Agenda for Minister of Creative Economy, Art and Culture

Agenda for Minister of Creative Economy, Art and Culture

By Leah Nickaf

Nigeria’s creative art sector has always been a gold mine. It is vast and diverse, encompassing music, film, television, fashion, art, and other disciplines.

With a plethora of talented youths across the country performing exceptional wonders in various sectors of the economy, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s decision to create the Ministry of Creative Economy, Art and Culture is roundly welcomed.

But for Hajiya Hannatu Musa Musawa, the pioneer Minister of the Creative Economy, Art and Culture Ministry, a lot is expected from her if the vision of Mr. President for Nigeria’s creative industry must be actualized. The Katsina State-born Minister, however is a woman that seems to know her onions.

Recently, she outlined her plan to transform Nigeria into Africa’s creative, cultural and entertainment capital. At a press briefing, while assuming office, she said her goal is to deliver a national strategy that supports President Tinubu’s plan to double the national economy to $1tn within eight years.

She said, As demonstrated by the bold decisions made thus far by the President, this administration has a transformative agenda that has the Nigerian people at its core. The developments planned in the creative space will reflect this by ushering in a new era where the government engages with, and supports the extensive talent in the country in building a vibrant sector on par with global cultural capitals.

“Dubbed Destination 2030, the initiative aims to unify all the sectors in the space under a single vision: To position Nigeria as Africa’s creative, cultural and entertainment capital. The reach will be fully inclusive, from literature, music and film to design, visual Arts and heritage, everything will be in focus and appropriately deployed in promoting Nigeria’s cultural identity on a global scale”.

According to Musawa, a robust creative and cultural economy can be a significant catalyst for growth and presents an opportunity for Nigeria to leapfrog its current development trajectory.

“By implementing the plan, the sector has the potential to become a substantial contributor to the country’s economic growth, contributing meaningfully to the national GDP and creating much-needed jobs for talented youth in the sector.

“Nigerian artists such as Burnaboy, Asake and Wizkid, curators like Tokini Peterside and Nike Okundaye, as well as writers like Teju Cole and Helon Habila, plus artisans, and other contributors to the sector, are all already exporting our vibrant culture to the world”.

Musawa said, “Nigeria sits at an inflexion point where our global cultural impact is at an all-time high, combined with a new progressive administration, the time is now to support the talent and institutions that power the cultural, entertainment and creative economy.

“Afrobeats and Nollywood are now firmly part of global pop culture and we have “greats” and contemporary talent in almost every part of the space. For example, in Visual Arts, we of course have Enwonwu and the masters of the Oshogbo School who have been global legends for decades, but today we also have Rom Isichei, William Chechet and many others that are carving out a place for themselves in the Art world.

“Through public-private partnerships and funding initiatives, the focus will be on implementing strategies, educational opportunities and spaces that remove existing barriers to growth for individuals and industry.

“The work being done on the development of MOWAA and the partnerships with various blue chip private sector platforms including renowned architects, Adjaye Associates, provides an excellent example of collaboration.

“The Benin Bronzes continue to fascinate the world and have arguably become part of global artistic heritage, the issue of how best to ensure their continued mass appreciation while recognising their origins will be one of the top issues on our agenda.

“Nigeria has a rich, diverse documented heritage that dates back two millennia beginning with the Nok culture, from the latter parts of the middles ages to Pre Colonial times, there have been several ancient Kingdoms including Oyo, Katsina, Jukun & Kano, and more recently others like Bonny and Opobo.

“When this history is juxtaposed with the events that are happening today, what we see is a continuous cultural journey that has evolved and adapted, continuously providing a source of pride for indigenes and compelling interest for a global audience in a world that continues to grow increasingly smaller.

“What we have inherited would be a treasure trove for many countries around the world that seek to promote their brand, while we have not done enough in this regard. We aim to turn things around and ensure that this is indeed the beginning of a sustainable long-term ‘revival’, I am extremely excited about the possibilities that lie ahead”.

For the benefit of hindsight, Nigerian artistes are contributing significantly to the development of Africa’s creative industry, Madam Minister.

For instance, the Nigerian film industry, commonly referred to as Nollywood, is the second-largest film industry in the world in terms of output, behind only Bollywood in India. The industry is estimated to be worth over $3 billion. In 2018, the African television market was valued at $11 billion, with Nigeria accounting for more than half of the market share.

Nollywood produces over 2,500 films annually and employs more than a million people, directly or indirectly. The industry has also contributed significantly to Nigeria’s economy and cultural identity.

Again, the Nigerian music industry is the second largest in Africa, as it generates over $2 billion in revenue per year. Madam Minister, the Nigerian music industry is one of the most vibrant, exciting, and rapidly growing music scenes in the world. With a rich history spanning over a century, Nigeria’s music industry truly has evolved in many ways to become a symbol of Nigerian culture. It has also, become a major contributor to the country’s economy.

From traditional folk music to Afropop and hip-hop, the country’s music scene, Madam Minister, has become a global sensation. The Nigerian music industry, summarily is now home to some of the world’s most successful, iconic, and influential artists, with its influence soaring high.

To this end, it is fundamental that you help build a strong creative and cultural economy, as it is a key driver of growth and presents an opportunity to accelerate Nigeria’s development on a local and a global stage.

Taking into cognizance the fact that the creative economy is an economy of ideas, an economy of innovation, and an economy of invention in the digital age, Madam Minister please strive to prioritize skills development, through comprehensive training programs that will ensure all professionals within the economy are well-prepared to excel in their respective fields.

It is also expected that you will help fast-track the improvement, creation and implementation of policy frameworks that effectively stimulate increased revenue generation, job creation, and sustainable growth across the entire sector. A key part of that strategy is Intellectual Property Protection to safeguard the creations of artists and content creators, fostering innovation and creativity.

Madam Minister, one of the ambitions you should also have is elevating the Nigerian industries, comprising Art, Culture & Creative industries to rank among the top 20 globally in terms of GDP contribution, wealth creation, employment, and poverty reduction in line with the agenda 2050.

Through innovative strategies, technological integration, and enhanced market access, your target is to increase the value of sectoral outputs by 50%, in line with the 2021 to 2025 national development plan.

Equally, it will be pertinent if your Ministry prioritizes the integration of arts, culture, and creative content onto digital platforms, harnessing technology to create new revenue streams. Make efforts to facilitate the growth of a thriving business and support startups and entrepreneurs by establishing innovative hubs and incubators.

More importantly, under the RENEWED HOPE agenda of President Tinubu’s administration, Nigerians will be glad if you provide the tools needed to accelerate growth across all creative economy sectors.

To this end, citizens want you to deliver job opportunities and foster foreign partnerships and local collaborations that proudly exhibit our rich and unique national identity on a local and global stage, while also elevating our nation’s economic standing.

May our Almighty God be your strength as you implement your visions for the Nigerian creative industry, Madam Minister!

Leah Nickaf, is a 300-Level student of Nasarawa State University, Keffi and wrote in via: [email protected]