Create arts for national development, Akume tells NNMA

The Minister of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs, Sen. George Akume, on Thursday, urged the governing board of Nigeria National Merit Awards to reaffirm their commitment to generating the needed artist’s ideas as the agency to enhance the sustainable development goal of the nation.

The minister stated this at the 2022 First Award Winners Lecture, Nigerian National Merit Award with the theme: “Informal Art Education: Lessons From The Harmattan Workshop” organized by Governing board of the Nigerian National Award in partnership with the University of Abuja.

Akume who was represented by Professor. Bolaji Babatunde said: “This spectacular performance is not gained overnight but after long periods of hard work, advocacy, and continuous contributions to place Nigeria on an international pedestal as a source of elite talents.

“We shall reaffirm the commitment of the Governing Board towards generating the needed ideas as our contribution to the effort to enhance sustainable growth and development of the nation.

“Today, I urge us to recommit ourselves to recognize the contributions of the Nigerian National Merit Award and its Laureates to the overall socioeconomic, socio-political and scientific and technological developments of our country”.

In his remarks, the Vice-Chancellor, of the University of Abuja, Professor Abdul-Rasheed Na’Allah urged youths to make maximum use of their skills to be self-employed and not to allow themselves to be used for social vices in society.

He said: “The primary responsibility of NNMA is to identify and assess candidates for their merits based on their outstanding contributions to national development in the areas of Science, Medicine, Engineering, including Arts and Culture”.

The award winner lecturer, Mr Bruce Paul Onobrakpeya, appealed to the government and Nigerians to support the efforts of artwork to give the society sustainable socio-cultural legacies.

He said: “Art education via Informal art workshops is very important in the sustainable development of the arts as a viable socio-economic subsector in any country.

“Informal workshops touch the grassroots, developing environment, culture, and above all, the economic well-being and opportunities for self-employment at the periphery of society”.