ARTS EDUCATION ADVANCEMENT AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN AFRICA

Abstract

The Arts education has consistently been proclaimed as the bedrock to economic development due to its focus on skills training, (self) employment avenues and economic impacts on Gross Domestic Product of economics. No serious minded economic policy formulators and administrators at modern times can afford to undermine education, art education, internal economic structure (micro economy), the arts and the need for diversification. This paper is therefore designed to review literature on economy and the arts, analyse the importance of arts, education and economy, the role of arts education on economic development in Africa. It posited that arts and social science are very important aspects of our education and should not be treated otherwise but should be given premium like other subjects in the curriculum of schools. Conclusively, the paper is of the view, Africa possesses enormous human resources, talented and artistic man power; what the continent needs is viable and consistent educational programmes and the strengthening of the arts both the institutional and its practice.