NIGERIA MINISTER: CREATIVE LEAP DIVERSIFIES NIGERIAN ECONOMY
Nigeria Minister: Creative leap diversifies Nigerian economy
Executive Editor of TRENDS media Syed Atique Hussain Naqvi had the opportunity to conduct a thought-provoking interview with Hannatu Musa Musawa, Nigeria’s Minister of Art, Culture, and the Creative Economy, focusing on Nigeria’s vibrant creative industry and the ambitious Destination 2030 initiative. Nigeria, known for its rich cultural mix and vibrant artistic expressions, is poised for a creative revival.
The Nigerian Ministry of Art and Culture is at the forefront of this transformation, spearheading initiatives to reclaim Nigeria’s global status as a creative and innovative destination.
This exclusive interview delves into the complexities of Nigeria’s creative landscape, from its rich artistic traditions to the growing current scene. Our discussion revolves around the visionary Destination 2030 initiative, a bold roadmap designed to revitalize Nigeria’s creative ecosystem and spark the flames of inspiration among its creators.
Q: What is the current situation in Nigeria regarding art, culture, and the creative economy, and why is it important?
Nigeria is actively working to diversify its economy beyond traditional sectors like oil. This includes exploring the blue and digital economies. A significant development in this diversification effort is establishing, for the first time in our history, a new ministry dedicated to developing the creative economy, arts, and culture. This focus is crucial not only for its potential economic contributions but also for enhancing Nigeria’s soft power through showcasing its arts and creative talents.
A: Despite global interest in Nigerian talent and arts, the lack of a solid regulatory and policy framework has been challenging. The ministry is now addressing this issue from ground zero, aiming to establish a solid foundation with the right policies and legal framework. This will not only attract investment but also protect Nigerian creatives.
Q: How are you collaborating with other ministries to promote Nigeria as a hub of art and culture, and what are the initiatives in place for this purpose?
A: The Ministry of Art, Culture, and Creative Economy is working with other ministries to promote Nigeria as a cultural and artistic hub. A key initiative in this regard is “Destination 2030.” This project aims to showcase Nigeria’s diverse cultural heritage and creative talents in a transformative manner. Nigeria is home to a rich tapestry of over 250 tribes and languages, as diverse as German and Japanese in their uniqueness. Destination 2030 seeks to leverage this diversity to reposition Nigeria’s global image, highlighting its film, music, fashion, and cultural strengths. Nigeria has a lot to offer, and it is one of the most diverse countries in the world.
The initiative is about showcasing diversity and using it as a unifying force, both within Nigeria and for the broader African and black communities worldwide.
The underlying message of Destination 2030 is the universal language of creativity, art, and culture, transcending ethnic and linguistic barriers. The initiative hopes to attract global attention by promoting these elements, fostering unity and a positive rebranding of Nigeria on the world stage. This strategy also includes collaboration with other sectors to integrate and enhance the impact of Nigeria’s cultural and creative offerings.
The power of messaging within the creative industry is tremendous and resonates deeply with people globally. Our strategy involves fortifying and regulating the industry from a bottom-up approach to bring back and enhance the value generated by Nigerian creators. We can only do that by offering the sort of securitization that the creators need to thrive.
Key to this strategy is focusing on intellectual property rights and revising copyright laws. These steps are crucial for providing creators with the necessary security and confidence to thrive. Additionally, the need for more supporting infrastructure for creatives is a significant concern that the ministry plans to address.
Another significant aspect of our approach is capacity building, which involves a range of initiatives designed to enhance skills and create jobs, especially for the younger demographic, is a priority. This aligns with the broader goals of the President’s administration, and one of the things that we’ve been tasked as a ministry is to focus on.
Destination 2030 is a realignment of Nigeria’s position on the global stage. This requires collaboration across different governmental sectors, particularly with the Ministry of Communication and Digital Economy, to provide the right digital tools, internet data, and the technology needed for the creators in the industry. We aim to enable creators to move through the value chain efficiently from creation to distribution.
Data collection and analysis are also crucial. We have engaged with consulting firms like BCG, McKinsey, and PwC and are looking at benchmark countries like South Korea, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Ghana, Rwanda, and South Africa. These countries have successfully leveraged their creative sectors for economic growth, and we plan to adapt their models to fit Nigeria’s unique context.
In essence, we aim to create a vibrant, well-supported, and globally competitive Nigerian creative industry that showcases our rich cultural heritage and significantly contributes to our national economy.
In our efforts to enhance Nigeria’s creative industry, we are looking at successful models from benchmark countries like Brazil and others that have effectively harnessed value from their creative sectors. By studying these examples and gathering extensive data within Nigeria, we aim to replicate their success in a way that suits our local context. This approach is crucial as we build from the ground up, starting from what I consider ‘Ground Zero.’
We will roll out several initiatives in the coming weeks and months as part of the implementation phase. These initiatives will focus on adding economic value and cultural expansion to export Nigerian culture globally. This also aligns with the Ministry of Tourism’s objectives, as these efforts will likely increase global interest in Nigeria, encouraging more people to come back and explore our rich cultural heritage.
