The Senate Committee on Culture and Tourism, on Thursday July 9, paid a working visit to facilities of the Federal Ministry of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation. Among the facilities visited, were the Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilisation (CBAAC)and the National Theatre where the committee took stock of the activities of the bodies.

Briefing the visiting committee on the activities of the Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilisation (CBAAC), the Director-General of the centre, Professor Tunde Babawale, said that CBAAC was established through decree 69 immediately after the Festival Of Arts And Culture, FESTAC 77, as an instrument for the promotion of public interest and the propagation of African culture. CBAAC, which he said is a documentation and study centre, had been over the years domiciled in the National Theatre, however, part of its achievement include the acquisition of its own office block on Broad Street. The acquisition of the office block, he said, would go a long way in alleviating the numerous logistic problems faced by the centre. One of such problems is the lack of space to store the artifacts in its possession.

Professor Babatunde, went on to list the Centre's representation of the country in various international art functions where Nigerian art were displayed by the body and the organisation of various programmes in line with the workings of the decree establishing the body.

As regards the problems faced by the body, the Director-General outlined lack of space, which he said has been solved to an extent with the acquisition of its office complex. Though, he said, more space was needed as the body has a large cache of books for its library. He also said that the body needed to be elevated from its present administrative structure, as its current state does not allow for career building among its staff.

In his presentation, the Director-General of National Theatre, Professor Ahmed Yerima, informed the committee that since the theatre was built in 1975 to host the Festival of Art and Culture (FESTAC 77), the first renovation it experienced was in 2006 after over 30 years of existence. Briefing the visiting committee on the activities of the Theatre so far, Professor Yerima said that the National Troupe had been merged with the National Theatre to ensure a smoother administration. Together, both groups have organised and made presentations within and outside the country.

He made it known that the National Theatre is greatly understaffed as it has a staff strength of 161 staff while the National Troupe has 82 bringing the total of both bodies to 243 staff. Consequently, the theatre is lacking greatly in staff strength especially in the area of technical staff.

On the problems faced by the Theatre, Yerima cited security as a major set back. The Theatre, which is a repository of the items of art of FESTAC '77 Ikoyi and Apapa, as a result of its open nature, is used as a quick getaway by armed robbers. This, he said, can be checked by fencing it, which the management of the theatre would have done, but lack of funds.

Power failure was one of the problems given as paramount to the running of the Theatre because of the black, some of the items in its possession could not be preserved to satisfaction. He said the management of the theatre procured a plant to meet its power needs. Also, some of the departments have been given stand by generators in the event of failure of the power plant. He also cited leaking roofs as part of the problems of the Theatre. This, he said, led to some of the items of art domiciled in the theatre as well as the facilities being destroyed.

Reacting to the presentations made, the Vice Chairman of the committee, Senator Isa Braimoh, congratulated the heads of various bodies on the achievements made and promised to look into their problems to proffer likely solutions, especially those that relate to funds.