The stage appears set for this year's National Festival of Arts and Culture (NAFEST 2012), scheduled for Ilorin, capital city of Kwara State. The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC), Mr. M.M. Maidugu, noted that the state government is putting up elaborate arrangements towards a successful hosting of the nation's arts community. The festival is expected to run from October 13 to 20, 2012.

The assurance that the state is still willing to host the event helped to douse speculations that the state might have declined its hosting right. Although the rumour was not unconnected to the hosting, late last month, of the yearly Conference on Tourism, Culture and National Orientation, the pet project of the Culture and Tourism Ministry.

According to sources, it took the timely intervention of the Minster of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation, Chief Edem Duke to convince the state government on the need to host the cultural fiesta based on its economic benefits to the people.

At the close of 2011 edition of NAFEST, three states including Gombe, Ogun and Kwara, had indicated interest in hosting this year's NAFEST. The hosting right was officially granted Kwara State at the Chief Executive of Culture's meeting held in Minna, Niger State Capital, in May. While Gombe State was considered volatile due to prevailing security situation, Kwara's request was upheld on the ground that it has not hosted the festival since inception in 1974.

According to Maidugu, the choice of Kwara State also hinged on the prevailing peaceful atmosphere in the state as well as availability of hosting facilities including stadium for the opening and closing procession, halls for indoor activities, hostel for artists as well as open field for the cultural market, which is the economic backbone of the event.

"Actually, there was a development before the National Council on Tourism, Culture and National Orientation meeting that Ilorin had wanted to decline the hosting of the festival which arrangements started August last year. I could recall that in October last year; we contacted Ilorin, proposing to them to host the festival and they accepted.

"Ilorin was seen as one of the states with facilities and also as one of the states that has never hosted the festival before. Relatively, the state has a very peaceful atmosphere. Given these advantages, the board decided to contact the Kwara state government to host the festival. However, after that meeting, we don't know what might have happened and we heard that the state was going to decline the hosting right but I must say that the whole issue has been resolved."

The theme for this year is Culture, Peace and Economic Empowerment.

According to NCAC boss, the festival syllabus has been adopted and programmes for the year are quite exciting, especially with greater interest in children activities.

"This time, we hope to carry the children along and for this reason; we have created three events that are relevant and related to children. They include essay writing competition, which is going to be second in its series, children's painting competition as well as story telling by moonlight games," informed Maidugu.

Other programmes include drama presentations that will proclaim and promote the cause of peace in the country, traditional wrestling competition, arts and crafts display and food fair component, music as well as the NAFEST Colloquium.