Segun Akanni, Toronto, Canada 
Ekiti state council for Arts and Culture on Monday roll out drums to celebrates the annual International World Dance Day.
The event was held at the government secretariat premises Ado Ekiti, the state capital
The Director General of the Ekiti State Council of Arts and Culture, Mr. Wale Ojo-Lanre, in his remark said placing premium attentions to promotion of arts and culture will improve economic and moral values of the country.
He said apart from revenues it will generate, that the moral regeneration in culture will reshape the minds of the people and curb all manners of crimes in the Nigerian society.
Ojo-Lanre lamented that the country has lost enormous values in terms of revenues and causing of unwarranted crimes owing the dwindling trends of the country’s cultural and tourism potentials.
The Ekiti state cultural troupe performed at the rally held round the state capital to celebrate the global dancing festival.
Ojo-Lanre said Governor Kayode Fayemi was prepared to invest in the cultural and tourism potentials of the state to further make the state economically viable and promote cultural values.
He said dancing festival was significant in the lives of the African people, because it adds value to the society by promoting happiness among the populace.
“The significance of dancing in African and global setting can’t be quantified. Dancing has gone beyond mere entertainment to empowerment.
” Many people today earn their living through the monies they make by dancing as professionals.
“To further underscore the importance , dance has become a whole course in the university under Dramatic and Performing Arts, this was apart from bringing happiness and reducing depression”.
He said the state cultural troupe did exceptional well in the just concluded drum festival held in Abeokuta, saying this had further attested to the fact Ekiti has joined the league of states that have passion for arts and culture.
” We stunned the event with good performance and with this, we have shown that Ekiti is ready to hit the global map in arts, culture and tourism.
“Under Governor Fayemi, the sector will become a veritable source of income to the state and practitioners.
” We are ready to partner local people, corporate world and academic world to promote culture and tourism, because the benefits therein can’t be quantified “,he said.
