Covid-19: NCAC to embark on facemask use campaign

By Ezurike Ugochukwu

The National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC)  has said it will soon launch a nationwide facemask use campaign –  #PROTECTNAIJAWITHFACEMASK CAMPAIGN to encourage nigerians to brace for the use of facemask in public places.

The Director General of NCAC, Otunba Segun Runsewe,said that the campaign would form focal agenda of the agency having successfully produced and kitted select frontline service providers and various care givers in the forefront of the battle against covid 19 pandemic.

Runsewe stated that the need for the campaign was informed by the verifiable evidences that wearing facemask has about 100% capacity to prevent  the spread of the micro droplets, usually transmitted through the mouth and sneezing through the nose. Stating that Czech republic adopted facemask strategy which brought about low COVID-19 impact in the entire European countries,

“We at NCAC is of the firm believe that a population wide facemask wearing is very important and essential to the suppression and prevention of communal transmission of the COVID-19 pandemic, hence the frontal awareness efforts by NCAC to prepare and positively change the attitude and minds of nigerians to facemasks lifestyle” he stated.

He recalled that  like in the past, he had driven the campaign, “oil is good but tourism better and sustainable” to encourage diversification of our mono oil economy, that the  facemask campaign will as well create job for Nigerians.

” We are already grounded in providing skill acquisition as part of our cultural mandate and with this campaign in focus, we can through our various offices in the six geopolitical zones empower the rural women and unemployed youths to take to tailoring and produce an average of ten million facemasks in three days, made from local fabrics and according to our standard.

” This campaign is a must do and not talk and no action. This cultural agency of government is on strong footing to deliver on this expectations” Runsewe assured, noting that as much as COVID-19 protocols of social distancing, strict hygiene are important, the desirability and importance of wearing facemask cannot be overemphasized.

” Indeed, the spread of the disease across our nation with a population of 200million people is a bit scary and despite the the great intervention of the National Center for Disease control, we must be seen to be culturally supportive through this campaign which also is not in any way the scientific solution to mitigating the scourge  but as a knowledge and awareness based effort from NCAC to empower Nigerians to wake up and live with reality of facemasks wearing in public places as a new way of life.

He affirmed that the artistic community shall be part of the campaign,  that the agency would explore getting a national musical and entertainment response that will be unique as well as appeal to national unity and consciousness.

Runsewe said the agency is looking at post
COVID-19, and to the next level that could create fresh entrepreneurial culture which could no doubt challenge our collective national strength for a better cultural economic prospect.

The NCAC had last week produced and kitted security agencies, the media and a selected group of professionals in the front line of the COVID-19 pandemic with branded facemasks made exclusively from adire and Ankara fabrics, and also gave out locally made sanitizers.