The National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC) has appealed to parents to encourage and support their children in discovering their talents in the creative industry.
The Director-General of the NCAC, Otunba Olusegun Runsewe, made the appeal on Thursday at the commemoration of the 2021 World Handicraft Day in Abuja.
According to reports the NCAC organised the World Handicraft Day to discuss and educate Nigerians on the economic importance of the nation’s crafts.
Runsewe said that though some children might not attain educational career as lawyers and medical doctors, there were some that their brains have the capacity for creativity which required the support of parents.
“Handicraft is a platform to showcase our best to the world. Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, can you image, the chairs these great students are sitting down are used tyres.
“Look at it, the centre tables are by product from tyres from sport cars but we turned it into the centre table. In other words, nothing is a waste in this sector.
“This is the only sector that nobody is a failure even if you have not performed well in school, you are useful with us.
“The time has come to tell ourselves the truth. All of us cannot be a lawyer and medical doctor but there are some people that capacity of their brains is for creativity. I want to beg parents,’’ he said.
The director-general recalled that some years ago, children could not tell their parents that they wanted to go into football or music, but now they encouraged them due to the viability in the sector.
He urged Nigerians to buy made in Nigeria products such as arts and craft products in order to create job opportunities for youths and discourage them from engaging in crimes.
Dr Cornel Agim, a curator and former Director, National Gallery Art, stressed the need to re-tool craft products for sustainable exportation in the county.
Agim said that if the arts and crafts products could be re-tooled to meet international market standard, it would serve as alternative to the nation’s oil generating revenue.
“The handicraft is imperative to jobs creation, investment and tourism attraction. It also helps in showcasing cultural heritage and growing the nation’s economy.
“There is so much to be done to encourage the viability of the sector,’’ he said.
The NCAC organises the World Handicraft Day to acknowledge with pride, the achievements of the World Craft Council (WCC) through the years.
The WCC is non-profit, non-governmental organisation that was founded in 1964 to promote fellowship, foster economic development through income generating craft related activities.
