Delegates from Nigeria at the on-going second extra-ordinary session of the Inter-governmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) have cultural and emotional attachment to the venue of the meeting - the National Palace of Culture, Sofia.

So also is the hosting country, Bulgaria. This is because of the existence of a lot of similarities in terms of architectural design and decorative motifs between the palace and the Nigeria's National Theatre complex in Lagos.

In fact, the basis of the connection was the subject matter of their discussion as soon as they stepped out of Nigeria on Sunday morning. They are aware of the fact that the National Theatre was designed and constructed by engineers and architects from Bulgaria.

The construction of the culture edifice, located in Iganmu, Lagos was completed in 1976 in preparation for the second Black World and African Festival of Arts and Culture (FESTAC) in 1977. So, the expectation was very high that they were visiting a country that is known to be rich in literary and performing arts.

They were not disappointed anyway. But added to their expectation is the realisation that Bulgaria is equally assuming a leadership status in the area of consistent efforts by the government to promote and preserve their natural and cultural heritage. The situation at the National Palace of Culture reflects this observation.

Located at the heart of Sofia, the capital city of Bulgaria, the palace is regarded as the largest multifunctional congress, conference, convention and exhibition centre in Southeastern Europe. It was opened in 1981.

The record has it that in July 2005, the complex was proclaimed the best congress centre in the world for the year by the International Organization of Congress Centres.

The congress centre has a wide variety of technical equipment at its disposal in order to host different types of events, such as concerts, conferences, exhibitions and shows. It has an area of 123,000 m_ on eight floors and three underground levels. In all, there are 13 halls and 15,000 m_ of exhibition area, a trade centre and a car park. Sofia Film Fest, a yearly film festival held in the capital of Bulgaria, Sofia, it was learnt, takes place in the palace.

All these features convinced the UNESCO to host the ICH meeting there and since Monday, February 18, 2008, delegates from more than 80 countries of the world have been having a wonderful moment savouring the cultural beauty of a country that has perfectly, but consciously too, absorbed a number of ancient civilisations including Thracians, Greeks, Romans, Slavs and Bulgars.

The only regret is the extreme cold weather which has denied 'fun seekers' and 'night crawlers' among the delegates especially those from the tropical environment, the rare opportunity to have a full exploit of the artistic and cultural heritage of the Sofia city.

One dares not venture into any private visit of any of the tourist attractions littered across the city. But the concert/reception party held in honour of the guests on Monday evening was also classical.

The show held at the Ivan Vazov National Theatre confirmed the assertion that "Bulgaria has a reputation for rich folklore, distinctive traditional music, rituals and tales." Perhaps, what enticed the august visitors most, during the performance, was the practical demonstration of how the arts and culture could serve as job creation tool for people. More than 200 artistes - singers, dancers, instrumentalists, poets, choreographers, drummers, costume makers - were involved in the two-hour presentation. The variety was rich. The lighting was hilarious.

Perhaps because of the exhaustive session that characterized the opening rituals of the meeting, some delegates had threatened to boycott the reception. Some even said they would just appear and go back to their various hotels. But everybody stayed till the end.

"It was an exciting performance," remarked Mr. Ufot Nkanta George, Deputy Director (Culture), Ministry of Culture, Tourism and National Orientation. A member of the Nigerian team at the meeting, George also loved the professionalism brought to bear on the package.

"It was captivating and professionally packaged to the admiration of all present." Lazed with a mix of traditional and contemporary dance drama, the most admirable aspect, George said, "is the seamless flow in the presentation. The large crowd had no choice but to acknowledge the dexterity of the artists with a standing ovation."

But beyond the entertainment value, the culture director said "the lesson is to encourage," back in Nigeria, "all stakeholders including federal, state, local governments and the private sector to develop workable infrastructures in the creative industry i.e theatres, gallery, museums, among others. And also to resuscitate, promote and sustain a theatre-going consciousness especially among our teaming youths."

Even in the Ivan Vazov National Theatre, Nigerians have something to take back home. Its story is like an old wine that tastes better. Age is not a barrier to a beautifully preserved edifice.

The oldest and most authoritative theatre in Bulgaria still remains a reference point in the promotion and preservation of Bulgarian culture. It is even known as one of the important landmarks of Sofia. It is located in the centre of the city, with the facade facing the City Garden.

