THE Cultural Industry arm of the Department of Culture, Ministry of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation, has met with stakeholders over its cultural centres project.At the forum were directors of state art councils, commissioners for culture and Tourism as well as directors of cultural centres from across the geo-political zones of the country, were such industries were sited.Director of Culture, Mr George Ufot told The Guardian that the meeting was to evolve practical and implementable strategies that would guarantee effective management and sustenance of the centres, which are located in Taraba, Benue, Ogun, Ondo, Edo, Sokoto and Enugu States.'The forum was meant to interact with stakeholders for us to draw up a feasible and implantable blue print that would facilitate the economic viability of the cultural centres.'It was also to ensure that stakeholders are carried along in every step the ministry takes, especially in regards to, where centres are located and the kind of facilities to be installed', he said.Minister of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation, Chief Edem Duke, was represented by the newly appointed Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Ibunkun Odusote.In her remarks, Odusote assured that the outcome of the meeting would be fully implemented.She noted that the centres were designed to serve as centres of excellence in vocational skill acquisition, cultural products' exhibition and cultural exchange between the states within the zones, where cultural centres are located.She pointed out that though, the centres were established by the ministry, they could be handed over to respective state governments for collaboration with the private sector in order to achieve broad based community participation.'The Ministry hoped that state government will effectively coordinate the activities in the cultural industry centres by ensuring effective management and sustainability of the centres.'At the technical session, emphases were based on three broad issues such as Zonal Collaboration/Ownership, which aimed at addressing necessary collaboration among various states in each zone in the management of the centres. It also looked at the likely level of representation by zonal leadership, specific financial contributions expected from the states in the zone to sustain the viability as well as possible expansion of the centres.The second issue evolved around the administration and organogram of cultural centres. It addressed the administrative structure and procedures for the centres, development of cultural centres' organogram, identification of specific human resources requirements that will manage the centres, determination of possible private sector's management of the centres on behalf of states in the zones as well as the qualification and competence of private sector operators that would be considered adequate to manage the centres.The third segment however addressed the issue of programmes and promotion. Its terms of reference include identification and determination of cultural-related programmes that would be carried out at the centres, strategies and programmes for intercultural collaborations and cooperation among states in the zone as well as strategies for the promotion and marketing of the centre programmes and activities to enhance consistent traffic to the centres.It also include identifying cultural capacity building and training requirements for states and private cultural sector operators in the zones, strategies for effective partnership between local governments and state governments, corporate and development organisations as well as identifying and determining programmes that would enhance opportunities for youth empowerment, training and capacity building.At the end of the meeting, it was resolved that the cultural centres should be operated as a public private partnership venture to ensure their economic viability; that monitoring and evaluation of the centres should be jointly and periodically conducted by the federal and state governments as well as the private sector.It was also recommended that aggressive awareness creation about the cultural centres and mass mobilisation of the general public should be carried out from the grass root to the state as well as the zonal level.
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