Craft
By Taiye Baiyerohi
Lagos, July 24, 2018 (NAN) Mr Isioma Williams, a dance instructor, on Tuesday advised the Federal Government to establish a craft village in the country to boost the nation’s tourism industry.
Williams gave the advice while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.
He said that the availability of a craft village would help in increasing the level of creativity among the youths thereby reducing crime rate.
The artists said that it was expedient for the nation to have a place where artists could produce, exhibit, market their works and as well as train the youths constantly.
He said the craft village would provide a platform for creative Nigerians who make beads, fabrics, shoes,and bags to showcase their works to the world.
Williams said that there were highly creative individuals in the country who could not afford the means of exhibiting their works to the outside world;the craft village would serve as a relief to such people.
“The craft village is needed for the growth of the arts industry; this will successfully drive the tourism industry just like we have in Harare, Zimbabwe.
“Artists will have an avenue to showcase their works and this will enhance healthy competitions and creativity amongst them.
“The craft village can be sited in Lagos which happens to be the most industrialised and populated state which will be capable of sustaining the village before people get to know about it.
“The youths will equally be engaged, limiting crime rate,” he said.
He said with the craft village in place, international tourists would easily locate whichever form of craft they wish to get and foreign artists would locate their Nigerian counterparts also.
Williams said that this would also help Nigeria to promote Nigerians buying and using made-in-Nigeria products which would in turn boost the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). (NAN)
PTB/FF/PAD
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Edited by Fela Fashoro/Peter Dada