The Federal Government has said it will improve on this year’s edition of the Abuja Carnival to register the annual cultural show among the best in the world.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, stated this on Thursday in Abuja at a stakeholders’ meeting of the 2016 Abuja Carnival.
He mentioned Notting Hill in the UK, Trinidad and Tobago, Brazil among the carnivals Abuja Carnival will be made to emulate.
The minister said that Abuja Carnival, like its counterparts across the globe, should be contributing in meaningful ways to Nigeria’s Internally Generated Revenue and Gross Domestic Product.
The 2016 Abuja carnival with the theme “Creative Industry: A Pivot to Economic Growth’’ is scheduled to hold from Nov. 19 to Nov. 22.
Represented by Mr George Ufott, a Director in the ministry, the minister told stakeholders that the country was endowed with diverse cultural heritage and a thriving creative industry which were key contributors to economic growth.
He said that the carnival, established in 2005, “is a unique platform for soft power diplomacy geared toward positive promotion of the nation’s unique and vibrant cultural endowment.”
The minister added that the carnival would be used continually to preserve, present and promote the rich intangible national cultural heritage. He urged participants to strategise on positive ways and means of developing the carnival and others, in line with global best practices.
