BAP, Terra Kulture, Ecobank Partner To Lift African Cultural Heritage

BAP Productions in collaboration with TerraKulture and Ecobank Nigeria Limited have entered into partnership to promote African cultural heritage through the arts.

The institutions made the disclosure at the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) during which they affirmed that the collaboration would benefit African and Nigerian arts and culture.

Speaking at the brief ceremony, which held at the TerraKulture Place on Victoria Island, Lagos, Founder/Artistic Director of BAP Productions, Bolanle Austen-Peters, commended Ecobank for its support for the initiative.

In her words: “Lack of grants and support from private institutions had hindered the growth and development of Nigeria cultural heritage.

“Foreign culture dominated the arts space in the past, but with support and encouragement of private sector investors like Ecobank, there is a shift in the trend.”She explained that BAP Productions and TerraKulture have been promoting Nigerian arts and culture since 2003, adding that since then hundreds of production houses have sprung up.

“And so for us, Ecobank’s support is a big deal in an era where most businesses shy away from supporting initiatives like this and we appreciate its support and hope that the relationship will be symbiotic,” she added.

Managing Director of Ecobank Nigeria Limited, Patrick Akinwuntan, who spoke in company of Group Managing Director of Ecobank Transnational Incorporated (ETI), Ade Ayeyemi, and Executive Director, Commercial Banking, Ecobank Nigeria, Carol Oyedeji, stressed that the collaboration would benefit Nigerian arts and culture.

He said the bank was supporting the initiative to expand its “The Future is Bright Message” to the over 20 million customers of the bank and all Africans who are interested in improving their livelihoods, even beyond the shores of the continent.

“It was natural for us to encourage and support the initiative to enhance lifestyles and improve livelihoods of Nigerians and Africans at home and in The Diaspora.

“And one way of effectively doing that is to tell our own stories ourselves, especially through Nigerian and African arts and culture, as well as encouraging women to realise their God-given potentials,” he said.

He explained that with the bank’s presence in 36 African countries and 40 globally, a balance sheet size of over $25 billion and 20 million customer base, the financial institution stood a better chance of promoting African arts and culture than any other institution.