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By Sunday Ani
The Director General, Nigeria Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) Chief Folorunsho Coker has said that the creative and culture industries in Nigeria were responsible for a composite of 10 to 15 million jobs ranging from the performance arts to architecture, fashion, film, radio, television, hotel and hospitality, publishing, advertising and digital marketing sectors among others.
Noting that there is a link between culture, the creative industries and tourism, he posited that apart from agriculture, they remained the largest employers of labour not only Nigeria but also across the globe.
He made the statement in a position paper titled: “Enhancing Tourism Through The Creative Industries,” where he argued that the convocation of a global conversation on linking tourism, culture and creative industries as pathways to recovery and inclusive development, was informed by the need for a recalibration in approach.
He said the global tourism event which will be held in Lagos between November 14 and 16 at the National Arts Theatre in Iganmu, would witness participation from a wide range of tourism actors and stakeholders from across the world.
Coker said in the paper: “The nexus between culture, the creative industries and tourism has been one, which we have engaged boldly at the Nigeria Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), which I have been privileged to lead in over half a decade and it has inspired both our meditations on this close interconnections and the conception of a number of programmes. These include Tour Naija and Nigerian Flavours among others, which were designed to bolster domestic and inbound tourism in the country.
“As such, it is quite inspiring to be part of a broader and international conversation on how to advance the frontiers of this practice, under the leadership of the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture, and at this crucial period in the history of our country, and the world at large.
“It goes without much saying that the world has been hugely impacted and disrupted by the advent of natural phenomena, including COVID-19, and climate change, with the former having occasioned highly palpable effects on the global economy, which until the recent reversals, had seen to the loss of as much as 80 percent of the value in many sectors. This occurred across a chain of industries, such as those involved in creativity and hospitality, among others.”
The NTDC DG noted that a vital part of the response for recovery had been the identification of the vast potentials in the connection between tourism, culture and creative industries, and the huge promise they hold for generating and sustaining economic activity.
He added that it was the same understanding that made the 74th General Assembly of the United Nations to declare 2021 as the ‘International Year of Creative Economy for Sustainable Development.’
He noted that in describing the reinforcing capabilities of the creative and culture industries for global economic recovery within the frame of tourism, the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) described the creative economy and creative industries as part of the solution, since they offer an immense potential for growth, innovation and product diversification within the tourism ecosystem.
“The case for a greater leveraging of the creative and culture industries as a crucial flank of economic recovery is hinged on the compound value of $2.3 trillion that it generated, which constitutes about three percent of the world’s GDP.
“And, the value of creative goods in the global markets rose to $509 billion in 2015 from $208 billion in 2002, highlighting the potential of the creative sector as an engine room of economic growth.
“This is buttressed by the fact that no less than 40 percent of international tourist visits are driven by the need for culture- related experiences which the creative sector is a crucial aspect.
“As such, the culture and creative industries are a prospective catalyst of significant recovery and a resurgent global economy. This is evident in the more recent strengthening of demand for products of the sector, as in the expanding array of newer and more appealing offerings coming out of the sector. Hence, there is the necessity of rethinking the policy outlay and designing novel approaches to enhancing the capabilities of the sector,” he said
Coker added that Nigeria has one of the largest and most popular creative industries in the world with an explosion of creative forms from movies to music, even as he stressed that the performance and visual arts are certainly the most appropriate location for the contemplation of newer pathways or approaches to a recovery that links tourism to culture and the creative industries.
“The numbers also bear witness to this, with the country’s movie industry, Nollywood, which is now one of the most sophisticated globally, being valued at close to $7 billion in 2021, and producing over 2,500 titles annually, the Nigerian music industry has been described as the second best-performing entertainment and media consumer market worldwide.
“This is hinged on the innovation of its many genres, seeing to the massive boom of a category like Afro-beats. And equally attesting to the extensive degree of its appeal, digital platforms have revealed that Nigerian music has crossed the billion streaming figure, motivating major international recording labels and publishing companies to seek entry into the market to partake in this colossal creative and business flourishing.
“The crosscutting allure of Nigerian music is as evident today as it was when I shaped a cultural narrative out of it in the earlier part of my public career on the sub-national level, when I created and directed the ‘One Lagos Fiesta.’ This remains, possibly, the largest festival of music and arts hosted across multiple locations in Africa’s foremost megacity.
“Beyond Music and entertainment, Nigeria has some of the greatest cultural creative assets, one of which is gastronomic, which in itself is a prime driver of tourism, both domestic and inbound. Food is a major motive for destination travel and a crucial part of the tourist experience, hence the notion of food or culinary tourism. This has become a significant area of economic activity, which generated $1,116.7 billion globally in 2019, and is estimated as earning $1,797.5 billion by 2027, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 16.8% between 2020 and 2027.
“The great possibilities around Nigeria’s vital cultural assets, as mentioned earlier, was a key factor in the design of the strategy around domestic tourism that led to the Tour Naija Programme, and it’s Nigerian Flavours subset at the NTDC.
“The latter has actively created awareness around the country’s culinary assets. This has not just been a platform for showcasing nostalgia, but more importantly, it is a continuous opportunity for creating backward and forward linkages between the various operators in the Nigerian food industry, towards enhancing a more virile economy,” he said.
