Founder of the Kaduna International Film Festival (KADIFF) and Vice President, Nigeria Film Festivals Association (NFFA), Israel Audu Kashim has advocated for a standalone ministry of culture for Kaduna State.
Kashim who expressed concerns over the ‘silence’ of the state’s culture department in an interview with LEADERSHIP, argued that establishing a separate ministry of culture will not only harness efficiently Kaduna creatives but also draw attention to the creative industries of northern Nigeria.
Formerly under the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture, culture was relegated to a mere department during El Rufai’s administration, when the former ministry was scrapped and renamed Ministry for Human Service and Development. Same as tourism, which is a department under the Ministry of Innovation, Business and Technology.
While commending the state government for providing the enabling environment for the festival to hold, particularly state agencies as Kaduna Investment Promotion Agency, and Ministry of Sports for extending logistics support to KADIFF over the years, Kashim said government can do more to support the Kaduna Creative Industry.
“There is not much emphasis or concern towards promoting culture. It is a problem if culture is a department under a ministry. If you check states like Lagos, they have a ministry for culture, and for tourism. It is a big concern for us at KADIFF.
“We (KADIFF) will continue to engage with government on the need for culture to have its own ministry in the state. If there is a ministry for culture, then, there will be more attention to the creative sector, not just in Kaduna but the northern region; because Kaduna and Kano are significant to the creative industry of Northern Nigeria,” concluded Kashim.
