Music  

Arts promotion will fast track Nigeria’s economy, says Byron

By NAN

06 January 2017   |   5:13 am

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An afro-jazz musician, Sina Fagbenro, better known as “Byron” on Thursday, said that the youths should be given a chance to advance the country’s economic growth through arts.

Sina Fagbenro, a.k.a. Byron

An afro-jazz musician, Sina Fagbenro, better known as “Byron” on Thursday, said that the youths should be given a chance to advance the country’s economic growth through arts.

He said there were boundless opportunities in “music, theatre, film, dance, art, performing arts, architecture, artistic designs, graffiti, graphic, photography, sculpture, video recording and others because it makes skillful people.”

Fagbenro told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos, that the creative arts sector has enormous benefits for the youths.

According to him, both government and private sector should help in sponsoring youths in various creative arts to help reposition the country’s economy.

“It will lead to creation of jobs because they have learned first-rate arts which will be relished and help the country’s Gross Domestic Products (GDP).

“Many youths are into music and many schools do not teach music because the country is not looking in that angle.

“Teaching music in schools and other arts have to be government priority.

“Government and private sectors can join hands to put structures in place to see what can be done in the area of arts, “he said.

Fagbenro, however, said that government and private sector should organise exchange programmes, to bring different resource persons that would impart knowledge to the youths.

“We are now in the computer age, so, most computers should have these things for easy handling and learning.

“We must appreciate what these youths are doing and help them in a positive way, so as to build the talent in them.”

“By schools having musical sections and creative arts, it will be easier, so that they don’t go astray or kill that talent, but build up those talents to better themselves.

“Parents and guardians ought to also try and encourage their children, who have talents,” he said.

He stressed that “life is dynamic and things are changing, so the youths have to key into it so as to improve arts in Nigeria and for it to be relevant.

“That is why youths had to be trained properly because arts knows no race, creed or country.

“It soothes our soul and body; it makes people happy and one forgets anger, pride and other vices,” he said.