By Kolade Adeyemi, Jos

Plateau State Governor Simon Lalong has said the National Festival for Arts and Culture (NAFEST) will unite Nigerians.

He hoped the nation’s unity can be made easier with NAFEST.

The governor urged practitioners of arts and culture to be proactive, creative and resourceful in deploying their resources to reposition the industry in the quest for a better Nigeria.

He spoke in Jos at the opening of the 33rd edition of NAFEST tagged ‘NAFEST 2020’, with the theme: “COVID-19 and Cultural Dynamism”.

Lalong enjoined Nigerians not to allow the pandemic to erode the value and significance of the pillar of the society.

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Said he: “The Plateau State Government and the National Council for Arts and Culture carried out a lot of engagements with stakeholders to secure clearance from the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 for this event to hold.”

The governor said by hosting the event, the state had demonstrated its resilience as a people to cope with the pandemic and was doing everything possible to facilitate the socio-cultural and economic recovery of the country.

He said the arts industry had potential for absorbing youths and creating opportunities.

Lalong said with over 53 ethnic groups, Plateau boasts of diverse, rich and vibrant culture and tradition that have fascinated and captured the minds of many around the world.

The Chairman of the occasion, Senator Rochas Okorocha, said the staging of NAFEST annually, which brings Nigerians together in festive mood, can boost national unity.