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By : Gregory Austin Nwakunor
Date: 3 May 2025
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The newly Inaugurated Chairman of National Association of Nigerian Theatre Arts Practitioners (NANTAP) FCT Chapter, Om’oba Jerry Adesewo, has made a passionate appeal to the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, to prioritise arts and culture by establishing a dedicated secretariat for Arts, Culture, Tourism, and the Creative Economy in the capital city.
Speaking at the official inauguration ceremony of the FCT chapter’s new executive council, Adesewo, who is also the Festival Director of the Abuja International Theatre Festival and Awards (ABITFA), emphasised the need for structural recognition of the creative sector in Abuja’s governance framework, calling it “a necessary step toward positioning abuja among the great cultural capitals of the world.”
He said: “The Federal Capital Territory deserves a standalone Mandate Secretary for Arts, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy,” adding: “The arts need strategic leadership and dedicated focus if Abuja is to take its rightful place on the global cultural map.”
Adesewo, a respected theatre director and cultural advocate, who currently represents Nigeria on the board of the international inclusive arts network (IIAN), a global art organisation, also urged Wike to invest directly in infrastructure that supports the arts by building cottage theatres in all six area councils and establishing creative hubs across the city.
“Lagos did it under Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, and we are confident Abuja can too, especially with a result oriented minister like Wike,” he said. “Theatres and creative spaces are not just cultural investments — they are economic drivers and job creators for our youth.”
He further proposed the establishment of an FCT Endowment Fund for the Arts, or more specifically, a Performing Arts Fund (FCT-PAF) — modelled after similar cultural funding systems abroad such as the Dutch Performing Arts Fund. and of course, the Ekiti State Endowment Fund for the Arts signed into law as recently as 2023 by the governor, Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji.
“These kinds of funds are vital for building sustainable arts ecosystems,” Adesewo said, referencing international models like ASSITEJ and IETM, where he holds leadership roles. “Abuja has the potential to lead the continent in cultural diplomacy and creative excellence, if the right investment is made into developing its art scene.”
The inauguration, which held on Tuesday, was attended by practitioners, dignitaries, and members of the performing arts community, among whom were the Executive Secretary of National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB), Dr. Shaibu Hussein; Mr. Dotun Osunsanya, a NANTAP board member; Imal Sylvia, a visual artist and art entrepreneur, Dr. Bode Ojoniyi of the Centre for Wole Soyinka Studies; veteran actors, Francis Duru, Patrick Otoro and Sydney Diala, while the NANTAP president was represented by his deputy, Ms. Oluwaseun Odukoya. it also marked a shift in tone for the association, which Adesewo said would now focus on capacity building, membership expansion, and local and collaboration.
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