The Convener of the annual cultural festival, Olokun Festival, Lara Fashola, has urged Africans to promote and enliven the cultural heritage of the continent.
Fashola, who is also the founder of Olokun Foundation, said this during an interview with newsmen on Tuesday in Lagos.
She said it was time for Africans to develop the continent through viable collaborations between stakeholders in the culture and tourism industries.
She said that the Olokun Foundation was created to ensure that the country’s culture was well promoted and marketed.
“At Olokun Foundation, we have a strong conviction that if African culture can be properly harnessed, it will create a large number of jobs for teeming youths in this age of recession and stagnated world economy.
“While we have been promoting cultural awareness and heritage development through Olokun Festival, culture is a significant factor for economic growth that directly impact on communities, with huge potential for investors.
“Every region in Africa has robust cultural manifestations that strike deep responsive chords in their people,” she said.
According to Fashola, the values of cultural diversity involves respect for and acceptance of different cultures.
“People need to respect, accept and learn from other cultures so that the vision of one world can be achieved.
“Conscience is a precious heritage shared by all humanity and a culture of conscience is humanity’s collective culture,” she said.
