UNESCO tasks young creatives on African cultural goods, others

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has advised young creatives to take advantage of the digital environment to promote Africa’s cultural goods and services.

The organisation gave the advice during a workshop organised by its Institute for African Culture and International Understanding (IACIU) in Abeokuta, Ogun State.

Director of the institute, Prof. Peter Okebukola, said that a society must ensure the preservation of its culture if it must remain relevant.
He hinted that the IACIU designed the workshop majorly to protect and promote production of cultural goods and services in the digital environment for the benefit of the African races.

Okebukola, who urged young creatives to tap into the abundance of opportunities available in the digital age to promote African culture, said: “The advent of new digital technologies has fundamentally altered the way we do almost everything, culture inclusive. The way cultural goods and services are produced, distributed or accessed has changed from traditional stalls and shops to online platforms.

“Social media and music/video streaming channels, such as Facebook, WhatsApp, Telegram, Instagram and Youtube are becoming the platforms on which people publicly display and promote cultural goods and services.

“As we all know, culture plays an important role in human life and any society or community that wants to remain relevant must continue to promote and safeguard its culture. I am sure you are aware that culture also provides important social and economic benefits,” he added.
Okebukola who was represented by the Institute’s Senior Programme Advisor, Ambassador Adebola Labiran disclosed that the new digital technologies will grant the young creative in the country the access to display and sell cultural goods via the internet, in turn, promote African culture.