By Sunday Ani
In a move to revamp Nigeria’s creative economy, the Federal Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy has entered into a five-year partnership with Ananse Internet Group to establish a national network of design and innovation hubs.
The partnership, sealed through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), officially kick-starts the Ananse Centre for Design, with the first hub to be launched in Lagos later this year.
The initiative, according to the Ministry, aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and is expected to drive economic diversification, job creation and youth empowerment through the fashion, leather and digital storytelling value chains.
The Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa Musawa, who spoke at the ceremony, described the partnership as a bold step in bridging creativity, technology and entrepreneurship for national development.
She said: “This partnership with Ananse is a strategic move that embodies the spirit of the Renewed Hope Agenda. It is about investing in our creative talent and giving them the tools to thrive, compete globally and contribute meaningfully to the economy.”
Under the agreement, the Ministry is expected to provide policy guidance, funding and infrastructure in select locations, while Ananse will deploy its technical expertise, digital platforms and internationally certified training modules to run the centres.
The first creative hub is expected to open in Lagos in the second half of 2025 and will serve as a prototype for similar centres to be rolled out across the six geopolitical zones. The centres will target young creatives and micro, small and medium-scale enterprises (MSMEs), especially women and youth-led businesses.
The programme is projected to train and support over 5,000 individuals in various aspects of fashion design, leatherwork, business development and digital commerce. Beneficiaries will also be linked to Ananse’s cross-border e-commerce platform to access international fashion and creative markets.
The Ministry and Ananse also disclosed plans to jointly conduct research and gather data to inform policy decisions that will enhance the growth and regulation of Nigeria’s creative industries.
A joint committee will be set up to oversee implementation and monitor key performance indicators, including the number of creatives trained, start-ups launched, jobs created and local-global industry collaborations.
With the partnership, government officials said Nigeria was taking a concrete step toward positioning itself as a continental hub for creative excellence and digital innovation.