The Federal Government has created a new Nigerian Academy for Cultural Studies (NACUS), a specialized institution dedicated to training individuals in innovative studies and the development of Nigeria’s culture and history.
The academy will also ensure certificates are accepted in the civil service and beyond. This was stated by Otunba Biodun Ajiboye who is also the Executive Secretary of the National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO).
He disclosed that according to Hannatu Musawa, the Honourable Minister of Art, Culture and the Creative Economy, the institution shall have campuses in four geographical zones of North, South and East and the FCT.
Ajiboye noted that this academy is approved by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) and would function as the premier institution for cultural training in the nation. The training school is originally within NICO, it now offers a program leading to a National Diploma in Cultural Administration & Management (NDCAM).
Furthermore, its Postgraduate Diploma program is affiliated with Nasarawa State University, Keffi (NSUK). The accreditations and affiliations allow those who have earned the Diploma to pursue a Postgraduate Diploma and eventually a Master’s degree.
Mr. Ajiboye also noted that the rebranding and elevation of what was formerly the Training School of the National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO) into a full-fledged higher institution for cultural education and training underscores the critical importance of culture and the necessity for a cultural renaissance to be a central focus in policy-making processes.
He emphasized that this transformation clearly signifies the emphasis placed on culture within these processes.
“With the approval of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) and the consent of the Federal Ministry of Art, Culture and the Creative Economy, it is here on note that the government of Nigeria will begin to view culture as an important element in our day-to-day life.
“This first specialized institution to teach culture; the Nigerian Academy for Cultural Studies (NACUS) is a bold step and innovation of the current administration.
“We appreciate the federal government for the rebranding and elevation of the institution, which was hitherto the training school of NICO, to a full-fledged higher institution for cultural education and training”, he said.
He also posits that the nation has recognized the importance of incorporating sufficient cultural content into the school curriculum at primary, secondary, and tertiary levels, which means shedding the foreign cultural influences that have been inadvertently adopted over the years. Now, there will be a realization of the importance of our inherent cultural essentials, which will endow the people with a great sense of originality and pave the way for establishing a strong cultural identity.
