By AbdulRaheem Aodu
Kaduna A non-governmental organisation, Cultural Educative Innovation (CEI), has launched a campaign to re-orientate Nigerians on the need to preserve their cultures and languages as tools for tourism development. CEI said it had mapped out strategies to support and boost the tourism business in the country that would create massive employment for the youths and ensuring that next generation of Nigerians would be able to meet the culture and language of their people. Addressing journalists at the weekend in Barnawa, Kaduna, the President Cultural Educative Initiative, Mr. Samuel Ukpong, who is also the project founder, said the decision to embark on the project was informed by federal government’s initiative of “change starts with me” campaign. Ukpong explained that CEI will do all within its power to promote and project Nigerian culture and tourism potentials, “we are worried that our youth and children have been over-exposed to western life to the detriment of our culture, language and this is why we came up with they idea to reverse the trend. “Th e brand name of the project Cultural Educative Innovation was carefully crafted to serve a platform for constant education and national rebirth through which Nigeria’s culture, language and tourism potentials would be discussed.
“Th ere is so much in Nigeria and Africa as a continent that we need to sell to the world. In Jaba here in Kaduna state, there are 38 tourist attractions including a tree that is 5,000 years old that has not shed leafs and has not taken any leaf from another tree. “Th e wait for government has proved to be unproductive, so we need to embark on public-private partnership, we are taking the lead for the renaissance”, he added.
Th e Project Director, Mr John Eyo, said culture was a vehicle for individuals to identify their roots, while urging citizens and government to support the ”Bring Back Our Language and Culture” project. He added that “nothing is wrong with our children speaking English, but something is wrong with our children who don’t understand their dialects or languages and who don’t know their roots”. Eyo pointed out that “Nigeria has the potential to become a greater nation if its people can embrace their culture. He also noted that tourism business can be viable when tourists know that the country they are visiting is culturally rich. Th e Face of Culture, Northwest Zone, Queen Hyelayiti Aliyu in her brief remark promised to support the project. She said “Nigeria can only take her rightful position as giant of Africa, if the issues of culture and language identity were prioritised”.