By Stanley Onyekwere
The FCT Administration has disclosed plans to revive and transform all indigenous cultural sites in Abuja into tourists destinations, so as to serve as a sustainable mechanism for job and wealth creation for youth in the Territory.
FCT Minister of State, Dr. Ramatu Aliyu, stated this yesterday during the official flag off of the Aje’Sinda Cultural and Community Empowerment Scheme in Ushafa community in Bwari Area Council.
Aliyu, who was represented by her Special Adviser on Social Development Secretariat, Simisola Ayoade pledged the Administration’s commitment to ensure the preservation of cultural heritage of the people of FCT.
She said; “All cultural sites in Abuja will be made tourists destination for revenue generation as many nations have tourism has their mainstay.”
The Minister while congratulating the women and youth of the community, also promised to replicate same for all the tribes to ensure that the women and youth of the FCT have a wider sustainable means of livelihood.
This, according to her, will boost creation of job opportunities that are critical in the ‘Next Level’ agenda of President Muhammed Buhari administration.
Recall, that the FCT Minister of State Aliyu, had recently visited a cultural site in Jabi Lake, in preparation for new innovation that will also serve as revenue generation.
President and founder of Helpline Foundation, Dr. Jumai Ahmadu, who described Aje’Sinda as the unique cultural heritage identification of Ushafa people said “it’s gradually going extinction.
She said the type weaved of Aje’Sinda weaved in Ushafa can hardly be seen in the market except for the imitation and as such needs to be encouraged to avoid going into extinction.
“Since this man was identified as the only custodian of how this fabric is been made, we then brought him out to teach others so as to preserve that unique one and also teach others on how to make it in a commercial quantity so as to make a living from it.”
Aje’Sinda is a project designed to empower women and youths through vocational training of the only indigenous clothing material of the Gbagyi people of the FCT.
