Creative Industry

NCAC, Stakeholders Looking Beyond COVID-19 Chart Way Forward For Creative Industry

Published

5 years ago

May 15, 2020

Joel Ajayi

At a time of huge uncertainty across all sectors, many are trying to understand the ongoing impact of COVID-19 on the workforce. In the creative industry, there is a particular ambition to understand what this looks like, with important features of the sector like public venues, Travel, Arts and Crafts, Museum and micro-businesses, particularly threatened by the pandemic.

While other sectors are battling on how to overcome the negative impact of this pandemic COVID-19, NCAC is already thinking outside the box by galvanizing all the stakeholders across the globe, strategizing on how the creative industry can flourish more after the pandemic.

The roadmap for setting a proper agenda and the way forward for creative industry in the country was undertaken at the inaugural Zoom conference meeting put in place by the National Council For Arts and Culture (NCAC) and various stakeholders, on Thursday, where every stakeholders home and abroad actively participated .

In their numbers, over 100 stakeholders are preparing for life after COVID- 19 that has dealt a major blow to all sectors in the world.

The meeting which provided to all stakeholders in the creative sector opportunity to chart the way forward for the sector, especially at this time of paralized country’s economy.

Participants include all stakeholders in the sector; the National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA) the Federation of Tourism Association of Nigeria (FTAN), NTDC, Actors, Actresses, media, visual Artist, National Art and Gallery, National Commission for Museum and Monument, Bangladesh Ambassador and all other captains of the industry actually made contributions that will soon forge the creative industry forward in the country.

The Convener, and Director- General of the NCAC , Otunba Olusegun Runsewe, stated that, the interest and the objectives of the meeting is to move creative industry forward and see how to inject more lives to the sector in Nigeria.

He said, creative industry is the greatest employer of labour in the country and has greatly been affected by the COVID-19.

According to him, COVID-19 has come, and damage has been done but how do we get out of it?

“The whole world is on zero tourism, its now left for us, to see how to come together and fix our own creative industry to the advantage of every Nigerians.

“One of the reasons for the Zoom conference meeting is to see how to make creative industry relevant, we must tell the world that we are doing something.

“There is need for creativity industry to think outside the box and we are ready to lift the face of creative industry in Nigeria.

“This programme is very key, the inaugural zoom conference meeting is to set agenda for Creative sector and the way forward.”

He, However lamented the non-recognition of tourism and culture sector on the part of the government saying, for the creative industry to grow, the leadership of the country must believe in culture by giving the needed attention.

Otunba Runsewe, therefore disclosed that, the brainstorming meeting is a continuous process that will be taking place every Saturday of the week, where different guest speakers will be present to discuss roadmap that will bring growth and development in the creative sector.

While Speaking the guest speaker, Mr Isreal Eboh, eloquently answered all the questions raised by all participants, assuring that better days are ahead of creative industry in Nigeria, if all hands are on deck.

He said :”Federal government should see creative industry as an alternative contributor to the Nigeria’s GDP, by creating Ministry of Culture, where policy, decision and budget can be drawn by culture professionals.

“We should stop decieving ourselves, in Nigeria, culture is not given the needed attention, that is why our cultures are not recognized.”

Making his contribution, A visual Artist, Idowu Sonaya lauded an idea of having database for all people involved in the sector, saying that, creative sector is capable of turning things around for the conntry, if palliative is given to sustain personnel involves.

“Let CBN make incentives available to the creative industry, let them remove collateral that remains an obstacle in assessing such incentives; the gallery owners, the arts and all other units need support to strive.

He equally suggested that the awareness and international support to market products, and avenue for proper broadcast of all the products should be put in place.

As for Fred Amata, he expressed that creative industry can make Nigeria a better place, if all stakeholders come together as one, he therefore sought for the support of everyone to ensure the sector take its place in the country.

Also, Mr Rockson Igelige, stated that physical display or gathering of people in spot might be difficult for now, saying that, there is need to be technology-driven, by ensuring the proper market, our product online. “It’s online that is reigning now, and we must begin to prepare our minds towards it.” He hinted.

