ACTIVITIES AND ACHIEVEMENTS
JANUARY – DECEMBER 2009
1. Celebration of Black History Month, February 26, 2009
In celebration of Black and African achievers, promotion of interest in our own history and establishment of a sustainable working relationship with the Diaspora, CBAAC celebrated the year 2009 edition of the Black History Month in grand style. The event which held at the Trenchard Hall of the University of Ibadan , Ibadan on February 26 th , 2009 , featured a week-long exhibition and cultural performances among others. In line with its pan-African mandate, CBAAC featured a public lecture titled: “ Advancing and Integrating African Values, Ethics and Norms in the Interest of Africans and the African Diaspora ”. The lecture was delivered by Dr. Matlotleng Matlou, Executive Director, Africa Institute of South Africa , AISA. The event was climaxed with the official Commissioning of CBAAC's outreach office at the Institute of African Studies , University of Ibadan , Ibadan . The occasion had in attendance His Royal Highness, Oba Dokun Abolarin, Aroyekeye I, The Orangun of Oke-Ila, Oke-Ila Orangun, Osun State, Nigeria, Senator Dahiru Bako Gassol, Chairman, Senate Committee on Culture and Tourism, Hon K. G. B. Oguakwa, Chairman, House Committee on Culture and Tourism, Emeritus Prof. Ade Ajayi, Prof Adigun Agbaje, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Academic, University of Ibadan among other principal staff of the University of Ibadan . The event boosted the overall image of Black and African Peoples and enabled their cultures to be appreciated globally. It also further contributed to the pool of universal knowledge on Black and African Peoples.
2. Annual Lecture on Africa and African Diaspora Relations
In keeping fate with the recognition and honour accorded the Centre by the National Defence College Abuja; the Director/Chief Executive Prof. Tunde Babawale delivered the 2009 edition of an annual lecture instituted by the College (presentation is exclusively reserved for the Centre's Director/Chief Executive) on the 3 rd of March 2009 to Course 17 with 105 participants made up mostly of Colonels and their equivalents serving Officers drawn from the Nigerian Armed Forces . Other participants were drawn from the Nigerian Police, paramilitary formations, and strategic Federal Ministries as well as officers from sister Africa Armed Forces. The topic for the 2009 lecture was: “ Africa and African Diaspora Relation: Challenges, Opportunities and Prospects”. The event held at the main Auditorium of the College in Abuja . In addition to using the occasion to positively project the image of the Centre, the Director/Chief Executive made donation of some of the Centre's publication to the College on behalf of the Management and staff of the Centre.
3. Summit/Colloquium of Agencies and Organizations Responsible for the Management of African Arts and Culture in Africa and the Diaspora in Cameroon , April 7 to 10, 2009
The Centre, in partnership with The Regional Centre for Research and Documentation on Oral Traditions and Development of African Languages (CERDOTOLA) Cameroon, Pan-African Strategic and Policy Research Group (PANAFSTRAG) Lagos, and Observatory for Cultural Policies in Africa (OCPA) hosted the Summit of Agencies and Organizations responsible for the management and promotion of African arts and culture held at Hotel Mont Febe, Yaoundé, Cameroon from 7 th to 10 th April, 2009 . The Colloquium (SICADIA 2009) with the theme: “ African Culture in the Globalized world of the 21 st Century ” was a follow-up to the first summit held at the instance of CBAAC in Lagos from 21 st to 23 rd of August, 2007 and a roundtable on African Cultural Institutions that was organized in Algiers in October 2008 on the sidelines of the 10 th Conference of Ministers of Culture of the African Union. Attendance at the Summit cut across the various sub regions in Africa with delegates from Nigeria, Cameroon, Senegal, Chad, Congo, Niger Republic, Central Africa Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Mozambique, Burkina-Faso, Gabon, Zimbabwe, France, Algeria, and Tanzania among others. It also had institutional representation from African Union, UNESCO, OCPA, CICIBA, AU-CELTHO, PANAFSTRAG International, West Africa Museums Project (WAMP), University of Bordeaux , University of Dar es Salaam , University of N'Djamena , University of Ouagadougou , University of Douala , and Africa Music Council among others. The Cameroon Summit was in furtherance of action on promotion of interest in and appreciation of African arts and culture and renewed sustainable platform for key stakeholders in the culture sector to rub minds on strategies for enhancing the effective management and promotion of African arts and culture. The Summit led to the formulation of a programme and Action Plan for use in the relevant regional and national institutions and institutionalisation of a coalition of cultural institutions in Africa and the Diaspora.
