At NICO, Media engages Culture on National Development…

By MCPHILIPS NWACHUKWU
The continued search for ways of harnessing the media for the purpose of  cultural promotion being  pioneered by the Barclays Ayakoroma led National Institute for Cultural Orientation held its third leg workshop  for art  and culture editors and writers at the Merit House, Aguyi  Ironsi Street, Maitama , Abuja last week.

Held under the theme; Media Relations in the Culture Sector: An Integrated Approach, the programme, which in its  last two editions drew notable  media resource persons from the media and the academics, is designed by  NICO as a very significant platform for art  editors ,writers and culture managers to interact and share ideas on ways of employing the rich resources of the  media in promoting culture administration for national development.

Put succinctly, Mr Rotimi  Obamawumi, who represented Nigerian Union of Journalists, NUJ’s President noted that the workshop as designed by NICO, will help” to expand the horizon of the institute and continuously draw the institute closer to the consciousness of the people.”

Toyin Akinosho (left)with Ben Tomoloju

In confirmation of Obamuwumi’s position, NICO through this programme and other of its engagements in the areas of  indigenous language and  traditional dress culture promotions, the erstwhile moribund cultural parastatal in the relative two year tenure of cultural technocrat, Ayakoroma has positioned itself freshly in the consciousness of the nation’s cultural climate.

And this great achievements in two years is done through a  cost maximized method since according to the NUJ spokesperson, the workshop helps to “ assist to maximizing publicity expenses in an organization.”

In his opening remark at the occasion, the Executive Secretary of NICO, Ayakoroma told the journalists that NICO was also committed to seeing to the  improvement in  the performing efficiency  of cultural journalists since according to him,” one should not be tired in learning from the elders because if one is a not a good beginner, one cannot be a good finisher.”

He further urged the participants to be more creative in their ideas and, very conscious about what the  write and report because” what  you write is very important to the development of the culture sector.”

Addressing the theme of the workshop, seasoned journalist and cultural activist, Toyin Akinosho re-affirmed Ayakoroma’s position, when he maintained that journalists were supposed to be  positively critical about their positions and in what they report.

Media relationship between the media and any organization, he said “ does not mean you should run their material without proper criticism.”

Continuing he added that “ we are more important than the people we service because without  us their stories will not be heard.”

He also urged the participants to expand the frontiers of the arts by looking at the economic arm of cultural reporting. This neglected aspect of cultural journalism, which according to him, helps to provide information for the people, ask questions that help entrepreneurs and policy stake holders, will not only help to  expanding journalistic skill of the journalists , but also help to growing  the nation’s  economy.

In his goodwill  message, veteran culture journalist, Ben Tomoloju described the workshop as an “embodiment of a synergy”, which according to him, the lecturer, Toyin Akinosho represented at the occasion.

“ The integration approach deployed by NICO should involve as well  in house journalists, who work in the several parastatals of the Ministry of Culture to synergise with their colleagues in the media before synergizing with their  Chief Executives in the offices.” He said.