The Director General, National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC) and President, World Craft Council (WCC), African Region, Otunba Olusegun Runsewe, has solicited a direct flight from Nigeria to Houston, Texas.
The NCAC boss made the call while addressing the Mayor of Houston City, Mr Sylvester Turner, during an event hosted in his honor by the National Council For Act And Culture (NCAC), on his working visit to Abuja.
Runsewe told the Mayor that Nigeria love visitors and always look further to hosting one.
While presenting him with gifts of artifacts, NCAC boss noted that the amount of warmth and liveliness exhibited by the United Nigeria Cultural dancers was a typical representative of who Nigerians are – a happy and joyous people.
Also speaking, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Nigerians In Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa, solicited for partnership between Nigeria and the Houston City, Texas, USA on trade and investment.
Mrs Dabiri-Erewa informed the August Visitor that Nigeria has the largest number of its citizens in Texas than anywhere in the world, and that conducted surveys proved that Nigerians are one of the most educated people in the world.
Furthermore, she told the Mayor that if the Chinese and Indians are investing in Nigeria, there is no reason “our brothers and sisters from America cannot invest in the country.”
She went ahead to invite the Mayor to a program called “The Door of Return” in the historic village of Badagry, where their ancestors were taken away as slaves but their descendants were received like kings and queens.
Also addressing the Mayor, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Capital Territory, Mr. Olusade Adesola, assured the visitor of a vast land waiting for them to invest in the FCT.
Responding, the Mayor of Houston City, Mr Sylvester Turner, said the Houston-Nigeria relationship was not about aid but creating mutual respect, investment and opportunity, which were the reasons they insisted in starting their African trade investment mission in Nigeria.
Speaking further, Mr Turner reiterated that they don’t build walls in Houston, rather, they are open to relationship of mutual appreciation and respect, and that they will love to have a direct flight from Houston to Nigeria as solicited by Runsewe.
He commended the management and staff of NCAC for hosting him.
