The Proprietor and Director of Higher Everyday British School, Agbor, Delta State, Dr. Raymond Imafidon, has commended the Johnson Community Support Initiative (JCSI) and the management of The Leap Bradford CIC, United Kingdom, for strengthening the Nigeria/United Kingdom arts and culture relations through its maiden Arts, Culture and Heritage (ACH) Creatives Workshop 2025.
Speaking at the end of the secondary school’s Cultural Day, held in Agbor this week (Tuesday, April 8, 2025), Dr. Imafidon said, “We feel elated, and we truly appreciate JCSI for sponsoring the ACH Creatives Workshop, using Higher Everyday British School as its pioneer partner secondary school in Nigeria. We feel elated that our school was chosen as the pioneer for this amazing program. We also appreciate the role of The Leap Bradford CIC and its partners (Creative People and Places, Arts Council England, and City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council) for supporting this workshop designed to inspire secondary school students across Nigeria to embrace our indigenous arts and culture sector not only for entertainment but also as a credible platform for building successful careers. We see this initiative by JCSI and all its partners as a powerful and clear signal for greater collaboration in the arts and culture sector between Nigeria and the United Kingdom. This is a befitting development, considering the shared history of both countries.”
Dr. Imafidon explained, “At the ACH Creatives Workshop held for our senior secondary school students this past week, our eyes were opened to see the immense opportunities that largely lie below as far as the Nigerian arts and culture sector being a credible and valuable employment ground for our people is concerned. The Keynote Speaker, Pastor Mike Okoh, a seasoned and respected arts and culture professional and a university art lecturer, inspired our youngsters on how they can set out to create artworks and crafts not only for Nigerians and Africans but for the whole of humanity. It was a powerful call to action for our school, and we look forward to establishing the proposed ACH Creatives Club as our school resumes for the 3rd term of this academic session. As the pioneer school for this JCSI-sponsored ACH Creatives Program, we now see ourselves as an ambassador of this worthy initiative amongst other schools in Agbor, Delta State, and Nigeria.”
In his goodwill message, presented in a virtual format during the workshop, the Executive/Creative Director of JCSI, Mr. Akinwale Johnson Ogundipe, explained, “The goal of this workshop is to create awareness among Nigerian youths, helping them to see our arts and culture in a different light. We want them to see that they can pursue a successful and fulfilling career in the arts, culture and heritage (ACH) sector, which is now referred to in Nigeria and abroad as the creative industry. As part of this program, we encourage each partner school, starting with Higher Everyday British School Agbor, to set up its own students-led and students-managed ACH Creatives Club.”
The primary objectives of the JCSI ACH Creatives Program are to promote the appreciation of Nigerian arts, culture, and heritage among senior secondary school students; to create a platform for building artistic expression and cultural exchange; and to encourage the formation of Arts, Culture, and Heritage (ACH) Creatives clubs in senior secondary school throughout Nigeria for sustainable engagement.
With the successful launch of the ACH Creatives Program at Higher Everyday British School Agbor in 2025, JCSI plans to gradually expand it to other secondary schools across the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria in the years ahead. In line with this long-term vision, the NGO seeks the active involvement and participation of the Federal Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, the National Council of Arts and Culture, and other appropriate stakeholders across the federation.
Mr. Frederick Apeji
Country Event Partner
Johnson Community Support Initiative (JCSI) ACH Creatives Program
PHOTO CAPTION
Johnson Community Support Initiative (JCSI), supported by The LEAP Bradford CIC, hosted its maiden Arts, Culture and Heritage (ACH) Creatives Workshop on April 3, 2025 at Higher Everyday British School (HEBS), Agbor, Delta State. Picture shows from left: Mrs. Faithful Imafidon, Administrator of HEBS, Dr. Raymond Imafidon, Proprietor/Director of HEBS, Mr. Frederick Apeji, Country Event Partner of the workshop, Pastor Mike Okoh, Lecturer in the Arts Department, University of Delta Agbor, Delta State, and Mr. Emmanuel Salihu, Chief of Staff at HEBS. At the occasion, JCSI presented a cheque of N50,000 in support of the students-led ACH Creatives Club of the school.