Information minister Lai Mohammed says no one culture in Nigeria can survive alone, insisting that the country is not at war and people calling for “separation” are mistaken.

“I wish that those who say Nigeria is at war and has no future are here today to witness the world-class performance put together by this troupe,” Mr Mohammed stated. 

Mr Mohammed stated this at the Cultural Centre in Calabar, where he was treated to a night of cultural performance by the Cross River cultural troupe to herald World Tourism Day.

World Tourism Day is commemorated annually on September 27 to foster awareness among international communities of the importance of tourism and its social, cultural, political and economic values.

The theme of the 2022 celebration is ‘Rethinking Tourism’.

The minister, in Calabar to celebrate the day, said there were similarities among the cultures in Nigeria. He praised the Cross River Cultural Troupe for their world-class performance.

“The drama on unity states it clearly that not one of us can do it alone. We are all one people. I wish that those who say Nigeria is at war and has no future are here today to witness the world-class performance put together by this troupe,” Mr Mohammed stressed. “Anybody who has witnessed war will not wish for war or separation.”

Mr Mohammed appealed to Nigerian youths to embrace performing arts. He warned that the nation’s culture would soon be extinct unless the next generation took over.

Eric Anderson, Cross River’s commissioner for culture and tourism, thanked the minister for visiting Calabar to celebrate World Tourism Day.

“The performance you have enjoyed this night is coming from a cultural troupe that has been to Egypt in 2016, to Bangkok in 2018 and the carnival in Rio,” said Mr Anderson. “We have also performed in the State House in Abuja two years in a row, it is a product of hard work, and we intend to keep it up.” 

(NAN)