The Department of Culture is a core arm of the Bureau for Arts, Culture and Tourism, Benue State, established to preserve, promote, and sustain the cultural heritage of the people of Benue. Culture, as a way of life, reflects the values, traditions, language, arts, beliefs, and social systems of a people. Recognizing its central role in identity and development, the Department of Culture was first created in 1976 to coordinate cultural affairs in the state.
Over the years, government reforms strengthened the cultural sector through the establishment and re-establishment of the Ministry responsible for Culture and Tourism, ensuring a structured approach to cultural management. Today, the Department of Culture provides policy direction, coordination, and supervision for cultural programmes and institutions, working closely with the Benue State Council for Arts and Culture (BSCAC), which serves as the implementing agency for many cultural initiatives.
The Department plays a strategic role in safeguarding Benue State’s diverse cultural expressions while positioning culture as a foundation for tourism development, social cohesion, and economic growth.
To effectively deliver its mandate, the Department of Culture operates through the following functional units:
Carnivals and Traditional Festivals
Registration, Canvassing, and Monitoring
Performance and Entertainment Arts
Children and Physically Challenged Persons Theatre
Exhibitions and Cultural Fairs
While the Department of Culture focuses on production, preservation, and presentation of cultural heritage, the Department of Tourism is responsible for marketing and commercialization. This symbiotic relationship ensures that Benue State’s cultural assets are transformed into viable tourism products that attract visitors, generate revenue, and create employment opportunities.
Benue State is home to a rich and vibrant cultural landscape expressed through colorful attire, masquerades, music, dance, festivals, and traditional theatre. Iconic cultural expressions include Tiv dances such as Swange, Ingyor, Ange, and Anchankupa, the renowned Kwagh-Hir theatre, the Alekwu ancestral festival of the Idoma, and the Igede Agba (New Yam) Festival, among others. These cultural assets continue to earn national and international recognition while serving as major attractions for cultural tourism.
The Department of Culture is mandated to:
Preserve Cultural Heritage: Safeguard Benue State’s tangible and intangible cultural assets, including traditions, festivals, arts, crafts, languages, and indigenous practices.
Promote and Showcase Culture: Organize and support cultural festivals, carnivals, exhibitions, fairs, and performances at local, national, and international levels.
Encourage Creativity and Cultural Expression: Support creative talents, traditional artists, performers, and cultural practitioners across the state.
Coordinate Cultural Performances: Develop and manage performance and entertainment arts, including traditional music, dance, drama, and theatre.
Cultural Registration and Monitoring: Register, canvass, and monitor cultural groups, practitioners, and activities to ensure quality, authenticity, and sustainability.
Inclusive Cultural Programming: Promote cultural participation among children and persons with physical challenges through specialized theatre and creative initiatives.
Policy Implementation and Supervision: Supervise, guide, and advise the Benue State Council for Arts and Culture in line with government cultural policies.
