 60-year story in pictorial form, delivering a photographic presentation of Nigeria’s icons, programmes for national integration, such as the National Youth Service Corps programme, photos of intertribal marriages, creation of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja; popular artists, both old and new, as well as the collective achievements in the area of sports, which had been a strong, unifying force for the country.
The exhibition, which would run for three days at the National Press Centre, Radio House, Abuja, was declared open by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Boss Mustapha.
