Nigeria to Showcase Cultural Heritage Worldwide

Michael Olugbode in Abuja

Director General, National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC), Otunba Segun Runsewe has said Nigeria’s diverse cultural heritage is ready to be showcased to the rest of the world with the setting up of a new e-library/view centre.

Runsewe, also President, World Craft Council (WCC), said a new e-library/view centre in the pipeline would capture Nigeria’s diverse cultural heritage history and link it up to about 150 countries in the world and will be situated at Nigeria’s new Culture House in Abuja.

He made the disclosure at a session with journalists in Beijing after a visit to the Great Wall of China, a series of fortifications that were built across the historical northern borders of ancient Chinese states and imperial China  as protection against various nomadic groups from the Eurasian Steppe.

At the session, NCAC DG explained that the e-library/view centre platform is one of the positive fall-out of Runsewe’s ongoing engagements in China.

He said it would be strategically deployed to harness basic information, history and tradition of Nigeria cultural tourism heritage and showcasing them to the global tourism community, cultural heritage experts and students of cultural studies all over the world.

Runsewe explained that the e-library/view centre, which became a new platform to market natural resources and Heritage sites during the COVID-19, is now being deployed by other countries to market their tourism and heritage opportunities to the world.

According to him, the beauty is that once Nigeria keys into the E-library/View Centre, we are going to be connected to over 150 countries in the world, which will change the way the world sees Nigeria, including the wrong things they read about us which are not correct.

He added that the platform would also serve as an avenue to tell Nigeria story by Nigerians, explaining further that Nigeria will use the opportunity to tell the world of what we are doing, what is happening and share our history, cultural heritage and our icons which will generate positive discussions and interests about our country.

“I am happy because we’re going to be connected digitally by this E-library to about 150 countries of the world, an advantage which also brings us to study more about digital opportunities which we can leverage to market and promote Nigeria.”

Runsewe explained the role played by the Ambassador of China to Nigeria, His Excellency, Cui Jianchun in deepening the bond of friendship and culture between Nigeria and China.

He disclosed that the ambassador is not only a visionary leader but has also changed the story of the relationship between Nigeria and China since he assumed office in Nigeria.

He said the ambassador “is  all over the place in Nigeria, coordinating and bringing the people of the two countries together, particularly Nigerian youths whom he has provided opportunities to learn about the history and language of the Chinese, and also facilitating the Chinese students coming to Nigeria universities and communities to learn about the history and culture of the nigerian people

“There’s no doubt that the relationship between China and Nigeria is growing by the day, which is as the result of visionary leadership from both the Chinese embassy and the Chinese cultural centre in Nigeria. 

“I must also praise the efforts of Li Xuda, the Director of Chinese Centre in Abuja for the good works he’s doing with the Nigerian youths,” Runsewe explained.

Runsewe said he took to the floor during the seminar in China to speak of the good works which the ambassador and his team has done in Nigeria to which one of the gains, is the opportunity for Nigeria to connect to an e-library which will open up the country to other nations in the world.

Certainly, according to the director general, I’m discussing with the Chinese ambassador on how to bring a strong team from Nigeria to study the cultural strategy of China. 

He said: “We can develop what I call 37 Nigerian national cultural tourism products, one cultural tourism product per state so that at the end of the day, these cultural tourism products will serve as our strategy to engage the world and bring them to know about our people and our diversity.”