DR. DURO ONI, Director General, CBAAC Nigeria
The Centre for Black and African Arts and
Civilization( CBAAC), located in Lagos, Nigeria, was established by
Decree No. 69 of 1979, by the Federal
Government of Latest people search technolodgy Nigeria, and
charged with the responsibility for the promotion of public interest in
Black and African Arts and Civilization, and the preservation of value
from the 2nd World Black and African Festival of Arts and Culture,
popularly tagged FESTAC '77 which took place in Lagos, Nigeria. This
responsibility is carried out through Public lectures, Publications,
Symposia, Exhibitions and Performances. Apart from these activities, the Centre
is engaged in the
location and acquisition of materials on Black and African culture so as
to augment the FESTAC collections entrusted to it by the 59 African and
Black countries and communities that participated in FESTAC '77.
As the custodian of the rich African and
Black cultural heritage, the centre ensures the preservation and
protection of the FESTAC materials
that were showcased through colloquium, drama music and dances, and which
were recorded on audio-visual and celluloid tapes. In addition to these,
the Centre has published books and other Publications on African culture,
arts and civilization. All these rare and valuable materials are
professionally preserved and arranged in the Centre's Library, Museum,
Archives and Audio Visual Selections.
The Centre can be described as the cultural
sanctuary for Black and African people. It has attracted prominent African
people and leaders as well as foreigners and researchers from the USA and
Europe. Some of the African leaders who have visited the centre are
Mwalimu Julius Nyerere of Tanzania, Arab Moi of Kenya, President Don
Santos of Angola, Senghor of Senegal, President Robert Mugabe of
Zimbabwe and President Nelson
Mandela of South Africa. A number of Foreign Ambassadors to Nigeria have
also visited the centre. On the whole, the centre can be regarded as a multi-
dimensional institution.
The Government of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria solely funds the centre. However, to effectively carry out its
global statutory responsibilities, the centre has established linkages and
co-operation with the International Centre for Bantu Civilization (CICIBA),
Gabon, and UNESCO. Since Culture is the basis for technological
development, the centre is positioned to propagate, promote and create public
awareness in African Culture and the civilization of the Black man.
CBAAC
has made concerted efforts to highlight the achievements of
Africans and Blacks all over the world. The Centre's Black and African
Hall of Fame Project is aimed at acknowledging and bringing to the fore, those
Blacks and Africans who have distinguished themselves in their
various vocations and thereby contributing to the universal knowledge and
the civilization of mankind.
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