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- Says industry reason Nigerians walk with shoulder high
- FG eyes N100bn contribution from sector – Minister
From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
The president, Bola Tinubu administration’s support for the creative and entertainment industry to take its rightful place as Africa’s creative powerhouse has been reassured to industry practitioners by Vice President Kashim Shettima.
He gave the assurance on Tuesday at the Art, Culture and Creative Economy Roundtable, hosted by the Federal Ministry of Art, Culture and Creative Economy at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The Vice President who said the the achievements of the industry is reason why Nigerians walk shoulder high abroad, also apologised to the stakeholders for the lack of interest shown by successive governments over the years.
Speaking to an enthusiastic audience that included veteran actors and other A-listed creative industry operators, Shettima also mentioned how Nigerian artists and creatives have continued to leave their mark on the global scene by winning accolades and generating foreign exchange profits.
Acknowledging the industry and its promoters for their roles in Nigeria’s development, he noted that most of the false narratives about the nation have been rectified due to the positive depictions of the nation in various artistic mediums, such as music, movies, and other creative works.
However, he assured the industry players that Tinubu would address previous negligence, of which the roundtable was a part, reiterating that the President is aware of the reality of the sector, particularly given that it is a vital one for the world economy.
“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 unrivaled creative powerhouse in Africa.
“Finally, I want to call on the gentleman seated here, the Honourable Minister of Economic Planning to kindly jack up, 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”, he said.
In presenting her roadmap to the roundtable, Minister of Art, Culture, and Creative Economy Hannatu Musawa revealed five specific goals to be met, one of which is the economic strategy, which intends to generate millions of employment and contribute 10% of the country’s GDP at about N100 billion.
She also presented the ministry’s goals and vision for the creative industry, some of which are captured in the “Destination 2023, Nigeria Everywhere” campaign, a soft power project designed to highlight Nigeria’s wealth of creative talent.
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 in tightening up our intellectual property reforms. A conducive environment, which 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 to 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 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 million of people positively.
On his part, Managing Director, Providus Bank, 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 is to institutionalise how it can be sustainable”, he said.
Akpani projected that the creative and entertainment industry could actually raise N250 billion by 2030.
The Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, Senator Ibrahim Hadejia, stressed that the Tinubu administration was committed to the development of 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 fielded questions from State House Correspondents, expressed enthusiasm about the opportunities that come with the government’s new initiative.
Legendary comedian, Atunyota Akpobome, popularly known as Ali Baba, noted that the reason the industry hasn’t gotten the support and attention it needs throughout the years is that people who could have made investments didn’t see its potential.
He, however, expressed the believe 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.
He, nonetheless, expressed optimism that the the Tinubu administration 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.
Another renown 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 he is aware she 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 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”, he said.
Dignitaries at the event included the Ministers of Labour and Employment,Simon Lalong and Budget and Economic Planning, Atiku Bagudu. The Director General of the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Charles Odii and representatives of partners in the project comprising, and Richard Mofe Damijo popularly known as RMD, Zack Orji, among others.
