In fact, consciousness is SO important that...
All of existence is meaningless without consciousness in it...
It is consciousness that gives everything meaning and value...
Consciousness gives us the oppty to look for or assign meaning to things, indeed, but I think that death (the fact that all of us at one time didn't exist, and at some time in the future will again cease to exist) also gives everything meaning and value. I think that few immortals would ever ask "why am i here? what does life mean"?