TheCable

Lai Mohammed, minister of information, culture and tourism, says culture is more important to Nigeria’s economy than petroleum.

Mohammed said this in Lagos state on Thursday while declaring open an exhibition of “stolen” artifacts recently repatriated from Europe and America.

The minister said the country’s diverse cultures have more value than any natural resource including petroleum.

He, however, said there has to be conscious efforts by all stakeholders to better harness the potential of culture to drive the economy.

“Culture is as important to the economy as petroleum,” he said.

“As a matter of fact, culture is even more important to the economy than petroleum.

“This is because petroleum is an exhaustive resource. Culture is not, because it is about us as a people.”

The minister said the country’s artifacts were part of its culture as “they told our history and represented our way of life.”

He however regretted that a good number of Nigerians “erroneously linked artifacts with fetish practices” and that the belief had affected appreciation of the works locally.

“Also [there is] the importance of these artifacts as a source of education and an enabler of tourism cannot be over-emphasised,” he added.

“Nigerian traditional art, the works of our forefathers bears testimony to skilled craftsmanship, and creative ingenuity of the great dynasties that once existed in our country.”

He said the artifacts were repatriated after series of engagements between the federal government and the countries into which they were “smuggled.”

The exhibition, which featured at least 150 artifacts was titled “Return of the lost treasure.”

Some of the artifacts on exhibition at the National museum include NoK Terracotta head, Oba Esigie ivory pendant, Plague of One Ozolua Nibarami Eko and the Ogiurho game board .