The Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism, Alhaji Lai Mohammed on Wednesday revealed that oil is not the most important thing in Nigeria.
He said that culture is more important to Nigeria than petroleum, especially if well preserved and given the value it deserved.
Mohammed made the comment in Lagos on Thursday when he declared open an exhibition of stolen artifacts recently repatriated from Europe and America.
The minister said the country’s diverse cultures had more value than any natural resource, including petroleum.
Mohammed, however, said there must be conscious efforts by all stakeholders to appreciate and harness the potential of culture to drive the economy.
“Culture is as important to the economy as petroleum. 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,” he said.
The minister said the country’s artifacts were part of our culture as they told our history and represented our way of life.
Mohammed said the repatriation of some of the most valuable artifacts from the West was cheery news in view of their historical, cultural, social and aesthetic values.
“Also the importance of these artifacts as a source of education and an enabler of tourism cannot be over-emphasised.
“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 added.
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