1

Black History Month Celebration

February 21st, 2008

In celebration of the achievements of our heroic ancestors, promotion of interest in our own history and establishment of a sustainable working relationship with the Diaspora, CBAAC instituted Annual Black History Month Festival. It celebrated the year 2008 edition of the event in grand style. The event, which was held up at the Banquet/Conference Hall of the National Theatre, Iganmu Lagos, in February 21 st 2008, featured exhibition and cultural performances among others. The annual event is used to catalogue Black and African achievements as well as reecho the need to see Black and African peoples as having made and still making significant contributions to global growth and development. It is also used to urge these peoples to explore common grounds for their individual and collective development. Among eminent personalities that grace the occasion were: Dr. Aliyu Idi Hong, Hon. Minister of State, Federal Min. of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation, Prince Tony Momoh, Erelu Abiola Dosumu, Prof. emeritus Ade Ajayi, Marylou Johnson Pizaro from the US Consular General's Office, Chinese Consular General, Rep. of the High Commissioner and the British Council among others.

2.

Annual Get-Together and Meritorious Award for deserving staff.

February 12th, 2008

The Annual Get-Together featured presentation of awards to deserving staff who have distinguished themselves in their services to the Centre, the Ministry and the Nation.

4.

Management Retreat

March, 2008

For enhanced performance and to sustain the gains of the previous similar exercise embarked upon in recognition of the need for re-orientation of staff, the Centre has scheduled a management retreat for March, 2008 at the Peninsula Resort Limited, Ajah Lagos. Tori associate, a firm of management consultants is expected to facilitate the retreat.

5.

Methodology Workshop on African Rock Art in Niamey, Niger Republic

March 11th to 14th, 2008

CBAAC as a foremost research and documentation centre appreciates the importance of Monolith sites and has been working assiduously not only to ensure their preservation, but to institutionalize every effort to rewrite the history of African arts, culture, people and civilization through research and studies on this and similar developments. CBAAC in partnership with Trust for African Rock Arts (TARA), the foremost Agency on Rock Art in Africa particularly commissioned research and study on the Ikom Monolith site. A major fall out of this initiative was the listing of the site on World Endangered Sites of the United Nations. Several scholars of international repute from within and outside Nigeria , Africa were assembled at Nairobi , Kenya at a methodology workshop where extensive deliberations were made on the Rock Art and Roc Art Sites in Africa . A follow-up outing was the methodology workshop on African Rock Art and Pan African Renaissance held in Niamey , Niger Republic from March 11 th to 14 th , 2008. The Niamey Workshop held with active support from and collaboration with: National Council for Museum and Monuments (NCMM), Pan-African Policy Research and Strategic Group (PANAFSTRAG), TARA and African Union Centre for Oral Tradition and History (AU-CELTHO). The workshop was declared open by the representative of the Honourable Minister of Environment, Culture, Arts and Leisure, Niger Republic . It was attended by over 50 participants drawn from the Republics of Niger, Kenya and Nigeria . It also had in attendance the Nigerien Deputy Chief of Army Staff among others.

6.

Public Lecture on Post Election Crisis in Kenya

March 7th, 2008

The lecture with the theme: “Politicization of Ethnicity, Inequalities and Electoral Violence in Kenya” , delivered by Dr. Babafemi Badejo, Head, Political Affairs, United Nations Mission in Liberia, Monrovia, brought to the fore the many implications of the Kenyan crisis for Africa and Africans. Organized in collaboration with Faculty of Social Sciences University of Lagos, held at the NIIA, Victoria Island, Lagos . The occasion was chaired by Prof. Alaba Ogunsanwo among other distinguished guests.

7.

CBAAC's Annual Public Lecture

March 27th, 2008

The CBAAC'S Annual Public Lecture series inaugurated in 1993 has attracted scholars and distinguished personalities of international repute including the former Jamaican High Commissioner to Nigeria, Sir Duddley Thompson, the former United States Ambassadors to Nigeria, Messer Walter Carrington and Howard Jeter, Professors J. F. Ade Ajayi, Ali Mazrui, Kofi Awoonor, and Bolaji Akinyemi, among other reputable individuals of Black and African extraction. CBAAC again feels highly honoured to have Prof. Jacob Kehinde Olupona (OON) of Harvard University as its Guest Lecturer for the 2008 edition of the Annual lecture. The lecture with the theme: “ Reconciling the Faiths: Strategies for Enhancing Religious Harmony for National Development ”. The Lecture held at the Banquet Hall of Excellence Hotels, Ogba, Ikeja, Lagos , on the 27 th of March, 2008. It had in attendance: Representative of the Honourable Minister, Mr. J. B. Yusuf, Director General, NICO, Mrs. Maureen Bakare of the Redeemed Christian Church of God's Camp, Alhaji Lateef Adegbite, Secretary General of Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, Scholars and students from Obafemi Awolowo University, University of Lagos, Lagos State University, Tai Solarin University of Education, Olabisi Onabanjo University, University of Ibadan, University of Agriculture Abeokuta among other institutional representatives and NGOs.

