Creative Industry
Nigeria and Switzerland Take First Steps Toward Artifact Repatriation and Cultural Cooperation
By Joel Ajayi
The Nigerian Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism, and Creative Economy has initiated discussions with the Swiss government on the repatriation of Nigerian artifacts currently held in Swiss museums, including significant monoliths and bronze works. The talks also aim to establish broader cultural cooperation between the two nations.
During a courtesy visit to the Honourable Minister, Hannatu Musa Musawa Esq., in Abuja on Friday, the Swiss Ambassador to Nigeria, H.E. Patrick Felix Egloff, expressed Switzerland’s readiness to engage in bilateral agreements focused on cultural diplomacy and restitution.
“This is the first time a Swiss Ambassador is meeting with a Nigerian Minister of Art and Culture. We are very interested in developing institutional cooperation with the Ministry, and we believe the restitution of these artifacts presents a strong opportunity to strengthen our partnership,” Ambassador Egloff stated.
According to the Ambassador, the process of returning the artifacts began three years ago. He noted that Switzerland intends to return several bronze pieces through the Nigerian Embassy before the end of the year.
In her response, Minister Musawa expressed appreciation for the Swiss government’s efforts and highlighted the significance of reclaiming cultural artifacts as part of preserving Nigeria’s heritage.
“This meeting marks an important milestone in deepening our cultural ties,” she said. “It is crucial for Nigeria to recover these valuable artifacts, and we look forward to broader discussions on what the restitution process will look like.”
The Minister also emphasized the importance of exploring new avenues of cooperation in areas such as animation, design, architecture, hospitality, and tourism.
“We’re excited about the potential for collaboration beyond artifact repatriation,” she added. “Engaging with the Swiss Minister of Culture will be key as we explore joint initiatives across creative and cultural sectors.”
Both parties agreed to continue their dialogue and explore long-term opportunities for collaboration in arts and culture. The meeting builds on existing diplomatic efforts and reflects the shared commitment of both nations to enhancing cultural relations.
Creative Industry
FG Backs MyCityApp Launch of 100-Day Tourism Calendar to Drive $100bn Economic Growth
Joel Ajayi
The Federal Government has thrown its weight behind the launch of MyCityApp, a Nigerian city discovery and tourism platform designed to aggregate festivals, concerts, cultural events and lifestyle experiences into a single digital calendar.
The platform, which flags off the 100-Day Tourism Calendar, was unveiled on Monday at the Ember2Remember National Stakeholders’ Conference in Victoria Island, Lagos, with the initiative targeting Nigeria’s estimated $100 billion tourism and creative economy opportunity.
In a statement issued on Tuesday in Abuja by the Media and Publicity Adviser to the Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, Nneka Ikem Anibeze, the ministry said the conference was aimed at mobilising public and private stakeholders to transform the September-to-December festive period into jobs, investment and economic growth.
Speaking at the unveiling, the Minister, Hannatu Musa Musawa, said millions of visitors travel across Nigeria every year to celebrate, reconnect and experience the country’s diverse culture, stressing that the festive season could be deliberately organised and monetised to strengthen tourism’s contribution to the economy.
“This initiative is about moving beyond the traditional concept of a festive season. It is about deliberately organising, packaging, promoting, and monetising one of the most economically active periods in our national calendar,” Musawa said.
She noted that every visitor generates economic activity across several sectors, including aviation, transportation, hospitality, restaurants, entertainment, retail, technology, artisans and local communities.
The Minister commended MyCityApp Chief Executive Officer, Mrs Ifeoma Chukwu, for her vision and commitment to the initiative.
She urged state governments, event organisers, tourism operators, hospitality businesses and other stakeholders to list their festivals, concerts, exhibitions, food experiences, cultural celebrations, fashion and sporting events on the national calendar.
Musawa said the platform would enable Nigerians, members of the diaspora and international visitors to discover tourism and entertainment experiences across the country from a single, credible source.
Earlier, Chukwu said Nigeria’s rich cultural heritage and creative sector provided enormous opportunities for tourism-driven economic growth.
She cited the contributions of tourism to the economies of countries such as Spain, France and the United States, arguing that Nigeria could equally build a $100 billion tourism economy.
Also present were Lagos State Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Toke Benson-Awoyinka; Enugu State Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Ugochi Madueke; NCAC Director-General, Obi Asika; National Gallery of Art Director-General, Ahmed Sodangi; ARCON Director-General, Dr Olalekan Fadolapo; and MTN Nigeria CEO, Dr Karl Toriola.
MyLagosApp and MyCityApp will serve as the digital engines of the calendar, distributing events through a 360-degree media ecosystem to audiences in Nigeria and the diaspora.
Stakeholders were encouraged to upload their events on MyCityApp to participate in the national tourism calendar urging them to upload events on http://www.MyCityApp.io.
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