Nigeria’s creative hub underway – FG

The Federal Government says plans are underway for the construction of the Nigerian Creative City, a one-stop hub for talent development and youth empowerment.

The Minister of Art, Culture and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Wednesday in Abuja.

According to Musawa, the project is part of initiatives conceived by the ministry to provide a platform to harness creative opportunities across the country for economic gains.

Musawa said, “We are talking about Nigerian Creative City, which I hope is going to be a one-stop shop for the 49 subsectors within the creative industry.

“So, within this creative city, all the sub-sectors can go there to demonstrate their abilities to create and, by so doing, also create jobs and boost tourism for increased contribution to national revenue.

“Although every single state is going to have the presence of the Ministry of Culture, Art and Creative Economy, the huge project of the creative city will be here in Abuja, the FCT.”

She noted that while the ministry is making efforts to “contribute to the economic expansion of our country,” industry players “have been able to organically grow the industry in a way that has given value to the industry and themselves.

“Government has to come in now to close all the gaps, to find the way that we can reposition this value to come back in. This is now where you see this $100 billion contribution already,” she said.

Musawa said the creative city is expected to offer development platforms in all genres of creativity in the arts, culture and entertainment industries, adding that the creative city would create job and business opportunities, and as well become Nigeria’s tourism hub.

According to her, the ministry will be working with state ministries to ensure that such hubs are replicated at state government levels.

“These incubators, these hubs, allow people within their community to go and record music, to go and do capacity building in their locality.

“In every single state, there is going to be a creative and cultural village that will also be able to house the specific and unique sub-sectors that the particular state tends to specialise in.

“So you have your cinemas, you have your arenas, you have your incubators, you have your museums, and I am working closely with the Minister of Tourism,” she said.

Musawa, however, urged Nigerian youths to shun activities that are capable of destabilising the country as no meaningful development could take place in an atmosphere of rancour.

She advised youths to embrace opportunities in the creative space, especially as the Federal Government was keen on ensuring that their Intellectual property rights were protected for maximum gains.

NAN