Dr Awal Ibrahim made the call in a speech read on his behalf by the Deputy Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mr Mark Okraku Mantey at the launch of the 60th anniversary of the National Festival of Arts and Culture (NAFAC) held at the National Theatre in Accra on Tuesday, September 13.

Theme

Under the theme, “Reviving Patriotism, Peace and Unity through Cultural Diversity for Sustainable Development,” the Minister called for a partnership approach as a model to consolidate the gains made by NAFAC over the past 60 years.

“Let me say that as a nation, we can only make progress and be recognised among our peers as trekking on a sound development trajectory when we take what belongs to us seriously, package it well, and present it to others.

“Thankfully, from intangible through to tangible aspects of culture, Ghana is endowed with fascinating repository of many cultural elements that show prospects for investment. We therefore have good reasons to believe that when NAFAC is raised to an international status, it will lead to a substantial improvement in its celebrations thereby creating opportunities for Ghana to generate some revenue,” he stated.

The Executive Director of the National Commission on Culture (NCC), Madam Janet Edna Nyame, revealed that individuals who have been actively involved in the affairs of NAFAC 60 years ago will be duly honoured.

 “One of such leading individuals will be the late Dr. A. A. Kyerematen, the first director of Centre for National Culture, Kumasi, whose personal idea of an arts festival later metamorphosed into the NAFAC we have been organising all these years,” she stated.