The Institute for African Culture and International Understanding (IACIU), a UNESCO Category II Institute, will on Friday, July 18, 2014 oranise a cultural competition among the various secondary schools in Anambra State.

IACIU Director, Prof. Peter Okebukola said in a press statement issued yesterday that the contest would hold at Cana House, Awka.

He said the competition would be in different categories of Egwu Odinala (Cultural Dance), Nkwa Odinala (Native Drumming), Ekike Odinala (Cultural Attire), Mbem (Poetry), and Ejije Odinala (Traditional Drama).

Prof. Okebukola disclosed that the winning schools would compete at the national level to select Nigeria’s representatives to the Africa Cultural Olympiad scheduled for December 2014.

He said that the competition would serve as a platform for engaging the youths and also make them desire to protect their cultural values and nurture them to greater heights.

The IACIU boss said: “Observations have shown that cultural erosion is most evident among youths, who have been found to be receptive to popular cultures mediated by information and communication technology. Being the vehicle of cultural continuity, it follows that any programme of cultural propagation should target them.

“In Nigeria today, many of the youths are disconnected from the indigenous cultural apparatuses and the mother tongue which is rapidly being endangered by the preference of English and European languages which most homes, especially the elites, accord more honour.”

•Photo shows IACIU Director, Prof. Peter Okebukola.