NAN-H-15
NYSC
By Yashim Katurak
Abuja, March 10, 2017 (NAN) Plateau and Kebbi States on Friday won the 2016/2017 National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Annual Cultural Festival competition in dance and drama, respectively.
The Plateau representatives emerged winner of the dance competition after a week-long competition with Edo, Delta, Gombe, Bauchi, Cross River, Anambra and Kaduna states.
Also, Kebbi State won the drama series, topping Ekiti, Oyo, FCT, Benue, Abia, Anambra and Jigawa states while Nassarawa State won the award in stand-up comedy.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the NYSC annual cultural festival was instituted in 1984 to use dance and drama as tools to further deepen the objectives of the scheme.
The festival provides avenue for corps members to showcase their creativity and abundant talents and foster interaction, exchange of ideas and cultural values among themselves and their host communities.
NAN reports that the annual event is also aimed at exposing the creative talents of corps members for positive engagement in the art industry after the service year.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, while commending the participants and winners of the competition, reaffirmed Federal Government’s commitment to expose and market the talents of the youth.
Represented by Mr Francis Ojiah, the ministry’s Director of Human Resources, Mohammed commended the foresight of the NYSC founding fathers and the management for resuscitating the festival after three years.
Brig.-Gen. Suleiman Kazaure, the NYSC Director-General, said the competition had over the years showcased the talents of corps members in various aspects.
Kazaure urged the corps members to consider the event as an opportunity for them to go into the entertainment industry after the service year.
During the week-long events, corps members serving in various states compete in different categories of cultural and artistic display, after which the winners converged in Abuja for the final competition. (NAN)
KRY/AIB/WOJ
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(Edited by Abdulfatah Babatunde / Wale Ojetimi)