By Laide Akinboade
Ahead  of the 6th edition of Abuja Carnival holding in  November, the Carnival Management Committee  organised a stakeholders meeting  last week  to brainstorm on how best to improve the carnival.

The  stakeholders meeting brought together commissioners of culture and  tourism, permanent secretaries, directors of culture/tourism and  heads of  related parastatals across the country.

Declaring  open the meeting, the Minister of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation,  Alhaji  Abubakar Sadiq Mohammed, who is also the Chairman of the 2010  Abuja Carnival Organising committee, represented by the ministry’s permanent  secretary, Alhaji Ibrahim Mahe, said that he was particularly delighted  because the forum will provide a good platform to further deepen interaction  among stakeholders of Abuja Carnival. Alhaji Mohammed stated that,  “your presence here today has further strengthened my conviction in  our collective resolve to use this leading platform for setting a  vibrant agenda for a successful jubilee carnival”.

“May I  through you thank all the excellencies, the executive governors of the respective  states of the federation for the support they have been rendering to the  ministry and for making it possible for states to actively participate  at each edition of the carnival”.

According to the minister, he  noted that over the years, there was a general tendency to   underesti mate the importance of culture and the synergy it provides between  other facets of our national life.