‘We have strategic roadmap for creative industry’

The Minister of Art, Culture and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa Musawa, has said the creative industry is a viable option that can help to diversify the economy.

Musawa made this known at the 2024 retreat of the ministry and its agencies, which has as theme “Driving Creativity and Innovation towards Destination 2030.” The retreat held at the main conference hall of the Federal Ministry of Education, Abuja.

She said the country and the capital city are working towards improving and constructing new artistic infrastructures. These efforts are expected to enhance the overall artistic scene and provide more opportunities to aspiring artists in the country.

Musawa also revealed that there are exciting international collaborations underway between the United Arab Emirates and Qatar governments. These collaborations aim to exchange cultural exports and strengthen investment ties between the two nations.

“I do think we have a strategic roadmap that will be able to help us realise those two million jobs that we talked about. These two million jobs are going to cut across the country. We’ve already started trying to see capacity building, putting different industries together within the sub-sector. This particular industry has about 49 different sub-sectors, and within these sub-sectors are art, craft, music, film, the animation. We’ve come up with different programs that will be able to provide those two million jobs by 2027.

“Destination 2030 is a global initiative that is going to reposition Nigeria on a global stage. This is rebranding and reintroducing Nigeria, using the arts and the culture. Inwards, the jobs we’re talking about, with the infrastructures we are currently working on will create jobs. Infrastructures like the cinemas, the opportunities within the hubs, and the incubators will be in every single zone at the start and then will be in every single state.

And hopefully, we can extend that to every senatorial district.” She added: “We have an initiative called CLAP that will help people in the creative industry find job placements nationally and internationally. It will launch in the second week of May. We are also investing in cultural expansion internationally and hope to work with the UAE and Qatar governments to showcase our culture and draw investment.”