By Gift Olivia Samuel, The Sight News
All is set for the 11th edition of the International Arts and Crafts (INAC) Expo, which will hold in Abuja from the 17th to 24th of November, 2018.
The Expo with the theme, “Networking Nigerian Crafts to the World”, will be an opportunity for Nigeria to develop and expose its own products to the world.
The Director-General, National Council for Arts and Culture, Otunba Segun Runsewe, who disclosed these to News men on Thursday at a media briefing in Abuja, said that NCAC is targeting to network the world with INAC.
The week long programme is slated to begin on November 17 and the official opening ceremony which will be on November 19, is expected to have the FCT Minister, Muhammad Bello as the Chairman of the occasion and the Emir of Zazzau, Alhaji Shehu Idris, as the Royal Father of the day.
Furthermore, Runsewe stated that the INAC expo which will have states and stakeholders in the creative industry present, will also provide free medical screening as well as free skills acquisition/ waste to wealth training on a big level.
According to him, “There has been change in the approach of getting the things to the right people. People and countries are waiting to see what we have to offer and we believe very strongly that Nigeria has all it takes to organize such exhibition and we are going to prove a point at this time.
“All the countries that will participate have embassies in Nigeria. Why should an embassy be in Nigeria for this long period and not have such opportunity?
“The event is about networking. We are committed that this country must move forward and this year’s expo, Nigerians will be impressed” he stated.
The NCAC DG who disclosed that most of Nigeria’s art and craft are being taken to Europe, noted that the platform will be used to open up opportunities for Nigerians.
“I want journalists to know that what we want to do is to open doors totally. A lot of countries want to do business in Nigeria but they go through the wrong route, the event will create the right platform. We need to create platforms to develop our own products”, he said.
Speaking on the estimation for Foreign Direct Investment, he noted that NCAC is looking at exporting and will create a common window, adding also, that they will give the Foreign countries Nigerian products to test.
“You must be flexible and that flexibility must be capitalized on. It is the first time, having this number of countries, we are encouraged” he remarked.
Countries that will attend the expo include but not limited to; Bangladesh, China, Burkina Faso, Bulgaria, Venezuela, Iran, Korea, Pakistan, Trindad and Tobago, Niger, Chad, Zambia and more.
Also, the free medical screening will include; free blood sugar analysis, free Body Mass Index screening, free eye tests and free prescription glasses.
