By Meletus EZE
The three tiers of government should develop the nation’s various cultural and tourist sites as centres for unification for the people as well as attract foreign investments.
Idowu Noel, a comedian popularly known as “Koffi”, gave the advice on Thursday in Lagos. Koffi said this could be achieved if government would establish structures aimed at preserving the various tourism sites across the country.
He said the visit of President Emmanuel Macron of France to the Afrikan Shrine in Lagos last week was a testimony that the members of the international community were really interested in Nigeria’s cultural institutions
He said the government should start to see its heritages that included the shrine as institutions important for cultural growth and the unification of its people.
Koffi said if the government did not create an enabling environment then Macron’s visit to the shrine would have been successful.
The comedian advised the government to ensure that the visit by the French president had positive impact in the development of the entertainment industry.
Koffi also spoke on how the government could assist in developing the Afrikan Shrine.
“One way of taking advantage of the shrine as a place of cultural expression is for the government to speed up projects around there to encourage youths to visit.
“Projects worthy enough to attract and impart positively on the lives of the younger generation should be the focus of the government around the shrine,” he said.
He added that Macron’s visit to the Afrikan Shrine had created a euphoria which should motivate the government to also put in place the necessary structures that could encourage other international dignitaries to Nigeria.
“Macron visit shows that the shrine may soon become a place of cultural heritage and value for Europeans.
“The government can leverage on the positive vibes of the people for now to create an enabling environment that will encourage the growth of the entertainment sector.’’
Koffi said as the people were still celebrating the euphoria created by Macron’s visit, the government should enact policies that would positively impact on the growth of the sector.
The comedian said that the beliefs, norms and rich values of Nigerians were preserved in their cultural institutions and had gained worldwide recognition.
Koffi said this was why Macron specifically insisted on visiting a place that has value for culture.
