The creativity of Nigerians has spawned a billion dollar sector which harbors great potential for even more growth within it. The energy and vibrancy of artists, filmmakers, and fashion entrepreneurs have made this possible, despite the fact that they have to work within a largely unstructured system. That lack of form and organization is what the Federal Government, in partnership with the Tony Elumelu Foundation, has now decided to address. A Memorandum of Understanding to this effect was signed by both parties on Tuesday.
Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, said at the signing ceremony that the MOU contained details relating to how the collaboration would work. The target for the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture and the Tony Elumelu Foundation, he said, was to make it easier for those in the creative industries to access finance for their enterprises, create an environment conducive enough for them to thrive in, and facilitate the collection of vital industry statistics which could be useful to potential investors in the sector. The minister also indicated that the government plans to establish a Creative Economy Task Force to come up with a clear picture of the current state of the creative industries. With the information obtained by the task force, a well-defined course of action will be fashioned and executed.
The ministry of information and culture will also be working with the British Council to actualize its plans for the creative industries. It had signed an MOU with the council in Edinburgh in August.
Mr. Mohammed tied the initiative to the ongoing push to boost Nigeria’s foreign exchange earnings. According to him, the partnership could make businesses in the creative industries generate more revenue locally and through the export of their products. He expressed the hope that the partnership would record appreciable achievements by the end of its first two years.
You might also like:
- FG Declares Additional Public Holiday for Eid al-Fitr Celebration
- SOTO Gallery Presents Charred Visions: Textures and Tensions
- Apply For The Chevening UK Scholarships Program 2022/2023
- ACT Foundation Changemakers Innovation Challenge 2021 For African Entrepreneurs | Apply Now
