Mr Alexander Asum-Mensah, Minister of Chieftaincy and Culture, said this year's National Festival of Arts and Culture (NAFAC) would focus on job creation and skills training opportunities to harness the country's vast economic potential. The Minister also proposed the endorsement of the NAFAC as a biennial platform for continued interaction and national exhibition by Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), research and technical institutions and the creative industries. He noted that the proposal when endorsed would promote indigenous innovation, appropriate and environmentally friendly technologies and creative goods to give identity to Ghana's process of development. He was delivering a statement on the floor of parliament on Friday in Accra. Mr Asum-Mensah said: "It will greatly enhance the image and dimension of the festival because preparations towards any future participation by the MDAs and all the stakeholders will be given the necessary attention and budgetary allocation in their annual budgets." He stressed that there was the need to attach great priority to culture as the bedrock of Ghana's development as it covered every facet of human activity including agriculture, housing, planning, technology, work, ethic and many others. He noted that since November 2007, NAFAC had been selected to create the opportunity for Ghanaians to promote create awareness of their self values and self-consciousness and called on all Ghanaians to adopt good attitudes towards their cultural heritage. He said focusing on job creation and skills training opportunities in the creative arts was not only a step in the right direction but was also in line with government's commitment to create the requisite environment and empower the citizenry. He explained that this empowerment was to help the youth to realize their potential and actively participate in building a better Ghana for all. According to the minister, there would be exhibition on technologies, inventions and innovations and visual art including regional day celebrations to showcase the economic endowments to boost investment and job creation. There would also be a colloquium on selected topics in line with the theme of the festival, as well as open forums involving the communities and the general public to encourage grassroots participation. "There will be Women and Children's day celebration, Youth day celebration and performances by professional and amateur groups. "Research and technological institutions and organizations have been identified as stakeholders of the festival to showcase the outcomes of their good policies and programmes in a national exhibition," he said. He mentioned that each region was expected to mount an exhibition to showcase the artefacts, appropriate technologies, photographs of the natural peculiarities, economic endowments and exotic traditional dishes. The Minister stated that the overall best region, as well as outstanding groups and individuals would be awarded for innovations, inventions and good presentation which clearly portray natural and economic endowment with opportunities for job creation. Mr Asum-Mensal called on the media and the general public to help NAFAC succeed. NAFAC will be celebrated from November 20 to November 27, 2010 in Tamale under the theme, "NAFAC Promoting Unity, Technology and Wealth Creation for a Better Ghana: The Role of the Youth in Nation Building." Source: GNA