Abuja Carnival Committee Organises Stakeholders’ Meeting

Jul 20, 2010

By Lucky Onoriode George [Abuja-Nigeria]

Ahead of the 6th edition of Abuja Carnival holding from November 27-30, the Carnival Management Committee has organised a stakeholders meeting in Abuja on Thursday July 15, 2010. The stakeholders meeting brought together commissioners of culture and tourism, permanent secretaries, directors of culture/tourism and heads of related parastatals across the country to brainstorm on how best to improve the carnival.

Declaring open the meeting, the Minister of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation, Alhaji Abubakar Sadiq Mohammed, who is also the Chairman of the 2010 Abuja Carnival Organising Committee, represented by the ministry's permanent secretary, Alhaji Ibrahim Mahe, said that he was particularly delighted because the forum will provide a good platform to further deepen interaction among stakeholders of Abuja Carnival.

Alhaji Mohammed stated that, "your presence here today has further strengthened my conviction in our collective resolve to use this leading platform for setting a vibrant agenda for a successful jubilee carnival".

"May I through you thank all the excellencies, the executive governors of the respective states of the federation for the support they have been rendering to the ministry and for making it possible for states to actively participate at each edition of the carnival".

According to the minister, he noted that over the years, there was a general tendency to underestimate the importance of culture and the synergy it provides between other facets of our national life.

He however opined that recent happenings, especially the performances of Abuja Carnival have since changed this perception as the ministry is not resting in its oars to galvanise and translate all existing commitments into tangible and visible progress; not only in Nigeria, but Africa and indeed, the world.

The minister stated further that in line with the policy thrust of the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan, the ministry will continue to build and improve upon the giant strides of repositioning the culture sector with the view to developing alternative source of revenue that will help reduce the Nigeria's over dependency on oil.

Sounding enthusiastically, he challenged the 2010 Abuja Carnival Management Committee to brace up to the enormity of the task of building a carnival that will drive the new economic vision of the government as enshrined in the vision 2020.

He concluded that, "I have no doubt in my mind that the creative and resourceful deliberations and outcome of the stakeholders meeting will be such that will speak the minds of Nigeria people, our beauty, colour, creativity and artistic excellence."

In his speech to the stakeholders meeting, the Federal Capital Territory [FCT], Minister, Senator Balla Abdulkadiri Mohammed, who was represented by the FCT Secretary for Social Development, Mrs. Blessing Onuh, told the gathering that FCT is saddled with the responsibility of ensuring a successful hosting of the 2010 Abuja Carnival.

The minister said as in the past, the FCT administration will be responsible for the provision and supervision of accommodation to participants from all the 36 states, medical facilities, security, transportation and traffic control.

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