Q: You’re talking about implementing initiatives and taking a bottom-up approach, which is critical for identifying young talent in schools and educational institutions. Do you have any initiatives that school children can identify?
A: Absolutely, we have plans for this. We are collaborating with the Ministry of Education to reintroduce certain areas of culture and creativity into the educational curriculum for young children. This integration will provide early exposure and learning opportunities in these fields.
Furthermore, we are proposing the establishment of creative hubs across Nigeria. These hubs will be accessible in various local communities, allowing individuals who might not have the opportunity to engage in creative activities at a national level to participate and develop their talents locally. We have already initiated a creative hub in Lagos and plan to replicate this model in other parts of the country. These hubs will serve as incubators for young talent, providing them with the resources and environment needed to flourish creatively.
We are committed to replicating the creative hub model throughout Nigeria. For example we started discussing replicating the project in Abuja. The goal is to establish these hubs in every state, ensuring that young people across the country have access to spaces where they can engage in creative activities like music, filmmaking, and other artistic endeavors. These hubs will play a crucial role in building capacity, enabling young talent to express themselves both nationally and globally.
Q: How do you plan to engage and involve the Nigerian diaspora in this journey, particularly in the United States, Canada, and the UK?
A: I will certainly shake hands with Nigerians in the diaspora. Working with industry professionals is one of the key strategies I’ve decided to implement. So, for example, many of the people I work with in the ministry are industry professionals who understand the industry’s current state and gaps. So, already, we’re working with them. Additionally, we are conducting direct stakeholder engagements in various communities across Nigeria, including major cities like Lagos, Benin, Abuja, Kano, and Port Harcourt. The purpose of these engagements is to involve creatives in these areas and gather their input on how the ministry should operate and the direction it should take. The spectrum is very broad. So, while we focus on music and film, we are aware that there are at least 49 sub-sectors.
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| Nigeria’s Minister of Art, Culture, and the Creative Economy Hannatu Musa Musawa |
Furthermore, we plan to establish an advisory council within the ministry, comprising members from the diverse spectrum of the creative industry. This council will focus on prominent sectors like music and film and the broader range of creative sub-sectors. During our stakeholder engagements in different states, we will invite industry professionals to participate in extensive discussions ranging from a few days to a week. Their feedback and suggestions will be crucial in shaping the industry’s future and the ministry’s policies, ensuring that the voices of Nigerian creatives are represented at the federal level. This inclusive approach is also designed to resonate with Nigerians in the diaspora, encouraging their participation and investment in Nigeria’s burgeoning creative sector.
The insights and inputs gathered from the stakeholder engagements and the advisory council will be directly conveyed to the Federal Executive Council. This ensures that their voices play a part in formulating policies for the industry. We aim to extend this participatory approach globally, especially in areas with a significant Nigerian diaspora presence. By conducting tours in Africa and other regions where Nigerians reside abroad, we plan to involve more creatives in shaping the foundation and structure of Nigeria’s creative industry.
Q: What are your goals and targets for the creative economy by 2030 or 2035? How significant will this creator economy be in the overall Nigerian economy, and what role will it play?
A: We have set a target to contribute at least $100 billion to increase Nigeria’s GDP by 2030. We’ve developed a robust and dynamic roadmap to achieve this, starting with fundamental aspects like building a solid foundation, IP security, and developing necessary infrastructure.
By next year, we aim to significantly contribute to the GDP, laying the groundwork for future growth. Our objective is to emulate the success seen in Nigeria’s telecoms industry, applying similar strategies to leapfrog the creative sector’s development by 2030. This includes addressing existing gaps and ensuring the global value generated by Nigerian artistry is brought back into the country, fostering more investment.
A key initiative in this vision is the development of the Abuja Creator City. We are going to build a whole city in Abuja that is specifically designed for creators. When I say creatives, I mean creatives not only in film or music but also in those sub-sectors that I mentioned, so it will be a one-stop shop where creators can come from all around the world. Nigeria can potentially be the world’s creative hub and Africa’s cultural center.
Q: Can you discuss your Davos discussions with global stakeholders about Nigeria’s creative industry plans and goals? How did they react to your efforts?
I’ve had very meaningful conversations with global leaders and potential investors here in Davos. As I previously stated, the creative industry has been somewhat neglected. Even though everyone knows it has potential, this is the first time a Nigerian government is proactively nurturing and tapping into this potential. We presented our roadmap and strategy to various global leaders, and the response has been very positive, with a strong interest in investing in Nigeria’s creative sector.
However, we recognize the need to demonstrate our commitment to creating a secure environment for these investments. By taking steps to provide the necessary securitization and confidence, we aim to attract and secure foreign investment. The next few weeks are crucial as we implement initial steps and demonstrate our commitment to this vision.
The anticipation is that with more investment and the rollout of our initiatives, we will bolster the confidence of the global ecosystem in Nigeria’s creative industry. This should encourage further investment and participation, adding significant value to Nigeria and aiding in repositioning it on the worldwide stage.
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