Emeka Anokwuru
Government growing concerns about certain breaches of COVID- 19 protocols, particularly on the dedicated use of facemarks and sanitizers, has prompted the intervention of the National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC). Otunba Segun Runsewe, Director General NCAC, said the agency will roll out both medical and conventional face masks made from local Adire and Ankara fabrics embossed with NCAC logo to check imitation and also to showcase home grown solutions to demands for the kits. Likewise, sanitizers exclusively made from local natural resources will also be part of the intervention. Otunba Runsewe said the measures are part of well thought about interventions that will help bridge the gap in the demands and needs to ensure no one finds excuse to breach the COVID-19 protocols. “We shall be targeting the culture tourism community, the media, the security agencies at the frontline of the battle to the successful and full compliance of the lockdown and also the medical professionals, Runsewe explained. Describing the initiative as a necessity and response to exploit the huge cultural resources in Nigeria, Otunba Runsewe noted that the pandemic has provided Nigeria a great opportunity to look inwards for the production of relevant kits and accessories made exclusively in Nigeria and which will meet with export standard and health protocols. “We cannot just sit down and expect help from outside the country all the time”. We should respond to this challenge by looking inwards and creatively discover certain benefits in our cultural endowments, support the process of indigenous response to all health challenges not just for COVID-19 pandemic, he said, adding that necessity is the mother of all inventions around the world.