Happy New Year!!!

On behalf of the Management and Staff of the Centre, we greet our numerous friends, partners and well – wishers the best compliments of the New Year. We thank you for the support and patronage we enjoyed from you throughout the previous year. Without you keeping faith in our ability, the much we achieved in the out gone year would have been difficult to say the least.

During last year, among many achievements, the Centre pertinently collaborated with African Union Centre for Oral Tradition and History AU-(CELTHO), Trust for Africa Rock Art (TARA), Pan African Strategic and Policy Research Group (PANAFSTRAG) and hosted a Methodology Workshop on African Rock Art in Niamey, Niger Republic mid – March 2008; took possession and began occupation of its new office complex on 36/38 Broad Street, Lagos; held a National Workshop on: “ Cultural Rejuvenation for National Integration and Sustainable Development” in April 2008 at the Peninsula Resort Ajah, Lagos; collaborated with the Government of Osun State to ensure the successful take-off of the Centre for Black Culture and International Understanding an affiliate of the UNESCO category 2 institute recently approved for establishment in Nigeria; and establish outreach centres at the Institute of African Studies, University of Ibadan, Ooni's Palace, Ile – Ife, and Igbo Ukwu.

The Centre during the out gone year held several public lectures and conferences. Of significance is the international colloquium the Centre hosted in Brazil November, 2008. The conference brought together participants from twenty five (25) countries. We also celebrated important dates on the international cultural calendar like the Black History Month, the International Children's Day and the Day of the African Child.

For the New Year, be assured that it would be a bumper package of activities. As an agency charged with the responsibility of promoting and propagating Black and African Cultural Heritage in its totality, the Centre plans to celebrate the Black History Month with various activities that will be hallmarked with a Lecture by Dr. Matlotleng M. Matlou, Director/Chief Executive Officer of the African Institute of South Africa (AISA), February 2009.

The Centre hopes to participate in the African Rock Art international meeting and follow-up action, March 2009 and an Exhibition organized by WAC Performing Arts and Media College (formerly known as Weekend Arts College) in London, April 2009. Also in April, the Centre will make quality representation to Agencies and Institution involved in the management and promotion of African Arts and Cultureattend the Summit of African Cultural Institutions.

As part of CBAAC's tradition, the Centre will host her Annual Public Lecture and Public Lecture in July and August 2009. Likewise the Centre will organize a Global African Youth Conference in South Africa June 2009. Through our numerous programmes, we hope to continue to contribute to the pool of universal knowledge on Black and African Peoples.