Few weeks ago Nigeria’s minister of information, Lai Mohammed, in a statement to highlight the potentials of Nigeria’s tourism and cultural sectors suggested that dressing masquerades can create Thousands of jobs a week in Nigeria. A statement, which is undoubtedly very true, but was taken out of context by patrons of social media. Many young Nigerians who could have benefited from the call rather twisted the statement to mean that he asked them to join masquerades. Sometime, I feel that some of us Africans, especially the younger generation, faced with very poor appetite for reading and literary works have problems with comprehension. In a bid to jump to conclusion and earn social media popularity we end up underscoring our weaknesses and humiliating ourselves.

As of today none of the Nigerian beaches and pockets of islands generate any meaningful tourism revenue, whereas the economy of countries like Jamaica, and states like Hawaii largely depend on tourism. Our cultural industry (which Lai’s statement highlighted) is almost moribund except for pockets of poorly organized street carnivals. I don’t know the last time anyone saw the advertisement of a Nigerian cultural troupe coming to do a paid performance in a major event center such as the ‘Kennedy Center’ in Washington DC? Perhaps this generation is too young to know veteran cultural ambassadors like Pa Hubert Ogunde of the National troupe, who exported Nigeria's culture abroad and earned hard currency. According to the National Retail Federation, Americans were projected to spend up to $6.9 billion on Halloween sales in 2015. These sales included costumes and candies. Has any of you really Googled what ‘Halloween’ is, and what’s the difference between Halloween costumes and masquerade costumes, yet there are companies that specialize in manufacturing these costumes abroad thereby creating jobs?

Perhaps Lai Mohammed’s call would have been well-received if he announced the distribution of free laptops and iPhones to Nigerian youth so they can sit all day wasting their time and potentials on social media chats and mundane comments to generate ‘Likes’.

A cultural outfit, be it a drama troupe, a dance group, or a masquerade group can create employment through:

1). Registering it as either a business organization or cultural promotion NGO
2). The manufacturing of modernized costumes and export of such
3). Research and manufacturing of improved African musical instruments and exporting of such
4). Paid performances at events organized at home and abroad
5). Organizing paid annual carnivals, parades, festivals and shows with corporate sponsorship to attract tourists
6). Production and selling of quality DVDs and CDs

Are there not people who went to universities in Nigeria to study fine arts and theater arts? If you don’t believe in yourself and strive to think outside the box, no one will do that for you; you will continue to follow standards other set forever.

Yes! Masquerades can create jobs if well managed.

Below are few examples of well-managed cultural parades and carnivals abroad, same as masquerade outings in Nigeria. Why can't we modernize ours, showcase them like this and be proud of them?