The Minister of Art, Culture, and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa Musawa, has sought the support of Nobel Laureate, Prof Wole Soyinka, in providing strategies for the promotion and preservation of literary art in the country.

The minister, who paid a courtesy visit at the weekend to the renowned playwright, said that the sector needed to tap into the wealth of experience of the literary icon in promoting the rich cultural heritage of the nation.

Musawa said: “It is an honour to share my vision for the development of the arts, culture, and creative economy with the Nobel Laureate. The purpose of this visit is to invite you to share your invaluable experience with us, including insights, guidance, and advice on how to add to the development of literary arts in the country.

“This is the first time that we are having a ministry created specifically for this sector which is the Ministry of Arts, culture and Creative Economy.

“Nigeria has a huge culture content including music, films, fashion and literary arts of which our priorities include the preservation of literary works. This, we intend carrying out by formulating policies that will ward off piracy and plagiarism.

“Nigeria boasts of great writers like Prof. Wole Soyinka, the late Prof. Chinua Achebe, Chimamanda Adichie, Prof. Okey Ndibe and many others. We will be happy to see Prof. Soyinka lead the way on these strategies. We look unto your antecedents for initiatives to encourage the younger generation to embrace and celebrate their cultural identity.”

In his response, Soyinka expressed delight in the visit and described his interest in culture and literary arts, generally, as a comparative one.

He called for a conscious effort at preserving the culture and tradition of the Nigerian people.

“Culture is interrelated and inter-connected with different other cultures, so Culture is universal.

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“Nigerians are faced with diverse issues due to the neglect of heritages and monuments. We need to promote indigenous languages and cultures to preserve morals and values across the country.

“The performing artist is at a disadvantage, as his resources are limited. All an actor can do is join forces. Nigeria boasts of writers, musicians, painters, sculptors, and artists who believe in opening up certain horizons for human striving. I am an artist and a producer, a creative person, and I like to go into galleries, to listen to music and to read books.

“The arts are the material expression of the people’s essence, of their spirituality, and of their dignity. Return the spirituality to Africa by returning all the looted works,” Soyinka said.

In a statement made available to The Star by the minister’s spokesperson, Nneka Ikem Anibeze, Musawa also discussed the initiatives to encourage the younger generation to embrace and celebrate their cultural identity, artistic and creative development, opportunities for collaboration and innovation in the creative economy, cultural diplomacy and utilizing arts and culture as a tool for international diplomacy and promoting the nation’s cultural diversity on the global stage.

She eagerly anticipates the opportunity to engage in a meaningful collaboration with Soyinka and looks forward to the potential collaboration for the advancement of arts, culture, and the creative economy.

Soyinka was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1986.

The Star