The Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, has said the state would resume the hosting of Ekiti State Festival of Arts and Culture in December 2019.
Fayemi also revealed the determination of the state to inaugurate and establish Arts and Craft Village in Ado Ekiti, with cluster outlets in some communities across the state.
EKIFEST is an annual event initiated in 2012 by the Fayemi-led administration to showcase Ekiti cultural heritage, discover talents and use arts and culture for economic development.
The one-week event will also create avenue for thousands of tourists from local and international communities to explore the tourism potentialities of the state.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of Ekiti State Council for Arts and Culture Stakeholders’ Forum, the Governor, who was represented by the Head of Service, Deji Ajayi, said: “We are going to organise Ekiti State Festival of Arts and Culture in December this year to enhance our capacities in crafts, dancing, weaving and other vocational areas of arts.
“We should not forget to teach our children those values that will make Ekiti to remember their heritage and sustain our culture as a people.”
The chairperson of the event, Erelu Bisi Fayemi, noted that activities in the Culture and Arts sector nosedived in the last four years when her husband, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, went on sabbatical.
Erelu Fayemi said: “The Arts and culture industry is one of the area through which we believe we identify and develop talents and create opportunities for our teeming youths in the creative industry.”
While pledging her continuous support for creative industry in the state, Erelu Fayemi urged the stakeholders in the sector to collaborate with the government, particularly the Council for Arts and Culture in the state, for the development of the sector.
The Director General of the Ekiti State Council for Arts and Culture, Wale Ojo-Lanre, assured that the government was committed to the promotion of all cultural festivals in the state to empower the people for economic gains.
Ojo-Lanre said: “We are also going to partner Nigeria Tourism Development Corporation, National Council for Arts and Culture and other national and international bodies to promote our arts and culture in Ekiti.
“Some of them will be enlisted as national festivals.
“We are also going to engage creative arts entrepreneurs and accomplished artistes of Ekiti origin to mentor our budding stars.
“All these are what Governor Kayode Fayemi is ready to do to promote our arts and culture industry and make it a force that can generate revenue for individuals and the state.”
Guest speakers including Prof. Ishola Olomola, Prof. Rasaki Bakare and Dr. Mike Adeoye, in their presentations harped on the need for consistency, sustainability and working with passion.
