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Tag: creative sector

  • ‘Nigeria’s creative sector targets 3 million jobs, hits $100bn by 2030’

    ‘Nigeria’s creative sector targets 3 million jobs, hits $100bn by 2030’

    The Director-General, National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC), Obi Asika, has said Nigeria’s creative and cultural industries are leading Africa’s entertainment growth, with the sector projected to reach $100 billion by 2030.

    He said the latest PwC report placing Nigeria ahead of other African nations with an 11.2% growth rate last year reaffirmed the strength and potential of the country’s entertainment and media ecosystem.

    Asika, who spoke on Arise News at the weekend, said: “I think the PwC numbers are saying $25 billion by 2025, but for us in the sector, we’re trying to get to $100 billion by 2030.

    “We just completed a significant mapping of the sector for the very first time, supported by Big Win Philanthropy, covering ten sectors. Our target is to add two million jobs by 2030, but the data shows we can actually add up to three million.”

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    He noted that the report underscored how the creative industry continues to lead Nigeria’s economy even in difficult times, noting that technology remains the key driver of scale.

    “Technology enables scale, but can you imagine a digital platform without our content? It’s dead. This sector animates everything — news, music, entertainment, podcasts, art — all come from it. That’s why these PwC numbers and even Spotify’s figures show how powerful the sector has become,” he said.

    Asika disclosed that Spotify paid Nigerian artists N58 billion in 2024, with over 1.2 million Afrobeats playlists hosted on the platform — a sign, he said, that Nigerian content has fully validated itself on the global stage.

    “Our music is no longer in the phase of validation — it’s already validated,” he added.

    He however warned that to sustain the boom, Nigeria must invest in infrastructure, regulation, and local platforms to ensure artists and creators benefit directly.

    “We want to see more domestic digital platforms built. There’s nothing wrong with YouTube, TikTok, or Instagram, but we must develop our own ecosystem and capture our own value.

     “The key question is retaining that value domestically. A mix of policy, digital and physical infrastructure investment will take us there,” he added.

    Highlighting Nigeria’s immense creative talent, Asika said soft power through the arts had already proven its worth globally.

    “Nigerians need to be celebrated. Our creativity has penetrated everywhere with very little investment. Government can’t claim to have done much yet — maybe we’re just coming to the party.

    “There’s talent everywhere — in Kafanchan, Onitsha, Enugu, Kaduna, Ibadan — not just in Lagos or Port Harcourt. The question is how to create platforms and give opportunities for exposure and growth,” he said.

    On the forthcoming National Festival of Arts and Culture (NAFEST), holding between November 22nd and 29th in Enugu State, he said:

    “Come to Enugu, he said, “Governor Peter Mbah has promised it will be the biggest and best ever. We’re expecting all 36 states and the FCT, and Katsina is even bringing 100 horses for the first-ever Durba in the Southeast.

    “People don’t even realise that the Durba is the same as the Ofala or Ojude Oba — moments when the king comes out to greet his people. That’s why our theme this year is Connected Culture.”

    Asika expressed excitement about the recently reopened National Arts Theatre in Lagos, describing it as a game-changer for the sector.

     “It’s a world-class venue, and once programmed properly, it’ll transform the landscape. My colleague Tola Akerele already has nine months of programming lined up, and from November 1st, you’ll start seeing what’s coming,” Asika said.

  • Stakeholders call for funding of creative sector

    Stakeholders call for funding of creative sector

    Critical stakeholders from culture and creative industry rose from a two-day summit urging Federal Government to prioritise creative economy funding to boost the sector’s expansion for economic growth.

    The summit with the theme: Harnessing the Power of Creativity for Economic Growth, held in Abuja last week,  brought together government officials, private sector representatives and international partners who deliberated on strategies for promoting culture and creative economy sector. Participants acknowledged the sector’s potential to heal and bond the nation, create jobs, and drive local and global opportunities.

    The Minister of Arts, Culture and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa Musawa who also called for adequate funding of the sector, unveiled the ministry’s Renaissance Project, a comprehensive initiative aimed at revitalising the creative economy across all states. She also outlined the ministry’s strategies for securing funding at every stage, emphasising the need for increased investment in the sector.

    “With proper investment, the creative sector has the potential to surpass oil as the primary driver of the nation’s economy,” she said.

    The minister also pledged her commitment to making the culture sector profitable and a significant contributor to the nation’s GDP. 

    Director-General National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC), Mr. Obi Asika stressed the need for partnering private sector and digital platforms to  create products and merchandise for hundreds of young Nigerian creative, influencers,  festivals, sports clubs, schools and more as ‘we work to create the environment for monetisation.’

    Asika also unveiled the agency’s roadmap, highlighting key components, as well as NCAC’s vision and strategy for driving growth in the creative sector.

    Presentations at the summit focused on several new initiatives, including the Creative Leap Accelerator launched in July for the creative industries, which aligned closely with ICE, the NCAC capacity building platform and network of national hubs in partnership with the Isn Hubs.

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    Origins; a global digital platform showcasing Nigeria’s history and culture from inception working with Playhouse Communications one of Nigeria’s leading digital agencies, and NCAC core partnerships with Mefa for Performance Venues across Nigeria, which will kick off in the next few weeks as well as a co-production partnership between the NCAC and Pure Imagination and Filmworks Ltd, the franchise holders for the Nigeria’s Got Talent format. The show will go live in 2025 and will become one of the largest talent discovery platforms in the world. The summit also featured presentations from partners such as TBWA, one of the largest advertising agencies in the world showcasing new approaches to NAFEST, INAC and other flagship programmes.

    The forum of Commissioners and representatives of the states through permanent secretaries and state directors were all involved in interactive deliberations where the formats and programmes were agreed and unanimously passed.

    A communique issued at the end of the summit emphasised the importance of effective government funding, adoption of digital platforms and organisation of NCAC’s flagship programmes to meet global standards.

    The rebranded and expanded summit was formerly known as the National pre-summit for the National Festival for arts and Culture and the International Arts and Crafts Expo, the flagship programmes of the council.