Mr Emmanuel Adekoya, a culture expert on Monday urged Nigerians to explore opportunities in the cultural industry and patronise locally made products to boost the country’s economy.
Adekoya told journalists in Abuja that culture was dynamic and could also help the country out of the present economic recession.
He stressed that the country stood a great chance of surviving the current economic meltdown if it could focus more on boosting production and exportation of indigenous products.
He said that the nation could look inward and do things in the cultural way, adding that this could the country to be self sustaining.
“You can get people like weavers, tie and dye experts, and other local experts in fabric making to produce for schools, which can be a starting point.
“You can begin to look at those items we import from abroad which we can be produce locally and begin to do them here.
“Not only that, we must patronise the local producers by so doing, our creative industry will blossom.
“When we begin to do this, you will find out that the quest for FOREX will reduce and automatically our naira will begin to appreciate,’’ he said.
On selling Nigerian’s culture to other countries, he said that it would be easy only if the country valued, appreciates, and placed high premium on its rich cultural heritage.
He said that it would be important for the country to have a good cultural framework which could be used as `soft sell’ diplomacy to reach out to international communities.
“Nigeria has cultural centres abroad, which project the rich diverse cultures that we have in Nigeria and those countries normally accept them.
“And when you are talking about culture, you are talking about our indigenous music, our cuisines, hair styles, body decorations.
“Those things are unique to the country as a whole but when it goes abroad, those people getting in touch with the culture will begin to imbibe and embrace it,’’ he said.
Adekoya said that when people in other countries started to imbibe Nigerian culture, which includes music, clothes, food, the naira would be getting
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