By Wandoo Sombo
The Director of Music, Nigerian Air Force (NAF), Group-Capt. Oludare Ayanbode, has called on the Federal Government to invest in creative arts, particularly music to unlock its economic potential and nurture young talents in academic excellence.
Ayanbode made the call in Abuja at the 8th edition of the Abuja National Music Competition (ANMC), where he served as one of the judges.
He said greater attention should be given to music education, particularly at the primary and secondary school levels, to enable the discovery and development of young talents.
According to him, this year’s competition attracted participation from many schools, indicating growing interest in music education among educational institutions.
“This year’s edition gave room for many schools to come and participate, meaning that a lot of schools have encouraged the teaching of music in their schools and as a result, so many of these young talents have been encouraged to have music as an art which will serve as inspiration to others,” he said.
Ayanbode described music as a discipline that enhances cognitive abilities and strengthens memory, stressing that it should not be taken for granted in the educational system.
“Experts have long associated music education with improved concentration, creativity, critical thinking and excellent academic performance, making it an important tool for the holistic development of children.
“There is room for improvement on the part of the government in catching them young when you talk about discovery of raw talents.
“I won’t say the government hasn’t done enough but I believe they can still do more to bring out raw talent in these children.
“There should be all inclusiveness by giving the teaching of music in our primary and secondary schools more attention.
“The curriculum should be more robust, not only in private schools but also in public schools,” he said.
He added that the teaching of music should be encouraged to build more talent which would eventually help students in their normal academic pursuit and whatever field they choose to follow.
The music director also commended the quality of performances at the competition, noting that many participants demonstrated remarkable discipline and creativity.
“This year’s edition of the ANMC is unique because most of the young talents at the event came prepared.
“I wouldn’t want to say they’ve given the judges tough time, but making decisions after watching them sing has been very tight.
“We are particularly happy that many of them have exhibited a high level of discipline and creativity in their performances,” he said.
Also speaking, the Chief Executive Officer of Abba Music School and organiser of the competition, Dr Nana Gbolahan, said the event was conceived to promote music culture and music education among young people in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
She described music as a universal language capable of inspiring and uniting people, while providing children with a platform to develop and showcase their talents.
“So, music, basically, is the language of the soul and all of us here are part of that language.
“The motivation for me is to continue to promote music, especially across Abuja.
“In other parts of Nigeria, particularly Lagos, music is well known and appreciated but in Abuja, it’s just coming up and it is a lot better now than what it was.
“The motivation is also to encourage a lot of these children because a lot of them have these talents and it’s inherent.
“However, there is nothing that really pushes and encourages them and there is no platform given to them to express that talent and so, we provide that platform for them to be able to compete, meet other children that are also interested in music like them and also enhance their talents,” she said.
Gbolahan expressed satisfaction with the increased participation recorded at this year’s edition, attributing it to growing awareness and interest among schools.
“We have more schools this year because more schools expressed interest to be part of the competition after we approached them.
“It’s also their own way of exposing their students to music, so schools were more encouraged unlike in the past and we hope it will always get better,” she added.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the ANMC is a carefully curated competition open to primary and secondary school students across Abuja.
It aims to promote music and music education, celebrate talent, encourage discipline through the arts and stimulate discussions on the place of music in Nigeria’s education system.
Judges at the event included Prof. Adebowale Adeogun, Mr Adebayo Omole and Malam Razphil.
Participating schools included Benford International School, Meadowlands School, Regent International School, Premier Academy and Spiritan International Girls Secondary School.
At the end of the competition, Regent International School was crowned winner with a cash prize of N400,000 and a trophy while Meadowlands School was first runner up with a cash prize of N250, 000 for the senior category.
For the junior category, Early Starters school came second with a prize of N250,000 while Benford International School was crowned winner with a prize of N400,000.(NAN) (www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Sadiya Hamza
