Runsewe backs Abiodun on promotion of Adire
By Ozolua Uhakheme, Assistant Editor (Arts)
Director-General, National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC), Otunba Segun Runsewe, said he has found a soul-mate in Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun on the strategic campaign to promote indigenous fabrics as national dress code.
He noted that the pronouncement by Ogun State Governor to adopt Adire fabrics as official uniform for students in Ogun State remains the very critical and visible engagement to support cultural awareness and creativity, in order to sustain the emergence of the Adire heritage economy and empower rural development.
“I am the happiest Nigerian today and I must thank Ogun State Governor for joining us to showcase the Adire heritage fabrics and adopting it as school uniform for students in Ogun state, including its use by government officials and at all activities of government businesses. This is the way to go as it will benefit the rural economy, empower women and youths and help in historical revival of heritage teachings and knowledge,” Runsewe stated.
At NCAC flagship programmes such as National Festival for Arts and Culture (NAFEST), International Arts and CRAFTS expo (INAC), and conferences, local heritage fabrics such as Adire and other fabrics across the nation were usually on display as mounting, flags, neck and wrist wears.
Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun on Thursday during the flag-off of Adire Digital Market, held at June 12 Cultural Centre, in Abeokuta advocated for the promotion of Nigerian indigenous fabrics to the world. He noted that Adire fabrics can be adopted as national wears for athletes and other sporting engagements, adding that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Culture and Information counterpart should buy into the agenda to use Adire fabrics to market Nigeria to the outside world.
Abiodun assured that Ogun was ready to partner Federal Government agencies in sports and culture to promote Adire economy and help grow the entrepreneurs, empower women and youths and expose the limitless cultural endowments in Ogun State.
Meanwhile, Runsewe has proposed the certification and endorsement of entry regime and job profiling in the tourism and hospitality industry in Nigeria by the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR).
Runsewe, who spoke at NIHOTOUR inaugural master class lectures in Abuja on Thursday, believed the process would bring sanity to the sector’s training and retraining capacity, enthrone standardisation, eliminate quackery and portfolio training faculties and operators and build confidence to service delivery in the industry.
He observed that the domestic tourism and hospitality industry was bedeviled by very dangerous web of organised doubtful and fraudulent hospitality and tourism schools, with no visible measured contributions to the growth and development of services delivery expectations.
“NIHOTOUR remains the strong bridge that will check the rather unbecoming presence of fly by night hospitality training schools all over the country, particularly at time like this when Nigeria needs to capture the growth potentials of the entire gamut of Culture and Hospitality sector and effectively train our youths not only in vocational studies but to prepare them after formal academic trainings for job openings in the industry,” Runsewe added.