NAN-ELS-4
Troupe
By Collins Yakubu-hammer
Abuja, Nov. 22, 2016 (NAN) The Federal Government has urged the National Troupe to come up with outstanding performances within and outside the country in order to generate revenue.
Mr Seyi Womiloju, the Director of Cultural Industries and Heritage, Ministry of Information and Culture made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Abuja.
“The National Troupe needs to buckle up, there should be performances every day in the states, and they should tour the nation.
“Let people feel that there is a National Troupe in Nigeria and that will awaken the spirit of the youth.
“Look at music, it is doing very well, the film industry is doing well, why can’t drama do well,’’ he queried.
Womiloju said that there would always be the challenge of inadequate funding, adding that if funding from the government was not enough, there were many avenues of generating revenue.
He said government parastatals or agencies, especially the National Troupe could partner with communication giants and network providers to carry out activities and make money.
Womoloju, however, added that by the time they begin to make money, they would also be saving some of the money.
“The National Troupe can be divided into two; send half of them abroad for tour and performances in other to make foreign exchange and bring it home.
“Meanwhile, the ones at home will be touring the states and performing to make money; after six months, those abroad should come back and those at home go abroad.
“Such strategy will make things work out for the troupe that they will not have to depend so much on government funds to operate,’’ he said.
According to the director, there will never be adequate funds from the government as it can only give out funds that it can afford.
“The National Troupe should be more creative and aggressive in generating revenue; government has too many things begging for attention and the resources are not enough.’’
On festival calendar, Womiloju said that the ministry had the vision, but it was a policy formulating body.
He said there were parastatals that should do calendar for cultural festivals and implement it every year.
“When the Minister assumed duty, the first thing he said was for the National Council for Arts and Culture to get him a coordinated and comprehensive festival calendar to approve.
“He said there should be some form of cultural activities going on every month within the country that would attract tourists and foreigners.
“In China, there are celebrations in every district, it may not be International; there is celebration of the Moon, Sun, Serpent, Scorpion etc; there must be one form of celebration or the other.’’
Womiloju said that the ministry would have loved to engage wealthy persons in the country to assist in funding some of its ideas.
“But some of these persons may have gotten their wealth from dubious means like financial corruption and self-aggrandisements; this could embarrass the government.
“If we allow that, people will now say that stolen funds are being used to fund government ideas; so we always avoid that,’’ Womiloju said. (NAN)
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Edited by Ese E. Ekama