The Federal Government of Nigeria has unveiled a cardinal plan to generate $100 billion from the country’s creative economy.
Hannatu Musawa, Minister of Art, Culture, and the Creative Economy, introduced the initiative on Wednesday during a roundtable event in Lagos, attended by both local and international investors.
Musawa emphasized that the plan aims to create over two million jobs annually while outlining an 8-point strategy to drive growth in the sector.
According to her, the roadmap has the potential to achieve both financial and employment targets if fully implemented.
Key elements of the plan include “Nigeria Destination 2023,” a national initiative aimed at unifying efforts to grow the arts, culture, and creative economy.
The strategy also focuses on skills development, policy frameworks, governance, strategic partnerships, and fostering a business-friendly environment. Cultural heritage preservation and sectoral growth targets are also priorities.
Despite the creative industry’s vast potential, it currently contributes only $5 billion to Nigeria’s economy.
The industry encompasses music, film, visual arts, fashion, publishing, video gaming, and other sub-sectors.
To boost growth, Musawa revealed 14 key initiatives that are organized under four pillars: technology, infrastructure and funding, international culture promotion, and intellectual property monetization.
These initiatives aim to increase the sector’s contribution to government revenue by $10 billion to $20 billion.
The minister highlighted several projects under these pillars, including a digital content creation tool accessibility program, a nationwide content distribution initiative, and efforts to improve internet access in underserved areas.
Plans for infrastructure development and funding include public-private partnerships, investment incentives, and a creative accelerator program for industry startups.
Musawa also emphasized the importance of promoting Nigerian culture internationally, working with Nigerian embassies and leveraging the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AFCTA) to enhance the export of creative outputs.
Additionally, the ministry aims to establish globally recognized collection management organizations and enhance copyright enforcement in collaboration with the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
The government projects that Nigeria’s creative economy could expand by 400% by 2027, with several initiatives and partnerships already launched to drive progress.
Among these are the Creative Leap Acceleration Program, infrastructure projects like the Digital and Immersive Art Centre, and creative hubs across the country.
In a move to support job creation in the sector, the ministry has partnered with BigWin Philanthropy, an international development organization, to implement a comprehensive capacity-building strategy.
The event also featured a panel discussion with key officials, including Obi Azika, Director-General of the National Council for Arts and Culture; Faiz Imam, Principal Adviser to the Minister; and Aliyu Nuhu, Managing Director of the Nigerian Film Corporation.
