In a bid to fulfil its mandate of being a focus for cultural orientation for policy makers, the National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO) has been availed an Executive Conference Centre to host its planned cultural orientational retreat.

The approval to use the multi-billion naira international conference center “Digital Bridge Institute (DBI)” for the executive training was obtained during a recent visit by the Management of NICO to the Executive Vice Chairman of Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

Executive Secretary/CEO of NICO, Otunba Biodun Ajiboye says the cultural orientational retreat is designed for policy makers and lawmakers to keep them abreast with the culture, customs and traditions of the people of Nigeria, stressing that this will make it interesting as the laws will bear great relevance and respect to the people’s innermost being and their cultural identities.

“To this extent, we expect that all policy makers across board, including private sector policy executives will come for such orientation. This kind of orientational retreat would avail lawmakers, Local Government Chairmen, State Commissioners, State Special Advisers and the private sector, the opportunity to be abreast with the customs, traditions and culture of the people of Nigeria”.

Speaking further, Ajiboye said this exercise which will include the private sector as well as foreign investors in Nigeria is aimed at exposing them to the culture of the people.

“Diplomats coming into Nigeria and leaving Nigeria to other countries too are supposed to have the benefit of this orientation. So, we are happy to have a befitting venue like the DBI”, he said.

Ajiboye cited the example of the resistance experienced by telcos when they erect masts, the issue of refusal for right of way and the demand made by communities on underground cables which is as a result of the fact that the telcos do not understand the communities and their traditions.

Earlier, the ES of NICO had communicated with the leadership of the national assembly, both at the upper and lower chambers to direct their attention to this clause of the Institute’s mandate to ensure all policy makers, especially lawmakers at the Senate and House of Representative avail themselves for the cultural orientation exercise.

Caleb Nor
Media Assistant to Executive Secretary of NICO