On behalf of the Board, Management and Staff of the Centre, I welcome our numerous friends, patrons, partners and well – wishers to the New Year 2010. In previous years, we implemented programmes directed at achieving the lofty ideals and mission statement for which the Centre was established. Similarly, we tried to pursue our vision of becoming the foremost agency that encourages, initiates, facilitates and coordinates not only the retrieval of our natural heritages and the protection, preservation and propagation of African cultural values.

Permit me to recall our modest achievements in the outgone year. Our programmes for 2009 began with the celebration of the Black History Month in February. The occasion which was held at the University of Ibadan prominently featured a public lecture delivered by Dr. Matlotleng Matlou, Executive Director, Africa Institute of South Africa (AISA). The event was signposted with the commissioning of the Centre's Outreach station at the institution's Institute of African Studies . Like other years, the centre did not fail to celebrate the importance of children to cultural renaissance and continuity through her annual International Children's Day celebration as well as Children's Cultural Festival.

The Centre, in fulfilment of her objective of propagating African culture, successfully organized public lectures on “African Indigenous Languages” eminently delivered by Prof. Kwesi Prah of the Centre for Advanced Studies of African Societies (CASAS), Cape Town , South Africa and “Esu Elegbara” delivered by Prof. Funso Aiyejina of University of the West Indies in Trinidad . Also in 2009, CBAAC co–organized an international conference on Teaching and Propagating African and Diaspora History and Culture in Brasilia , Brazil . The Centre also partnered with the regional Centre for Research and Documentation on Oral traditions and Development of African Languages (CERDOTOLA), Pan African Strategic and Policy Research Group (PANAFSTRAG) and Observatory for Cultural Policies in Africa (OCPA) in organizing a Summit/Colloquium of Agencies and Organizations Responsible for the Management of African Arts and Culture in Africa and Diaspora (SICADIA) in Yaoundé, Cameroun. In the course of that year, the Centre participated and mounted an exhibition at the Pan African Festival of Arts and Culture (PANAFEST) in Algiers , Algeria .

CBAAC's activities were not limited to lectures, conferences, workshops, exhibitions and children's programmes alone. In 2009, the Centre recorded a harvest of publications that cuts across the broad spectrum of African arts and culture. The Centre in keeping with its tradition of publishing materials that appeal to African Studies helped some individuals and institutions (within and outside Nigeria) to publish their manuscripts. In the course of the out gone year 2009, the Centre also sponsored and facilitated conferences, symposia, lectures whose theme centred around African arts and culture.

As in 2009, year 2010 which represents the beginning of a new decade promises to be more eventful. The Centre hopes to sustain the tradition of the Black History Month, International Children's Day, Day of the African Child and Children's Cultural Festival celebrations. In addition to these, in the New Year, CBAAC promises to hold more public lectures, workshops and conferences. The Centre will organise and participate in more exhibitions. The much we can ask of all our patrons is to sustain their interest in the Centre and follow us through the various programmes slated for the year.

Again to our numerous friends, patrons, partners and well – wishers we wish you a prosperous and more productive New Year.

Prof Tunde Babawale

Director/CEO