30th October, 2022
By Stanley Nwanosike
Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu says his administration has a plan towards uplifting youths’ creativity and talent through various platforms.
Ugwuanyi gave the assurance on Saturday evening at the grand finale and award night of the “2022 Edition of Life In My City Art Festival (LIMCAF) which was themed: “Paradox of Muted Echoes”.
The governor, represented by the Commissioner for Lands, Chief Chidi Aroh, noted that the state government would continue to give hope to the youth by supporting their creativity, talent and zeal in order to bring out their best.
According to him, “as a government, we will continue to create enabling environment for the youths.
“The state government will continue to support the youth, creativity and this particular festival to achieve greater heights since it serves as a springboard to showcase their artistic creativity to the entire world.
“I will want to commend the organisers for making this festival an annual one since 2007 and taking pains and resources to teach and bring the very best out of our talented youths,” he said.
Speaking, the Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe, urged the youth to be hard working and determined to get to the zenith of anything they had a passion for in life.
Achebe thanked the sponsors of the festival – MTN Foundation, Ford Foundation and others – for sustaining the festival and “making it a global brand notwithstanding its very humble beginning”.
“LIMCAF Art Festival, within 16 years, has grown to become the largest and highest-running art festival in the country collecting hundreds of artworks yearly.
“It is time to take and expand LIMCAF beyond Nigeria to an African scope and magnitude,” said the Obi of Onitsha, who spoke through a virtual platform.
Chairman of the LIMCAF Board of Trustees, Elder K.U. Kalu said that LIMCAF was able to send the overall winners in its past 16 editions to an African art exhibition in Dakar, Senegal, to get more exposure to the arts.
Kalu explained that for this year’s edition, a total of 270 art entries were received from eight zonal and regional centres throughout the country.
“We follow up on the career development of our youths, especially those that have won various categories, as well as our yearly overall winners.
“Hundreds of youths have found livelihood through arts, some have become international artists while others have discovered themselves by participating in this festival, which indicates that our investment is yielding fruits.
“I must appreciate MTN Foundation, Ford Foundation, Pinnacle Oil and Gas Ltd and a host of others, as well as families and individuals that have endowed prizes at the yearly grand finale,” he said.
In a goodwill message, Mr Dennis Okoro, who represented MTN Foundation, said that the telecommunication firm was sponsoring the festival as part of its corporate social responsibility.