8

Conference on Chieftaincy Institution in Nigeria

April 9th -10th, 2008

The Centre in collaboration with the History Department of the Obafemi Awolowo University , Ile-Ife, Osun State hosted a Conference on Chietancy Institution in Nigeria . It had in attendance traditional rulers, scholars and students from different institutions in Nigeria . The conference held at the Oduduwa Hall of the OAU Conference Centre from 9 th to 10 th of April, 2008.

9.

National Workshop on Cultural Rejuvenating for National Integration and Sustainable Development

April 17th -18 th, 2008

The main objective of this exercise was to create a platform for key stakeholders in the education, art and culture sectors to rub minds on proactive strategies for revitalizing African arts and culture as essential ingredients for national integration and sustainable development with special focus on the youths. The Workshop held from 17 th – 18 th of April 2008 at the Peninsula Resort Ajah, Lagos . It drew and attracted participants from different institutions and agencies in Nigeria including, the British Council, Lagos State Arts Council, University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Tai Solarin University of Education, Ijebu-Ode, Olabisi Onabanjo University, OgunState, Ahamadu Bello University, Zaria, Kano State Polytechnic, University of Lagos,. The Workshop was chaired by Prof. Nuhu Yaqub, Vice Chancellor University of Abuja. Prof. Onigu Otite delivered the Keynote Address. The Honourable Minister was ably represented by Mr. J. B. Yusuf. Among personalities that graced the occasion were, Senator Tokunbo Afikuyomi representing His Excellency Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola, the Executive Governor of Lagos State , Prof. Adebisi Balogun, Vice Chancellor Federal University of Technology, Akure, Mrs. Yemi Olanrewaju, Director of Culture, Ogun State .

FORTHCOMING ACTIVITIES IN 2008

8.

World's Children's Day Celebration

May 27, 2008

The theme: The imperative of Restoration of Family Values for Effective Nation Building : What is to be Done

9.

Day of the African Child

June 16th, 2008

With the theme: The Right to Participate: Let the Children Be Seen and Heard. The programme will feature Inter-schools drama competition aimed at the sensitization and re-orientation of the values of youths for possible behaviour modification and change. It also offers desirable platform to appraise the youths' basic expectation of the society. As an interactive session, participants would have opportunity for self-expression and socio-cultural reorientation for self-actualization.

10.

Presidential Lecture Series

July, 2008

CBAAC intends to inaugurate a Presidential Lecture series starting July 2008. The series will attract past and serving African Heads of State. It is hoped that His Excellency, President Umar Rar' Adua would deliver CBAAC's inaugural Presidential lecture scheduled for July 2008 at a venue to be communicated in due course. The lecture is to facilitate the consolidation of the Ministry's commitment to the promotion and appreciation of Black and African arts, culture and peoples. It will give appreciable mileage to the Ministry and the country, open up new vistas on Black and African Cultural issues and underscore Nigeria 's leadership role in Africa .

11.

Meeting of African Agencies and Organizations involved in the Management and Promotion of African Arts and Culture

October, 2008

A follow-up meeting of African agencies and organization involved in the management of arts and culture earlier scheduled to hold in Yaoundé , Cameroon in August, 2008 has now shifted to October 2008.

12.

International Youth Summit

October, 2008

Following review of existing practices and developments in the polity, the Centre is of the opinion that African youths' perception of the modern world is not in tandem with traditional cultural practices thus necessitating urgent action. As an organization charged with the responsibility of championing the promotion of Black and African arts and culture, the responsibility for re-orientating the youths and reawakening their consciousness on their roles lies with CBAAC and similar agencies and organization in Africa . This programme is designed complementarily to continuously remind the youths of the subsisting virtues in African culture and their desirability in the face of current realities.

14.

International Conference on “Teaching African History and Culture to the Diaspora and Teaching Diaspora History and Culture to Africa” in Rio de Janeiro , Brazil .

11th – 13th November, 2008

For mutual relationship between the continental Africans and African Diaspora, there is the need to study and understand each others' historical events, activities and experiences. This would facilitate a build-up on our common heritage appreciation of our collective contributions to the world's civilizations. The Colloquium scheduled for Rio de Janeiro , Brazil will bring Academics and experts from Africa and the African Diaspora to chart a new course of cross continental teaching of African related studies at both secondary and tertiary levels.

15.

Children's Christmas Cultural Festival

13th December, 2008

To re-establish traditional arts, culture and confidence of Black and African peoples in our youths, the Centre will organize a one-day cultural festival on the 13 th of December 2008 at the Banquet Hall of the National Theatre, Iganmu Lagos. The ultimate aim of the festival is to rekindle the interest of our youths in our culture. The festival will feature: art Exhibition; Traditional Fashion Parade; Cultural Performances; Cultural Quiz; Traditional Dance Competition; Clips of FESTAC '77; Raffle draw. A large number (not less than 700) of Primary and Secondary Schools students are expected to participate.

16.

Outreach Programme

Year Round

Outreach programme for the Nigerian youths through films that depict African culture and values.