Members of the Governing Board of the National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO) have called on the Management to look inward and explore other means of generating funds to achieve the Institute’s mandate.
This charge which was given at the second meeting of the Board, presided over by the Chairman, Honourable Yusuff Shittu Galambi at the Institute’s headquarters in Abuja on Friday, November 23, 2018 came with the reality of poor funding for the culture sector in Nigeria.
A four-man sub-committee has already been constituted by the Board to work with Management and explore all avenues to generate funds and other related matters.
According to the Board, if Management can use the Institute’s training mandate as well as the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) convention for the promotion of cultural expression, it can overcome the challenge of poor or inadequate funding.
Earlier in his speech, the Acting Executive Secretary of NICO, Mr. Louis Eriomala lamented poor budgetary allocation and funding for the Institute to carry out its activities. In his words “This meeting is coming late due to the funding challenges faced by the Institute. As at date, we have received 10% release of capital budgetary approvals for 2018 while overhead have recorded 6 releases as at November, 2018”.
Another challenge raised was the issue of office accommodation for the Institute’s Zonal and State offices where the Acting ES informed the Board that some of the rents have expired and due to non-release of funds by government, there have been incessant demand for rents from the landlords. He further disclosed that Management was able to source from its meagre resources to secure a six-bedroom office complex for the North-Central office, Ilorin, Kwara State.
He however informed the Board of the success the Institute has achieved so far in 2018 which include a research on Kwagh-hir Theatrical Theatre for inscription on the UNESCO representative list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity; the 4-week Intensive Long Vacation Edition of the Nigerian Indigenous Language Programme (NILP) as well as the weekend edition which is ongoing; The New Yam Festival/Presentation of Awards to Cultural Ambassadors championed by the Institute’s Enugu State Office and the successful completion of the 2017/2018 academic year of the NICO Training School.
Other Board members present at the meeting were; Professor Kayauta B. Tanyigna who represented Professor Habu Galadima from the Nigerian Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS); Mr. Ayotunde Kehinde from NATCOM-UNESCO; Mrs. Elizabeth Itodo from Ministry of Education; Mallam Musa Shanaki from Ministry of Youth and Sports Development; Mrs. Memunat Idu-Lar from Federal Ministry of Information and Culture; and Mrs. Ndidi Aimenwauu, the Acting DG, Centre for Black African Arts and Civilization (CBAAC).
Caleb Nor
Media Asst. to Ag. ES
NICO HQ
Abuja-FCT