NCAC, ANJET seek closer culture ties

The National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC), has said that it would continue to seek ways to further deepen the relationship with Association of Nigerian Journalists and Writers of Tourism(ANJET).

This was disclosed by the Director General NCAC, Otunba Segun Runsewe during ANJET courtesy visit to the Corporation secretariat at Abuja, recently.

Runsew expressed the interest of the Federal Government into the agency to repositioned culture and tourism as the lever of Nigeria’s economic growth.

According to Runsewe, government’s policy towards leveraging on the culture sector in its quest to diversify the economy and empower its stakeholders also informs the new mantra at the agency which is ‘culture is the new oil.’

Receiving a delegation from the Association of Nigerian Journalists and Writers of Tourism (ANJET), the umbrella body of travel and tourism writers, in his office in Abuja, henceforth said NCAC under his stewardship will be refocused to ‘take control of the culture sector in the country.’
“My appointment was intended by the Federal Government as a move to reposition the culture sector of which the NCAC is the biggest agency and make the people not just here but also the private operators see it as the new oil. And as we say here, crude oil will eventually dry, up but our culture will always be there. Culture will soon be our new cash cow for the Nigerian economy,” said Runsewe who had previously served as Director General of the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC).
Runsewe, who used the platform provided by the visit of the ANJET delegation, said his agency will be retooled and effectively equipped to ‘take charge of the culture sector of the country’ so as to better the lives and businesses of the practitioners in terms of exploiting the sector’s business potential.
Speaking further, he applauded the visiting journalists for their support.
“Thank you for finding time to visit my agency. You are part of my success story at my various duty posts in the course of my national call to service. I will always carry you along even in my new assignment because of my belief in the importance of the media.

Earlier, head of the five-man ANJET delegation, Andrew Okungbowa, had presented a five-point agenda to the NCAC boss in which he tasked him on the need to bridge the yawning gap and dichotomy between tourism and culture in the country, as well as growing the Nigerian culture industry.