The federal government has assured practitioners in the creative and entertainment industry of President Bola Tinubu administration’s support for the industry to assume its place as Africa’s creative powerhouse.
Vice President Kashim Shettima, who gave the assurance on Tuesday, November 21, at the Art, Culture and Creative Economy Roundtable, hosted by the Federal Ministry of Art, Culture and Creative Economy at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, also apologized to the industry for the lack of interest shown by successive governments over the years.
Vice President Shettima, who spoke to a well-attended gathering, which had some of the A-listed operators of the creative industry, including veteran actors, also noted that Nigerian artists and creatives have continued to make their marks on the world stage, winning awards and bringing in financial returns in foreign currencies.
Eulogizing the industry and its drivers for their contributions to Nigeria’s growth, Shettima said it was the positive portrayals of the country in the various creative works like movies, music and other works of arts that most of the negative narratives about the country have been corrected.
He, however, assured the industry of President Tinubu to remedy the past neglect, part of which was the roundtable convened, further assuring them that the President is in tune with realities in the industry, especially the fact that it is a critical segment of the global economy.
He said: “It is through your talents that we refused the caricatured image and unveiled the true essence of Nigeria’s creative minds. So on behalf of the Nigerian government, allow me to extend our profound and sincere gratitude.
“Thankfully, our President, my boss, is the architect of the nation’s entertainment hub and there’s a reason your industry refers to him as City Boy. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is not only cosmopolitan, a man of arts and culture, in tune with the realities of your industry, but he has also acknowledged your industry is a critical segment of the global economy.
“Your Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, this roundtable is an avenue for us to deliberate and recommit ourselves to fostering an environment that nurtures creativity, innovation, and inclusivity. More than ever, we see the need to amplify the voices of our creative minds and power our best talents, and harness the unbridled potential that lies within the pulse of Nigeria’s diverse cultural tapestry.
“This roundtable discussion isn’t just for us to chart a course that celebrates our past achievements, it is for us to pave the way for an even brighter, more inclusive, and prosperous future for Nigeria’s creative economy, for it is through such synergy that we shall continue to ascend to greater heights and cement Nigeria’s rightful place as the unrivalled creative powerhouse in Africa.
“Finally, I want to call on the gentleman seated here, the Honourable Minister of Economic Planning to kindly jack up, and quadruple the budget for the Ministry of Arts, Culture and Creative Economy.
“We are going to walk the talk, this is not empty verbosity, we will support you, we will create the enabling environment for you to excel. You have come this far in spite of us, not because of us. But “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is a man with the passion, zeal and commitment to redefine the meaning and concept of modern leadership. He’s a very decent man, I can give testimony to that. Let’s rally around him and move our nation forward.”
Minister of Art, Culture and Creative Economy, Barr Hannatu Musa Musawa, while introducing her roadmap to the roundtable, unveiled five targeted objectives to be achieved, one of which is the economic plan, which aims to create millions of jobs and contribute 10% of the nation’s GDP, at about N100 billion.
She also unveiled the ministry’s vision and agenda for the creative sector, which is partly encapsulated in the ‘Destination 2023, Nigeria Everywhere’ initiative – a soft power programme to showcase Nigeria’s abundant talents in the creative sector.
According to the minister, the plan is to firmly establish Nigeria as the leading global hub for arts, culture and creativity, noting that “with this initiative, we are going to change the narrative about Nigeria globally.”
“Our vision is built upon five key pillars, the first; Policy, Legislative, Regulatory Intellectual Property Reforms. We understand that in order for us to bring authenticity back to the sector, we must create security and that is by tightening up our intellectual property reforms. A conducive environment, that encourages growth and investment, one which enables all players to participate fairly, is the crucial 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 as Nigerians are actually open for business, secure and safe business.
“Cultural Plan, number two; we are committed to what deep dive into every creative sub-sector from the finest works of excellence, to the realms of music, and even gaming. We understand the power of culture, to unite and inspire, and we intend to truly and fully harness it to its fullest potential.
“Three, Economic Plan: We have developed an extremely robust economic plan, aimed at creating millions of jobs, supported by comprehensive skills training programs. Our objective is to contribute 10% of the nation’s GDP, expanding the sectoral GDP to a remarkable N100 billion by the year 2030.
“However, since we have the support of the great Director himself, to give us the sort of support I think we can push ourselves further to see if we can leap-frog to reach that N300 billion benchmark by 2030”, she said.
Special Assistant to the President on Digital and Creative Economy, Fegho John Umunubo, expressed hope that the target to realise N100 billion by 2030 was achievable.
While speaking, Chief Executive Officer, Prembly, Mr Lanre Ogungbe, said Nigeria’s creative industry was one of most vibrant all over the world.
He, therefore, expressed hope that the industry could impact millions of people positively.
Managing Director of Providus Bank, Mr Walter Akpani, said the industry had not only been creative “in creating jobs” and projected a new image of recognition for the country across the world but also brought foreign exchange.
What we need to do, he added, is to institutionalise how it can be sustainable.
He projected that the creative and entertainment industry could actually raise N250 billion by 2030.
The Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, Senator Ibrahim Hassan Hadejia, said the Tinubu administration was committed to the development of the art and creative industry because of its interconnection with job creation.
Speaking on their expectations from the roundtable, some of the practitioners in the sector, who spoke to journalists at the venue of the event, expressed excitement at the prospects that are expected from the government’s new drive.
Legendary comedian, Atunyota Akpobome, popularly known as Ali Baba, said the industry has not received the sort of support and attention it required over the years, just because those who could have invested failed to see the potential of the sector.
He, however, expressed the belief that with the coming of the current administration and the new plans outlined for the sector, the time has come for the operators to make more out of it and expect more great things to happen.
Also, popular actor, Yul Edochie, said the economic target set by the Minister and the plan to contribute more than N100 billion to the economy was achievable, noting that Musawa whom he knows does not say what she does not mean.
Talking about the administration’s plans for the creative industry, Edochie said” “I mean, you heard the Vice President. These are not people that we cannot reach, we call on them, and then they come up, they come out and see us. I mean, what more do we expect?
“We have issues, we tabled before them. That is how to run a country, not the kind of leaders that you call on and you don’t see them. They just hide somewhere and lead you from wherever you don’t know.”
