A non-governmental organization, Lola Cater Foundation, has trained more than 150 children and youths drawn from the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on creativity, cultural and innovative education.
The organization stressed the importance of creative and cultural education in nurturing the next generation of leaders and innovators in the country’s drive for all-round development.
Ogunnubi said that more than 150 children and youths aged between eight and 18 were selected from different parts of Abuja for the event which held on Monday in Abuja.
The event with the theme, “Express, Create and Belong,’’ and sub-theme “Naija Colors: The Young Creators Odyssey Programme’’, brought together people to showcase ideas on creativity, cultural expression, mentorship among others.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that participants were engaged in creative economy through practical activities and interactions with industry professionals.
Speaking at the event, the Founder and Executive Director, Lola Cater Foundation, Mrs Ololade Ogunnubi, described the programme as a platform designed to help young people discover and develop their creative talents.
According to her, the initiative seeks to build confidence, cultural pride and leadership capacity among children and young people across the country.
“Naija Colors as an initiative was designed as a non-competitive creative immersion platform to encourage participants express themselves freely without the pressure of elimination or comparison.
“This initiative is for people to understand that the future of Nigeria’s creative economy depends largely on how early young people are exposed to safe, structured and inspiring opportunities within the cultural and creative industries,” she said.
Participants also showcased variety of activities including music, poetry, storytelling, visual arts, dance, film, digital storytelling and cultural heritage exhibitions.
They equally demonstrated Nigeria’s cultural diversity at a cultural runway, presenting cuisine and attire from different ethnic groups in the country.
Also speaking, representatives of the Director-General of the Nigerian Tourism Development Authority (NTDA), Mr Olayiwola Awakan, commended the organizers for promoting cultural awareness and encouraging youth participation in Nigeria’s tourism and creative sectors.
“We commend the organizers for this initiative, which has continued to promote cultural awareness and encourage meaningful youth participation in Nigeria’s tourism and creative sectors,” he said.
Earlier, the Director-General of the Kaduna International Film Festival, Mr Israel Audu, announced that the best cultural group would perform at the 2026 Zuma Film Festival, sparking excitement among the participants.
He also disclosed plans to launch the Children and Youth Creative Economy Network (CY-CEN), a platform aimed at providing mentorship, training and long-term development opportunities for young people interested in the creative sector.
Highlights of the event were networking sessions, cultural exhibitions, media interactions and group presentations celebrating creativity, cultural identity and national unity.
Other highlight was the speed mentorship session, where movie directors, writers, spoken word artists, content creators, music professionals and visual storytellers shared experiences and insights into opportunities within the creative industry.
The best cultural presentation received a cash prize sponsored by the America Global Relations Foundation in recognition of their outstanding creativity, originality and cultural representation.(NAN)
