Creative Industry
Federal Ministry of Art and Culture to Partner with Anambra State on Preserving Nigeria’s Cultural Heritage
Cyril Ogar
The Federal Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism, and the Creative Economy (FMACTCE) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Anambra State Government to establish Renewed Hope Creative and Cultural Villages, preserving historic sites and promoting economic growth through tourism and job creation.
The partnership aims to restore historic sites, palaces, and monuments, while conserving their cultural significance, and strengthening local craftsmanship through skills development and resources for artisans.
During her visit to Anambra state on Friday, Minister Hannatu Musa Musawa thanked the state governor, Prof. Charles Chukwuma Soludo CFR, and the people of Anambra for receiving her.
Musawa said that the partnership was the beginning of a brighter and more prosperous future for the people of Anambra State and the entire nation.
“The creative and tourism industries must become the new oil of Nigeria because they exist in every community and hold immense potential. Flying over Anambra, one cannot help but notice its beauty—lush greenery and vibrant cities that promise great opportunity. This MOU is just the start of a journey that will boost our creative and tourism sectors and propel Nigeria toward a more dynamic and sustainable future.
Minister Musawa said that the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) which was about collaboration, will bring together the resources of the federal government with those of the states.
“No longer will we work in silos, as President Tinubu envisions a united approach. By combining federal investment, capacity-building, and resources with state-level initiatives, we can strengthen domestic tourism and expand our economy. Each state will be able to adapt the MOU to its own needs and priorities, while the federal government provides full support.
The minister also said that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s vision and mission recognise the creative and tourism industries as key players in Nigeria’s future.
“These sectors have the potential to boost our economy and create countless job opportunities. Job creation is at the heart of this vision, and the creative and tourism industries are uniquely positioned to absorb many people into the job market. They also play a crucial role in promoting our cities, advancing our culture, and showcasing Nigeria’s soft power to the world”.
Governor Chukwuma Soludo, who was represented by the Commissioner for Culture, Entertainment and Tourism, Mr Don Onyeji thanked the federal government for its intentional focus on the creative industry.
“The creative industry stands to make people happy, create more jobs, it is about entertainment, tourism, promoting our culture and all of that.
Governor Soludo loves the sector so much that you can see that tourism is being developed in the state. You visited the Solution Fun City and the governor has approved a tourism masterplan for the state. We are working on the Agulu Lake, Owerri Ezukala Lake and Waterfalls, Ogbunike Cave, Anam Beach, and we are proposing a City Park; that’s the first step. The rest is also to promote rural tourism like festivals and our rich culture. Anambra is number one, and we are happy to have the minister visit us On behalf of the state government, I can assure the federal government that we are ready to move with you”.
The collaboration will focus on establishing mixed-use cultural villages with creative hubs, art studios, and performance spaces. Historic sites and monuments will be restored and conserved, and local artisans will receive training and resources to enhance their skills. The initiative is expected to foster economic growth through tourism opportunities and job creation in the creative and cultural sectors.
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.
-
Featured7 years agoLampard Names New Chelsea Manager
-
Featured6 years agoFG To Extends Lockdown In FCT, Lagos Ogun states For 7days
-
Featured7 years agoChildren Custody: Court Adjourns Mike Ezuruonye, Wife’s Case To April 7
-
Featured7 years agoNYSC Dismisses Report Of DG’s Plan To Islamize Benue Orientation Camp
-
Featured5 years agoTransfer Saga: How Mikel Obi Refused to compensate me After I Linked Him Worth $4m Deal In Kuwait SC – Okafor
-
Featured7 years ago
Board urges FG to establish one-stop rehabilitation centres in 6 geopolitical zones
-
Sports4 years ago
TINUBU LAMBAST DELE MOMODU
-
News2 years agoZulu to Super Eagles B team, President Tinubu is happy with you
