At NGA lecture, expert links artists’ respect, welfare to sustainable development

For humanity to enjoy good health and sustainable development, the artist must be sensitive to issues confronting his or her society, while on the other hand, the society must demonstrate adequate care for the livelihood of the artists.

This was the submission of the Executive Director, Institute for Strategic and Development Communication (ISDEVCOM) and former Dean, Faculty of Arts, Nasarawa State University, Keffi (NSUK), Professor Emmanuel S. Dandaura.

Dandaura, the Guest Lecturer at the 13th Annual Distinguished Lecture organised by the National Gallery of Art, recently in Lafia, the Capital City of Nasarawa State.

With the theme, Creativity, Artists Livelihoods and Sustainability in Persisting Insecurities, the academic educated his audience on the place of arts in human existence and cautioned on the need to treat them with desired recognition and appreciation.

Likening an artist to a medical doctor, who performs surgery on patients, the lecturer stated that artists are also surgeons in their own ways as they work on human minds.

Just as doctors are accorded honour in the society, Dandaura canvassed a society where the artist is not relegated to the background by virtue of his chosen profession.

According to him, enhancement of the living standard of creative artists is imperative to the growth of the society.

“The society must acknowledge the important role that artists play in every society, and promoting laws and policies that encourage creative expression and ensure equitable treatment for artists by responding to their unique circumstances and the atypical manner in which they work,” the lecturer stated.

He decried that very often, the society spends time in formal discourse expressing the contributions of the artists in nation building or their roles in the economic development with little or no effort made towards improving on their welfare policies.

Dandaura was surprised that while Africa set out 2020 to silence the guns, not much investments were made to improve the working environment and promote the works of the physicians of the minds.

“Those whose livelihoods must be protected even more today are the artists whose are the chief custodians of those natural properties that make us human. We revere medical doctors because their work save lives; artists provide the enabling environment for the mental health and sustainability of the human race including that of the medical professionals.

“Self-appointed champions of ethnic and regional interests in Nigeria today are products of a society that has not invested much on social cohesion. Since war and peace starts from the minds of men, anyone who is planning for peace must start with the artists who are the ultimate physicians of the mind. Only the arts can penetrate the human psyche so deep as to reverse negative sentiments that have challenged the peace and development of the country.”

He added: “A society that has lost touch with its creative side breeds generations of closed minded people. Creativity allows us to view and solve problems more openly and with innovation.
“It is only creativity that can sustain the world. There are supers powers today because while others were asleep, they were creating.”

On the survival of artist in an atmosphere of chaos, the lecturer examined the security situation in Nigeria and the impacts on the socio-economic livelihoods of artists.

Describing insecurity as anything that causes uncertainty, self-doubt or anxiety, he noted that without peace in the society, an artist cannot accomplish full trust or function. Consequently, he admonished artists on the exploration of digital technologies that will allow for electronic marketing of their works.

According to him, technology changes the relationship between artists and their audiences, as well as the economics and business models in the cultural industries.

To reposition the creative sector of the economy, the guest lecturer called for creation, adoption and implementation of participatory and inclusive legislative frameworks and national cultural governance systems; increase in the national budget and resources allocated to cultural and creative industries by five percent before 2031; adoption of innovative use of technologies in Nigeria’s creative sector by five percent within the first 10 years of the implementation of the plan as well as increase in intra-trade on Nigerian creative goods and services by five per cent in the next first 10 years.

He also called for the protection and promotion of the rights of creators and ensuring that creative works are protected from theft and unlicensed reproduction.

“Forge a strong cultural identity through the promotion of shared values, ethics and common heritage; ensure Intellectual Property Rights compliance for socio-economic development; ccelerate the movement of cultural goods, services and people within the country and across African boarders for economic benefits and leverage technology in order to develop and enhance the global competitiveness of Nigeria’s cultural and creative industries,” he admonished.

Dandaura was honoured with a heavy presence of his community people, cultural dance troupes and traditional rulers, including the traditional ruler of Mada tribe of Nasarawa State (Chun Mada), Pastor Samson Gamu Yare.

Earlier in his welcome address, the Director General, NGA, Chief Ebeten W. Ivara, noted that yearly lecture was designed to advance the course of knowledge in visual arts in particular and arts generally.

“It is aimed primarily at educating stakeholders as well as the public on the various aspects of Nigerian visual arts. It is a forum where eminent scholars are invited to deliver well researched papers on carefully chosen topics which are deeply analyzed for the benefit of professional artists, art teachers, art researchers, art administrators, scholars, students of visual arts at different levels and the public at large.”

The DG stated that NGA would continue the cherished tradition of promoting Nigerian artists and their works through its various programmes.

“In doing so, we shall strengthen our collaborations and association with Art schools, studio artists, art scholars and the diplomatic community through their cultural centres.”

Following the yearly lecture event was a National Symposium held at the same venue. He lamented that while other major economies of the world are reaping bountifully from art through tourism, Nigeria as a nation is in dire need of awareness creation on the strategic position of art in revenue generation, economic advancement and for social re-orientation.

“Something needs to be done fast towards diversifying the country’s economic base. This is where art tourism becomes indispensable and harnessing its potentials, a task that must be done.”

With the theme, “Institutional Art History in Nigeria: Documenting Art Departments in Universities, Polytechnics and Colleges of Education,” the host said it was coined out of the need for greater awareness about art among the younger generations of Nigerians.

“It is also to document for posterity, the process of evolution which Nigerian modern art has undergone to get to its present stage. This, I believe, will put to rest all arguments pertaining the precedence and the role of each art school in the evolution of Nigerian modern art. When eventually assembled, the compendium will serve as a reference point for research on the subject,” he noted.