For the first time in the history of National Festival of Arts and Culture (NAFEST), the Nigerian army will make a strategic presence at the iconic cultural tourism festival slated for Lagos on Monday, November 7, 2022, signalling a change of policy in the strained civilian and military relationship.
The unprecedented military response to Nigerian cultural tourism narrative came after the Director General of the National Council of Arts and Culture (NCAC), Otunba Segun Runsewe, paid a visit to Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor in Abuja as part of creating windows for wider participation of Nigerian development ecosystem where he requested for the presence of the military architecture to support NAFEST and use same to build a strong relationship with civilian population.
“Nigerian military is a strong partner in the quest to have a peaceful, united Nigeria and it is same message which NAFEST through our rich diverse culture wish to sustain and you will agree with me, that security is a strong pillar for cultural preservation and promotion. So, we are happy the CDS, General Lucky Irabor will deploy the three sister military architecture of the Army, Navy and Air Force, to showcase their social responsibility platforms and other sundry activities which civilian population can leverage on for a greater Nigerian nation,” Runsewe explained, adding that no one should panic at full military presence and deployment during the one-week festival, dubbed Eko NAFEST.
