By; JACOB ONJEWU DICKSON
In view of the huge potentials of the creative industry in the state, the Kaduna State Government would be making another history with the maiden edition of the Kaduna State Creative Festival.
Deputy Governor, Architect Barnabas Bala Bantex disclosed this when he had a meeting with members of the Arewa Creative Industry at his chamber at the Sir Kashim Ibrahim Government House, Kaduna on Friday.
He said that Governor Nasir el-Rufai has instructed that the festival which will be a talent hunt to discover more creative minds, be held early 2017.
“It is like a talent hunt. We want to look for our hidden talents. We know we have lots of talents and because we believe in the creative industry and its huge potentials of creating jobs,” he added.
He assured the Arewa Creative Industry that their input would be added to make the festival successful.
The Deputy Governor said that even at the Federal Government level, the All Progressives Congress (APC) as a party believes in the creative industry and is supporting it in its own unique way.
“The APC has also as a party taken the development of the creative industry up. Few weeks ago, I was present when President Muhammadu Buhari hosted several youths from the creative industry at the Villa and they told him their problems one after the other and he personally jotted them down,” he said.
Speaking earlier, Secretary of the Arewa Creative Industry, Adamu Barde Kagarko said that their group has a long history of success in all their activities.
“Arewa Creative Industry has been strategically put together to mobilize, empower, challenge and engage hidden underprivileged talented children, youth with disabilities and women from Arewa to contribute to the cause of economic revitalization, security and political stability of Nigeria.
“Kaduna with its rich cultural heritage is a fertile ground for creativity and we are on ground to tap such potential. We appreciate Kaduna state Government for creating history in Nigeria by been the first to dedicate an office to the creative Arts,” he said
He explained that as the name implies, it is an umbrella project basically, with the mandate of discovering, incubating and promoting the hidden underprivileged, gifted and talented Arewa children, youth and women as well as youth with disabilities in the socio-political and economic spheres of human endeavors.
He said those targeted include but are not limited to Skills Acquisition; carpentry, welding, fashion designs and make-up.
“Entertainment; Music, Film making, film producing, comedy, etc. Art works; Drawing, Poems etc. –Building; Painting, Tilling, Mason. The problems of Drug abuse, prostitutions and other different types of crimes among young ones and women in Nigeria particularly in the Northern parts of the country have been the major challenges and disturbing issues not only to the Government, but also to Religious leaders, Traditional Leaders and concerned individuals or groups.”
He appealed to the Kaduna State Government to support their activities, stressing that they could do better but due to some challenges of basic logistics challenges.
