The conundrums of arts councils administration in Nigeria from the perspectives of Kwara and Oyo states councils for arts and culture.

Abstract

The Nigerian arts councils are cultural institutions saddled with the statutory functions of preserving, presenting, promoting and packaging of the Nigeria arts and culture resources. The establishment of the institutions was borne out of the potentials of arts and culture in internal and external cultural diplomacy. In spite of the significant roles of art council in national development and international cultural relations, both the Kwara and Oyo states arts councils have suffered continuous neglect from the councils from the perspective of the Kwara and Oyo states councils for arts and culture. The paper employed interview and participant-observation methods to gather relevant data. It was revealed that despite the provisions of the cultural policy and the objectives of edicts which established the Kwara and Oyo state arts councils, they cannot compete with their peers in other part of the world due to interference, bureaucratic bottleneck on leadership imposition, neglect of substantial policy framework (non-implementation of funding) and underdeveloped councils’ infrastructure. The paper, therefore, concluded that there is an urgent need for arts and culture reforms and the establishment of an endowment funds for the arts in order for the Kwara and Oyo states arts councils to survive, and meet the global standards.