The Federal Government of Nigeria is planning to create a whopping 10% of the country’s Gross Domestic Product from entertainment and creative industries by expanding the sector’s GDP to $100bn by tge year 2030.
The Minister fir Art, Culture and Creative Economy, Hanatu Musawa, made this known in Abuja on Thursday when she hosted a roundtable of creative industry stakeholders at the State House in Abuja.
Vice President Kashim Shetima was the Special Guest at the event which had a number of culture agency heads as well as heads of guilds and associations in attendance.
It was Musawa’s first major direct interaction with stakeholders in the sector after her appointment was rocked with allegations that as a serving youth corp member, she might be unwittingly breaking the law by earning a salary as Minister
while also drawing an allowance from the National Youth Service Corps.
It is not clear whether the Minister, who was first appointed as a Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu in July, has formally concluded her national service.
At the roundtable, Musawa said the federal government would work towards ensuring a conducive environment that would allow growth and investment in the creative sector.
“Today, we stand ready to share our vision for the creative sector, a vision that you may have glimpsed in the summary of our strategic blueprint published last month. Our vision is built upon five key pillars.
“We want a conducive environment, which encourages growth and investment. One that enables all players to participate fairly is the critical foundation we require. By protecting creative rights, intellectual property, and economic rights, we hope to send the right signal to our talents, investors, and the world that we are open for business.
“We are committed to a deep dive into every creative sub-sector, from the finest works of excellence to the realms of music and gaming. We understand the power of culture to unite and inspire, and we intend to harness it to the fullest.
“We have developed a robust economic plan aimed at creating millions of jobs, supported by comprehensive skill training programs. Our objective is to contribute 10% to the nation’s GDP expanding sectorial GDP5 to a remarkable $100 billion by the year 2030.
“Recognising the importance of the private sector, we are fostering greater participation and collaboration. We are shifting our focus any focusing on just financing to providing comprehensive ecosystem support to nurture and amplify your creative endeavours and businesses.
“Finally, Destination 2030, Nigeria Everywhere – We have created a brand that will unite us across all initiatives as both our overall strategic directions and our soft power initiative. Destination 2030, Nigeria Everywhere will promote our culture and showcase our creators to the world, establishing Nigeria as the leading global hub for arts, culture, and creativity. We believe that Nigeria’s cultural influence should transcend borders, and we are committed to making it a reality.
“As we embark on this transformative journey together, let us remember that each one of you, with your creativity and passion, is an indispensable part of this narrative. Our collective efforts will not only make Nigeria the world’s creative capital but also enrich the lives of our people and inspire generations to come.”
Vice-President Shetima also assured the stakeholders that the Tinubu administration would not pay lip service to the creative sector but will ensure “that it gets all the support it requires.”
Notable stakeholders like President of the Director’s Guild of Nigeria (DGN), Dr. Victor Okhai; former Culture Commissioner in Delta State and foremost actor, Richard Mofe-Damijo and Zach Orji, among others, spoke to commend the initiative while urging the Minister to walk the talk since the industry has always heard of similar promises from successive governments.
