ART AND NATIONAL POLICY DEVELOPMENT: THE ROLE OF GOVERNMENT IN THE ARTS AND A PRE-PLAN TOWARD ARTISTIC POLICY IN SOUTHERN NIGERIA

The purpose of the study was to analyze the historical as well as the cultural background of Nigeria with respect to visual and performing arts which formed a basis for the development of a national policy regarding the visual and performing arts. The federal Nigerian government participation in the arts, both in the development and promotion of those arts was also examined. The national policies of support for the arts in the countries such as Peru, Senegal, Zaire, Great Britain, France, Finland and the United States of America were also surveyed for possible adaptation into the author's preliminary plan toward a national artistic policy specifically for the southern states in Nigeria, based on selected criteria relating to Nigeria.;The Western European impact on both Nigerian art and the artist was also examined. The traditional and the contemporary Nigerian art forms were illustrated. The status of the federal government policy on the visual and performing arts in southern Nigeria was surveyed with special emphasis on the existing National Council for the Arts and Culture and the Cultural Division (both of which are located in the federal Ministry of Information), and six State Arts Councils.;In Part II, a preliminary plan toward a national artistic policy was developed for the southern states. This consisted of a policy, mission statement, the creation and the duties of the proposed National Council for the Arts and Culture. The responsibility of the National Council for the Arts and Culture to the community arts councils, and the state arts councils was also identified through a joint program called the National/Community program and partnership.;Part II also includes the implementation of the program, and the recommendations that could be useful to the federal government in legislating a superstructure of a national artistic policy, emphasizing the traditional and contemporary Nigerian creativity with special attention to the cultural richness and diversity of each ethnic community.;The design of the study consisted of two major parts. Part I presents the need for the study and the problem statement; operational definition of terms which are essential for artistic and policymaking decisions; the review of related literature which focused on the preservation of cultural values and the importance of meeting cultural needs based on the perspectives of the UNESCO conference representatives; art in Nigeria during pre-nationhood, the colonial era and the post-independence period; and the methodological framework of the study, comprised of historical, philosophical and descriptive methods.;It was concluded based on the author's findings that artistic policy is possible and necessary to protect Nigeria's cultural heritage because such steps have been taken in different countries both in the developed and the underdeveloped nations. It was found that even though there seems to be the government participation in those arts, it is still ineffective and lacks the pragmatic actions necessary to raise a national, cultural consciousness in the country, especially in the southern states.;The finding also revealed that economic and social planning did not include, in practical terms, the arts (visual and performing) which has kept the general arts awareness at a low level. It was summarized that just as Nigeria has a physical army to protect her border against an adversary, so a cultural force (an arts agency) with a declared purpose is also needed to protect, propagate, present, and promote Nigeria's cultural heritage.