By TONIA TAMARI

In recent times, the long held idea and thoughts that the Art, Culture and Tourism sector are veritable assets and tool for diplomacy, economic transformation and identity globally.

According to latest UNESCO report on Emerging Creative Economy (ECE), it is now a benchmark that only countries that are continually consolidating on their eco-systems through local content would be able to scale up in the aggregate capacity development index. If this assertion holds true, then it connotes a new dawn for artists and practitioners who are desirous of upping their game as plans are in top gear to launch what pundits enthusiastically dubbed as arguably, the largest Art Space in Sub Sahara Africa.

While delivering a keynote address at The Stockholm Conservatory of Arts in Sweden recently, the Chief Executive Officer of Roos Expo LLC and Chairman of the Society of a Ekiti Creative Artists (SOECA), Prince Caleb Osasona, expressed excitement and optimism in the project as a watershed for the fast growing creative industry in Nigeria and Ekiti State in particular.

Osasona said there is an urgent need to expediently look into harnessing the vast non-oil extractive economy in the country if we are truly serious about change and transformation of Nigeria, as a member of the United Nations statutes and, in fact, a signatory to the Sustainable Development Goals. As it stands, we are replete with a bustling population, energy Human Resources and the most dynamic talent pool in the whole of Africa.

“We also know it is an incontestable fact, that the global Art sector is a multi-billion dollar business and going by the digital disruption brought by Non Fungible Tokens, (NFTs) this shifts is bound to leapfrog and progressively about 31.2 percent annually,” Prince Osasona said.

He further urged all stakeholders to be focused and resolute in pushing the boundaries to sensitise decision makers on the enormous economic potential of the Art and Culture sector as catalyst for wealth creation, particular in tackling the scourge of unemployment, abject poverty and decadence amongst the youths.”

“The intervention project is a Public Private Partnership, long-term focused and self-sustaining which also offer high Return On Investment (ROI) for hybrid investors, art collectors, stakeholders and practitioners. We want to activate collaborations and due diligence across strata. The primary goal is to engender a legacy of accountability and transparency in all touch points of the Art space architecture which shall also consider recommendation and appointment of reputable personalities as board of Trustees.”

Osasona said it will amount to efforts in futility if all the strides of the outgoing Governor of Ekiti State, Dr John Kayode Fayemi, at resuscitating the arts and culture sector of Ekiti State are not warehoused in the bowels of professionals with the requisite exposure, knowledge and pedigree to deliver. I would also add that we are very confident with the fibre of continuity and the emergence of Hon. Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji as winner of the gubernatorial election of Ekiti held in June this year.

In her response, the Project Technical Adviser, Ms Fiona Brecht, enumerated the benefit of the Art Space to Nigeria’s teeming youths as they will be profitable engaged as enablers of economic transformation and self-reliance in their respective communities.

MS Brecht extolled the foresight and doggedness the Project mastermind, Prince Caleb Osasona, who is a renowned Painter, Culture Promoter, Writer and Entrepreneur who already had a conspicuous presence in different countries of the world. The Art Space project is buoyed on a BOT model to ensure sustainability and shall span a period of 10 years in its pilot phase.

Going forward, the importance of Cultural diplomacy as the next frontier for communities and nations to sell their brand assets and so, therefore, Nigeria has once more, taken the front burner and it is one phenomenon that cannot remain in the backwaters.

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