Founded in 1904 by the artists from the Salza i Smyah company, it was initially called simply the National Theatre, but before being named after the prominent writer Ivan Vazov it also bore the name of Krastyu Sarafov between 1952 and 1962.

The theatre's Neoclassical building, designed by famous Viennese theatre architects Hermann Helmer and Ferdinand Fellner, was completed in 1906 and opened on January 3, 1907. The building was extensively damaged by a fire in 1923 during an anniversary celebration, but was reconstructed in 1929 by German architect, Martin D�lfer.

A theatrical school was established as part of the theatre complex in 1925. The bombing of Sofia in World War II caused considerable damage to the building, but it was reconstructed in 1945. Another reconstruction followed in 1971-1975, and a _100,000 restoration project was implemented in 2006.

Another unique feature of the Sofia gathering was the participation, at the opening ceremony, for the first time since the culture panel had its first session in Algeria in November 2006, of the president of the hosting country. Mr. Georgi Parvanov, President of the Republic of Bulgaria scored that point on Monday. But it was like the seat of government was transferred to the National Palace of Culture.

Present also was the Minister of Culture, Professor Stefan Danailov; Vice-President of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Nikola Sabotinnov; Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs who is also President of the Bulgarian National Commission for UNESCO, Todor Tchurov among others.

Top hierarchy of UNESCO was represented at the opening by the President of the Executive Board of UNESCO, Professor Olabiyi Babalola Joseph Yai; President of the General Assembly of the States Parties to the 2003 Convention for the nSafeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, Mohammed Bedjaoui; Rieks Smeets, Secretary of the 2003 Convention among others.

Bulgarian President's presence throughout the duration of the opening ritual was duly acknowledged by the UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Culture, Ms Francoise Riviere. But in his address, President Parvanov canvassed the need for the UNESCO Category 2 for Culture to be established in the country. A call Nigerians at the meeting found as an edge over Bulgaria.

"It is interesting to note that Bulgarian government's desire to have a category 2 institute dominated the interventions made by the officials at opening event including the president. This is to show the importance of this project to the member nations of the global body," said Professor Michael Omolewa, the ambassador/Permanent Delegate of Nigeria to UNESCO.

Omolewa was reviewing the progress made by Nigeria with respect to the institute. The country got the initial approval during the General Conference of UNESCO held in Paris last October. But there are other certain hurdles to cross.

"Nigeria is now expected in April to make a presentation to the UNESCO Executive Board for the final approval, after which the Director General will endorse the proposal on behalf of UNESCO." And Nigeria will begin to translate the proposal into reality. Osogbo, the capital city of Osun State, has been penciled down as the likely base of the institute. But it is expected to have branches across the six geo-political zones in the country.

"For Nigeria," the diplomat reiterated, "thank God, we have passed the stage of people now asking whether we are ready for it or not. We have already demonstrated that we are ready for it. The Minister of Culture has been kind enough to meet all the people that are necessary, get their endorsement, and the President for National Commission for UNESCO, the Minister of Education had personally identified with the establishment of the category 2 institute. The minister of State for Education, Hajia Aisha Duku, was with us the day the approval was given at the General Conference, and she showed very great pleasure in that achievement.

"But what Nigeria needs to do now is to continue to be at the forefront. While others are at the stage of mobilization, Nigeria will take advantage of its near approval that it has got and move forward, so that the Category Two institute for culture in Nigeria will be a model for the whole world and for the continent of Africa. It is the first time ever in Africa, when a category 2 institute in the area of culture will be established in Africa. It is the first and it is going to be the best, God willing," noted Omolewa.

But while Nigeria may be abundantly rich in natural and cultural heritage, the message is the need to pay much attention not only to preserve, but also to promote these living treasures. Bulgaria is miles away in this direction. And the country is reaping the gains. It has nine UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Nigeria has only two of such sites. The list includes the early medieval large rock relief Madara Rider; two Thracian tombs (one in Sveshtari and one in Kazanlak); three monuments of medieval Bulgarian culture (the Boyana Church, the Rila Monastery and the Rock-hewn Churches of Ivanovo); two examples of natural beauty: the Pirin National Park and the Srebarna Nature Reserve; the ancient city of Nesebar, a unique combination of European cultural interaction, as well as, historically, one of the most important centres of sea-borne trade in the Black Sea.

Exposure to some of these landmarks is already having lasting impression on the delegates. The chorus now is "we just have to visit Sofia again, especially in Summer when the weather is more friendly."

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