The Nigerian Government has offered its unalloyed support for the government of Ogun State in its efforts to take the African Drum Festival to a higher level. The Minister of Information and Culture, Mr. Lai Mohammed, gave the assurance at the opening of the 3rd edition of the festival in Abeokuta, Ogun State, on Thursday.
”We will continue to support this festival by making all our media platforms available to create awareness for it. We will also ensure that it is included in our national calendar of festivals, when the calendar, which we are working on now, is ready.
”The drum festival keys into our objective of turning the creative industry into a thriving industry, one that provides jobs and boosts the economy, and that’s why we will continue to support it. I will also like to appeal to the corporate world to partner with Ogun State and to support this festival through sponsorship,” he said.
Mr. Mohammed commended the Ogun State government for ”this brilliant and intellectual addition” to the festival, in reference to the decision to convene a conference and an exhibition as part of the festival this year.
He said the annual drum festival is very important because”it provides an avenue for us to showcase our rich cultural heritage and to attract global tourists to our country.”
”The festival also plays a critical role in not just recognising the development and curation of the art form of indigenous drum poetry but, more importantly, the preservation of drum culture for future generations,” the Minister said.
