Nigeria

^{Posted on Monday, 29th October, 2007}

African regional summit on visual arts underway

^{by BENJAMIN NJOKU of Vanguard - Nigeria}

^{ALL is now set for the hosting of the first African regional summit and exhibition on visual arts being put together by the National Gallery of Arts (NGA) to strengthen the place of visual arts in the economic development of African countries. The summit which will be held  at the International Conference Centre, Abuja, has as its theme, Promoting the Visual Arts for Sustainable Economic Growth and Development in Africa.}

^{Director-General of the National Gallery of Art, Mr. Joe Musa, who made this disclosure to Vanguard Arts  week-end, said the summit which is the first of its kind in Africa is designed, among other things, towards the promotion of visual arts as a strategy for achieving rapid economic development in the African region as envisioned in New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD).}

^{Musa said the summit which is expected to run for six days will feature seminars, discussions, presentations, workshops, business meetings, exhibitions, study tour of the Federal Capital Territory and its environs as well as summit state banquet.}

^{As explained by the NGA boss, the programme of event is designed in such a way as to help remove the economic, environmental and social barriers to the development of the visual arts sub-sector. The summit delegates, according to Musa, who will be stimulated and challenged by an outstanding cohort of speakers and discussion leaders, comprising visual art practitioners, commentators, government agencies, international trusts and writers drawn from more than fifty African countries. These speakers will provide inspirational examples of transformation in places and people's lives through visual arts.}

^{A brochure made available to Vanguard Arts, indicates that apart from being packaged to address the various sectoral impediments to the development of the visual arts in the African region, the summit will also sensitize major players in the sub-sector on the need for speedy development of this sub-sector as a major contributor to the GDP of African countries. Said NGA boss, “the first African regional summit and exhibition on visual arts is designed towards the promotion of visual arts as a major strategy for achieving rapid economic development in the African region as envisioned in New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD). The event will provide a significant and lasting contribution to the global discussion on the future for Africa and the development and support of sustainable creative strategies for stakeholders and practitioners.”}

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