Adams gave the advice during the 2018 Children Cultural Festival organised by the Centre for Black and African Arts and and Civilisation themed: “African Heritage and Economic Diversification”.
Adams, represented by Olayinka Oguntimehin, National Publicity Secretary of Oodua People’s Congress, emphasized the need for the children to explore nation’s culture for the emergence of a developed nation.
He said that through adequate knowledge of the nation’s culture, children could groom different aspects of such culture for economic benefits.
He said: Talking about embracing culture, our children should be the focus because they constitute the largest part of Nigeria’s population.
“China is doing well economically because they have upheld their culture dearly over the years; they speak their language.
“You should know that your culture is your identity and should not be toiled with.”
Adams urged the National Commission for Museums and Monuments to work more on attracting students to the museum to learn from the nation’s rich culture and history.
He said children were engrossed with the social media rather than aligning themselves with nation’s culture, history and tradition.
Also speaking, Abiola Dosumu, the Erelu of Lagos, urged the youths to be desirous of aspiring for glorious future through sound education and development of their creative talents.
Dosumu said: “Combining education with creativity will make you not only academically equipped but also socially relevant.
“The prospects for arts and culture in Nigeria today is glaringly positive because there is a large market for craft items both locally and internationally.
“You should seize the opportunity of this huge market to engage yourselves in crafts instead of seeking greener pastures outside the country.
She urged youths to translate culture into meaningful economic activities by embracing craft based cottage industries in Nigeria that produce leather works, glass works, iron, cane weaving, pottery etc.
She said: “This will lead to self-sufficiency and economic diversification.”
Grace Isu-Gekpe, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Information and Culture, urged children to be culturally conscious so as to become good cultural ambassadors of the nation.
Isu-Gekpe said: “I am glad that CBAAC has continued to organise programmes that direct attention to the beauty of African culture and focus on how African heritage can be harnessed for growth and development.
“Children, our culture is our identity, our continent and country is richly blessed culturally, we can derive huge economic benefits from our cultural diversity and heritage.”
Ndidi Aimienwawu, Acting Director General, CBAAC, said the children cultural festival was aimed at exploring the varied potential of African cultural heritage for economic development in line with Federal Government’s initiative on economic diversification.
Aimienwawu said: “The children cultural festival is one of CBAAC’s adolescent flagship programmes geared toward giving children a voice on issues that touch their lives and the society at large.
“We want the children to know that until they explore nation’s culture before they can tap from its economic benefits.”
Ex Big Brother Naija housemate, Leo-Babarinde Dasilva, urged the children to dedicate time to study and understand nation’s culture for proper understanding of the business aspect of the culture.
He said: “Your culture is your identity; you must understand your culture to be able to develop your talent in some aspects of culture and make money from it.”
NAN reports that over 30 schools participated in the cultural festival.