4. Public Lecture on African Indigenous Languages May 7, 2009
As a significant part of a broad range of activities being put together by the Centre to further the promotion of interest in our indigenous languages, arts and culture for the benefit of the present and future generations, CBAAC organized and hosted a public lecture on African Indigenous Languages in Abuja on the 7 th of May, 2009. The lecture was delivered by Prof. Kwesi Kwaa Prah, Director, Centre for Advanced Studies of African Societies (CASAS), Cape Town , South Africa . The lecture with the theme: “African Languages, African Development and African Unity” held at Reiz Continental Hotel, Plot 779, Cadastral Zone AO, Central Business District, (Near Kumasi House), Abuja , Nigeria on the 7 th of May, 2009 at 10.00a.m. It was attended by Senator Bello Jibril Gada, the Honourable Minister, Federal Ministry of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation, Dr. Goke Adegoroye, former Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation, Mr. George Ufot, Director of Culture, Federal Ministry of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation, Prof Nuhu Yaqub, Vice-Chancellor, University of Abuja (Chairman of the occasion) among other dignitaries. The event gave appreciable mileage to the Centre's commitment to championing the cause of Black and African peoples, opened up new vistas on Black and African Arts and Culture issues and underscores the significance of a renewed interrelationship between African and the Diaspora.
5. CBAAC's Annual International Children's Day Celebration 2009:
CBAAC's Annual World Children's Day Celebration represents one of several children and youths focused programmes the Centre organizes to facilitate value reorientation for peace, progress and development of the society. It has always been marked with Inter Schools' Debates and quiz competition among other activities with participating schools from within, around and outside Lagos Metropolis. Titles were and still are being tailored around identified areas of societal problems as it concerns family values, governance and societal well-being. In celebrating World Children for the year 2009, CBAAC in collaboration with Society for the Performing Arts in Nigeria , (SPAN) and MTN Nigeria Communications Limited programmed the event to feature:
• Cultural performances by school children
• Poetic renditions by participating children and
• Competitive inter-schools debates
The programme enjoyed the support and patronage of Cadbury Nigeria PLC, De United Foods Industries, Nestlé PLC, Seven-up PLC, and SCOA among others. The winning school went away with a trophy donated by His Royal Highness, Oba Dokun Abolarin, Aroyekeye I, The Orangun of Oke-Ila, Oke-Ila Orangun, Osun State , Nigeria ; a specified amount; and a prize reserved for prizes. All participating children departed with gifts from CBAAC and supporting institutions and organizations. It had in attendance students from forty-one Secondary Schools in and around Lagos metropolis.
All participating children departed with gifts from CBAAC and supporting institutions and organizations. It had in attendance students from forty-one Secondary Schools in and around Lagos metropolis. In the last ten (10) years, CBAAC has embarked on aggressive campaign to revive our dying values system among the youths in our society with the aim of instilling positive values, attitudes and behaviours in them for progressive change. The need for this re-engineering effort was borne out of the prevalent negative behaviours among youths which if, left unattended to, may probably see our society worse than what it is today.
6. Collaboration/Partnership with International Organizations
To foster co-operation and cross-border exchanges, the Centre signed two different Memoranda of Understanding with Africa Institute of South Africa (AISA), South Africa and The Regional Centre for Research and Documentation on Oral Traditions and Development of African Languages ( CERDOTOLA), Cameroon in February and April 2009 respectively. These co-operation agreements cover broad areas of inter-institutional relationship in the interest of our respective countries and the entire Black and African peoples especially as regards arts, culture, heritage and history.
7. The Centre featured an International Exhibition titled: Africa: Seen and Heard at the 2 nd Pan African Cultural Festival held in Algiers , Algeria , July 5 to 22, 2009
8. CBAAC's Annual Public Lecture by Prof Funso Aiyejina, July 23 rd & 28 th 2009
CBAAC featured Prof. Funso Aiyejina a poet, short story writer, playwright, literary critic and currently Professor of Literatures in English, Department of Liberal Arts and Dean, Faculty of Humanities and Education, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus, Republic of Trinidad and Tobago as it's Guest Lecturer for the 2009 edition of the Annual lecture. The lecture titled: “Esu Elegbara: A Source of an Alter/Native Theory of African Literature and Criticism” held at the Cinema Hall 1 of the National Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos on the 23 rd of July, 2009. The event had in attendance; Senator Bako Gassol, Chairman, Senate Committee on Culture and Tourism, Dr. Goke Adegoroye, former Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation, the Chairman of the occasion, Prof. Olu Obafemi, Mr. Mwajim Malgwi Maidugu, Director General National Council for Arts and Culture, Prof Akachi Adimorah-Ezeigbo, Head of English, University of Lagos, Mr. Odia Ofeimun, to mention a few. The event represented an annual forum for students and scholars of diverse background to interact and exchange views on issues of significance to Black and African peoples, history, art and culture. It also facilitated collective generational input into studies on traditional African beliefs and values .
9. African Writers Series
As part of efforts to sustain African literature, encourage intellectual activities, human capital development, especially in the area of literature, CBAAC hosted its maiden African Writers Series programme at the Cultural Centre, Abuja on the 17 th of September, 2009 . The event brought together authors and students in a close contact in appreciation of creativity works and with the purpose impacting positive values in would-be authors and writers through the reading of literary works and inter-group exchanges. Mr. George Ufot, Director of Culture, represented Senator Jibril Bello Gada the Honourable Minister, Federal Ministry of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation.
