The 10th edition of the Africa Arts and Crafts expo (AFAC) a flagship event of the National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC) which officially began on September 5th ends today. The event which featured no less than 150 exhibitors from no less than 20 Nigerian states and 17 countries was tagged, ‘Nigerian Crafts: The Untapped Treasure.’
The fiesta which was a marketplace to showcase arts and crafts products from Nigeria and other African countries, was an opportunity for artists, craft dealers, manufacturers and other stakeholders to buy and sell their brands as well as learn about one another’s trade, culture and skills.
According to the NCAC Director General, Otunba Olusegun Runsewe the expo is aimed at strategically driving the process of economic diversification in line with the policy thrust of the present administration.
Participating countries include Sudan, Ghana, Senegal, Mali and Cameroon. Kebbi, Benue and Kano were among participating states as agencies from the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture, like the National Gallery of Arts (NGA) and National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO) also showcased their wares.
A participant from Ghana who spoke to Daily Trust said this year’s outing was better packaged than previous years she had attended but said the patronage this year was low. She attributed this to financial hard times many Nigerians are going through and also the scheduling of the event at such a time when many are concerned about paying schools as their children return to start new academic years.
Addressing the scheduling of the fest at this time of the year, Runsewe had during a press briefing held before the event said, “From next year, AFAC will be brought to the early part of the year when the weather is sweet. We have one of the best weathers in the world, why hoard it. Henceforth, AFAC will come sometime in April/May.”
There were also freebies which were novel attractions for guests and participants. They included free skills acquisition and language training sessions, free eye and, blood pressure tests as well as free dental checkup.
