The World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development (World Culture Day) is a day set aside by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on May 21st every year to celebrate the role culture plays in ensuring peace and continuous development in countries, as well as the importance of intercultural dialogue in ensuring mutual respect and peaceful co-existence.
The World Culture Day is an important instrument to promote greater awareness of the link between diverse cultures, peace, and development. The day also reminds and help us understand the value of cultural diversity and its role in ensuring unity as well as its enormous potential for socio-economic growth and development.
Now more than ever, the global community faces the urgent need to embrace diversity as a strength rather than a division. This year’s celebration underscores the importance of inclusive dialogue in addressing global challenges, from migration and climate change to conflict resolution and digital transformation.
The World Culture Day is also a viable platform to celebrate culture’s diverse forms and the impact of the creative economy on culture in line with the 2005 convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions.
The Federal Government of Nigeria recognizes the potentials of the creative economy for job creation, gender inclusion, mass mobilization of people infrastructural development and socio-economic growth and development. The federal Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy in line with its mandate and the Renewed Hope Agenda is working to accelerate the growth of the culture and creative sectors through viable programmes, projects and initiatives such as the Destination 2030: Nigeria Everywhere, the Creative Leap Acceleration Programme (CLAP), the Establishment of National Museum in the Federal Capital Territory, development of Creative Hubs in the geo-political zones, etc. The Ministry is also collaborating with various stakeholders and development partners to develop the Culture and Creative Economy for the benefit of the nation and its citizenry.
I call on Nigerians to support government initiatives in order build a resilient, united and economically vibrant nation for us all.
God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria!
Signed
Barr. Hannatu Musa Musawa
Honourable Minister
