Abuja Cultural Carnival will Gulp N82.109 million - Minister of Information Culture and Tourism, Alhaji Lai Mohammed

Minister of Information Culture and Tourism, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has revealed that the 2019 edition of Abuja cultural carnival will gulp N82.109 million.

The yearly carnival aimed at showcasing the country’s rich cultural heritage is coordinated by the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism.

Chairman of the Committee, Senator Fatimah Raji –Rasaki, had tackled the minister on the N82million proposed for the Abuja Cultural Carnival 2019 when the carnival did not hold last year despite N62 million appropriated for it.

Lai Mohammed revealed that the Cultural Centers established by the Federal Government in China and Brazil which had budgetary allocation of N25million in 2018 and N35million proposal for 2019, were necessary for positive projection of the country’s image abroad.

He said: “Cultural Centres are meant for foreign image of the country. They promote tourism and even the economy of the owner country

“Though not revenue generating centres, but in the long run, they add value to the economy and citizens of countries that established them.”

He noted that the total budgetary proposals for the two arms of the Ministry (Information, Culture and Tourism) in the 2019 fiscal year, is N5.306billion out which N3.398billion is for personnel cost, N880.507million for overhead  and N1.3billion for capital expenditure of both arms .

The Minister also said: “Money for cultural carnival of national magnitude ordinarily, should even be more than N82million but because of synergy the ministry is having with the Federal Capital Territory and other sponsors in terms of accommodation for participants from the various states, feeding, transportation, make us to make modest proposal of N82million.”