PROFESSOR Tunde Babawale. Director of Centre for block and African Arts and civilisation (CBAAC) was the guest of UNILAG F.M., Listeners participatory programme Matters' Arising". The political Science professor spoke on several issues, including Africa Arts and Culture.

What does the Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilization actually do?

As the name implies CBAAC is the Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilization. It was estab­lished some 30 years ago, 29 years precisely. It will be 30 2007. It came on the heels of FESTAC 77, that was the second World Black and African Arts and Cul­ture that was held in Nigeria in that year.

What happened then was that the Festival or Arts and Culture that was held in Nigeria had had in attendance about 59 Countries from Africa and the black Diaspora, and decision was taken at the end of the Festival that all the materials and the artifacts that were put on display, by the different countries

59 in number should be preserved by the Federal Govern­ment of Nigeria.

In order to do that the Federal Government de­cided to establish a centre to take custody of the materials and artifacts. That was how CBAAC was established and that was how it came into existence as a centre that was meant not just to preserve the artifact and the materials of the countries that attended FESTAC '77 but also to see to it that it develop public interest in African cultural civilisation. ­

It was also meant to propagate African culture and civilization, not just in Africa but worldwide. I think by extension, it also has a mandate of time to see to the possibility of forging an alliance between those who are in continental Africa and those in the Diaspora Africa.

It is hoped that CBAAC would be the springboard for creating an alliance of all these people in Diaspora and those of us, in Africa . CBAAC was set up to develop public interest in culture and also to propagate African culture and civilisation, not only across Africa but across the world.,

To the large extent, we have several materials on our heritage. Some of these materials have, however, been affected by flood, and a lot of other problems. Don't forget that CBAAC from its incep­tion was domiciled in the National ...