The Federal Government’s Policy of economic diversification and direct foreign investment procurement efforts, received a boost with the overwhelming reception of Nigerian Craft products at the forty (40) year old continental Pan African Cultural Festival, held in Algiers, the Algerian Capital City, from July 5-20, 2009.

The Mbari architectural structures, commonly seen among the Mbaise and Owerri people of Imo State was an artistic appeasement to the gods, especially, the thunder god, Amadioha.

The winning of the prestigious prize in 2001, by Nigeria’s Helon Habila through his entry, Love Poem invigorated a new competitive spirit in the nation’s huge stock of emerging literary writers.

The occasion was the graduation concert put together by the second set of beneficiaries of the Music scholarship programme of the MTN Foundation. Graduating were 24 young men and women who had undergone training in Voice, Classical Music, Music composition and Arrangement, as well as Repairs of Music Instruments.

THE belief that art without documentation is incomplete must have informed the gathering, on Wednesday as another effort in art documentation was recorded when Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja in collaboration with BHS International launched a book containing works of the artists done for the hotel in the last 23 years.

IT was one of the toughest decisions of my life. But I managed to carry it through without batting an eyelid. There was just no alternative, no going back. “I am dropping out of the race”, I announced to the bewildered members of my campaign team, “I am leaving the PDP”.

This is a clear reflection of the scant respect many western institutions have for Africans and their institutions. What about the looted/stolen Ife objects that are found in Western Museums?

THE just concluded week long Life in My City festival, which held in the coal city of Enugu, no doubt recorded strong achievements in many ways and also reveals that there are still rooms for serious improvement. As a cultural festival, the project initiated three years ego by an Enugu based outdoor advertising company, ROCANA Nigeria Limited, with collaborative support of Alliance Francaise, Enugu and Nigerian chapter of Pan African Circle of Artists, PACA, has in the spirit of its founding father, chief executive officer of ROCANA, Robert Oji, largely succeeded in re-inventing the use of art and culture in re-mobilizing youths towards a positive social development.

In this modern age, it takes more than being able to paint with the brush or sculpture before one becomes a creative or renowned artist. For Andrew Ikechukwu Emueze being an artist is a dream come true. “I have always wanted to be an artist.

The Nigerian theatre is in a deplorable indeed lamentable State. The noble legacy from the relics of colonial education which includes the introduction of the proscenium theatre presentation is dying by the day and the government is not as much as batting an eyelid.