10. International Colloquium in Brasilia , Brazil November 9 – 13, 2009
For a beneficial relationship between the continental Africans and African the Diaspora, the Centre hosted the 5 th edition of its International Conference series in Brasilia , Brazil . The Colloquium on the theme: “Teaching and Propagating African and Diaspora History and Culture” was predicated on the request from the Brazilian Government through Special Secretariat for the Promotion of Policies on Integration and Racial Equality (SEPPIR), The Presidency that CBAAC repeat its successful outing at the State University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro , Brazil in November 2008. Dignitaries in attendance included:
• i. Professor Boubacar Barry, leading specialist on the History of Integration in West Africa and Prof of History at Cheikh Anta Diop University and Fellow at CODESRIA, Dakar Senegal , gave the keynote address titled: “ The History of Africa and the African Diaspora in the 21st Century”
• ii. The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation, Alhaji Bello Sheidu Ozigis who represented the Nigerian Honourable Minister for Tourism, Culture and National Orientation, Senator Jibril Bello Gada
• iii. Senator Yisa Braimoh, Chairman, Senate Committee on Culture and Tourism, Federal Republic of Nigeria
• iv. Hon. K.G.B. Oguakwa, Chairman, House Committee on Culture and Tourism, Federal Republic of Nigeria
• v. Representative of Brazil's Special Secretariat for the Promotion of Policies on Racial Equality SEPPIR, the Presidency Brazil, Mrs. Magali Naves Director of the Department of International Co-operations
• vi. Mr. George Ufot, Ag. Director of Culture, Federal Ministry of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation, Nigeria .
• Professor Molara Ogundipe , Professor of English, Africana and Gender Studies and a renowned scholar of international repute
• Prof J-M. Mabeko Tali, Professor of History at Howard University and member of UNESCO's Scientific Committee for the Pedagogical Use of the General History of Africa. He also represented Mr. Ali Moussa Iye, Chief of History and Culture, UNESCO
• ix. Professor Dele Layiwola, Director Institute of African Studies, University of Ibadan
• x. Professor Ibrahim Maina Waziri, University of Maiduguri Nigeria .
• xi. Prof Kofi Anyidoho, a Poet, and Professor of Literature at the University of Ghana
• Professor N. Andre Siamundele, Assistant Professor of French and Francophone Studies at Wells College , Aurora , New York , USA .
• The Colloquium had participants and delegates from twenty-two countries drawn from all the continents of the world including the faraway Brazil, Nigeria, Canada, Denmark, Congo, USA, UK, Mexico, Senegal, Colombia, Argentina, Ghana, Paraguay, Mozambique, Cameroun, Cuba, South Africa, Niger, Cape Verde, Namibia, and France were in attendance at the colloquium. All the addresses read at the opening ceremony attested to the timeliness of the colloquium and drew attention to the need for Africans at home and in the Diaspora to close ranks and explore common grounds for enhanced cross-continental exchanges and cooperation. From the number and quality of papers presented and from the incisive and thought provoking sessions, the 2009 CBAAC colloquium is yet another landmark achievement and a consolidation of an enduring working relationship between Nigeria and Black, African people and other people of the world.
11. Within the period under review, the Centre has increased its publications to 58 (with 5 new books 2 monographs and 1 Journal published in 2009 ). These publications cover the entire spectrum of Black and African history, art, Culture and Heritage. It also further contributed to the pool of universal knowledge on Black and African Peoples.
12. Children's Christmas Cultural Festival, December 10 2009
To re-establish traditional arts, culture and confidence of Black and African peoples in our youths, the Centre hosted a one-day cultural festival on the 10 th of December 2009 at the National Theatre, Iganmu Lagos. More than 30 schools participated in the celebration with the theme: “My Culture, My Pride.” The ultimate aim of the festival was to rekindle the interest of our youths in our culture. The festival featured: art Exhibition; traditional Fashion Parade; cultural Performance; traditional Dance Competition and raffle draw. The event had in attendance; Senator Yisa Braimoh, Vice- Chairman, Senate Committee on Culture and Tourism, representative of the Honourable Minister Federal Ministry of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation, Mr. Seyi Womiloju, the Chairman of the occasion, Senator Grace Folashade Bent, Mr. Kabir Yusuf, the General Manager National Theatre, Prof Akachi Adimorah-Ezeigbo, Head of English, University of Lagos, to mention a few.
13. Support/Assistance for Arts and Culture Related Programmes and Activities: the Centre gave support to programmes/projects directed towards extending the frontiers of African arts and culture. Some of these include support/sponsorship of:
• i. NANTAP commemorative Lectures to celebrate NANTAP at 20/International Theatre Day 2009 Celebration held on Wednesday 25 th of March, 2009
• ii. 2 nd Ife Film Festival held at the Department of Dramatic Arts, Obafemi Awolowo University , Ile-Ife, January 26 th to 30 th , 2009
• iii. Roundtable on Religion, Ethics and Corruption in Nigeria scheduled to hold at the University of Ibadan
• iv. Collaboration with the Department of Creative Arts, University of Lagos on a Conference and Arts Exhibition titled: Revisiting the Restitution of Cultural Artifacts, September to November, 2009
• v. Collaboration with the Institute of Cultural Studies , Obafemi Awolowo University , Ile-Ife on International Conference on African Indigenous Judicial Systems scheduled for August, 2009
