The First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan on Thursday in Abuja said that the arts and crafts industry would promote economic emancipation of Africa, if developed.
She said this at the opening of the 5th edition of African Arts and Crafts Expo (AFAC), organised by the National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC).
Jonathan, who was represented by the Special Adviser to the President on Gender Issues, Dr Asma’u Abdulkadir, stressed the need to support the industry to develop the capacity for high volume and standard products that could excel in the global market.
She said that the 2012 AFAC Expo with the theme: “Promoting the crafts industry for economic transformation,'' was appropriate considering the administration's quest to diversify the productive capacity of the economy.
She said that this would mitigate the challenges of unemployment and create wealth for the growing populace.
“I am glad that the AFAC expo has been initiated to promote and develop the arts and crafts sector of the Nigerian economy in which women are unarguably the major player.
?“It is important to note that the arts and crafts sector, if appropriately tapped, can offer us limitless opportunities and potentials of turning many Nigerians from job seekers to job providers.
“ It can reduce youth restiveness and greatly increase the contribution of the non-oil sector to our Gross Domestic Products.’’
Dr Adrienne Diop, ECOWAS Commissioner in Charge of Human Development and Gender, said that the development of cultural industries was of high priority on the commission's agenda.
He said that the commission’s major reason for collaborating with Nigeria was to ensure adequate growth in the industry.
Diop said that the expo would serve as a platform for investors to tap into the industry with its great economic prospects and become an African International Arts and Crafts market place.
Earlier, the Executive Director, NCAC, Mr Mwajim Maidugu, said that AFAC would promote the import and export business of African arts and crafts.?
Maidugu said that AFAC would also promote culture tourism in Nigeria and Africa and provide a channel through which Nigeria and other participating countries could share ideas for the advancement of the industry.
He said that the First Lady’s representation at AFAC was an indication of her passion, zeal and drive toward embracing initiatives targeted at uplifting the quality of life of the rural populace.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that 14 countries are participating at the expo.
They are Cameroon, Namibia, Guinea Conakry, the Gambia, Togo, Senegal, Mali.
Others are Ghana, Benin, Niger, Sudan, South Korea, Philipines and Pakistan.