Mr Igegile equally said that there is need for domestication of the creative industry law to reduce infringement and copyright; “We need to domesticate some of our laws, if we don’t do that, it will amount to copyright of our works.”

Some stakeholders as well, agreed that merging of agencies in the culture sector cannot proffer solution to the sector, but rather, the readiness of all stakeholders to take up new challenges remain the only antidote to the sector’s challenge in the country.

It would be recalled that, NCAC under the leadership of Otunba Runsewe have distributed countless of face masks, sanitizers to various media houses, Nigeria Police and rest of Nigerians as a way of showing support to many in the counry during the pandemic COVID-19 in the country.

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Creative Industry

THANK YOU MOM-Barr Hannatu Musa Musawa

Published

23 hours ago

October 29, 2025

The Gleamer

Written by Barr Hannatu Musa Musawa

…Every day I get to celebrate and honor being a mother, and honor my mother. Joining grateful children and mothers around the world to give gratitude and celebrate the special gift of motherhood is a priviledge.

I celebrate the blessing of motherhood every second of the day because it is the ultimate gift. I celebrate being a mother and having the most special mother every moment and want to give a loving shout out to my mother.

Anyone who knows my mother, Hajia Ladi Binta Musawa (nee Yusuf Gurshe Rafindadi), will be aware of what a difficult task it is for me to attempt to find the words to describe her. A role model to all who know and love her, my mother lives her life with great humility. Her selflessness and kindness to others knows no bounds. She is a fantastic person who has been blessed with a great sense of humor, a kind nature, and an unassuming ability to make all those around her feel special and loved.

To have the blessing of being able to call Hajia Ladi, ‘Mom’ and Alhaji Musa ‘Dad’ is, perhaps, the greatest fortune of my life. Continuously, I learn and grow from the pure example set by them.

The energy my Mom pumps into the love and caring she displays to all those around her and beyond is boundless. She continues to be a source of inspiration to so many that she meets by her unselfishness, dedication and Faith in Allah. She unceasingly encourages her children, family, friends, neighbors and associates to work hard at life but always to put Allah first. Her faith cradles her and her loved ones even during the times when life throws curve-balls. The courage she always shows in the face of adversity and her inner strength are truly what great people are made of. She is a true blessing.

My greatest wish for my Mom, as I watch her dedicate her life to encouraging, supporting, educating, protecting, helping, loving, and caring for all those she comes in contact with on a daily basis, is for her to be able to see herself the way the World sees her; which is as a blessing, an incredibly special and amazing person. A woman who is indeed a pure soul with a pure heart, a remarkable role model and a woman with great faith.

Hajia Ladi Binta Musawa is a shining gem and an angel. She has incredibly strong values. If ever there was a portrait of a Godly mother, it is she. I am convinced that anything that is pure and good in me, Allah has planted it in me directly from my Mom and Dad.

My Mom is big on teaching. On a daily basis, she teaches me to live my life, make my decisions and conduct myself as if I am teaching my children and the next generation. One of her favorite quotes to me is one of Ghandi’s. “Hannatu, always be the change you want to see in the world…” she would say. This quote consistently reverberates in my head and sticks with me wherever I go. It is exactly how Mom lives her life.

Some of the greatest values I try to uphold; defending my honor religiously, keeping integrity, trying to do right, caring for the downtrodden, were instilled in me by Mom. Her lessons and example influence every good part of my life and positive thought process.

Mom teaches me the difference between right and wrong and urges me to constantly try to make good choices. She teaches me to be faithful to myself, to my family, to my culture, to my community, to my calling, to people around me, to my identity, to my bloodline, to my Father’s name, to Nigeria and especially to Allah. She encourages me to be more focused and strive and finish things that I start. She always urges me to try as best as I can to keep my word and learn to accept and take correction. And she always worries and counsels me about tempering the fiery temper I inherited from my equally incredible late Dad.

Mom teaches me that the things I should treasure should never be made with human hands. She teaches me that it is through giving that I will be filled and fulfilled. She teaches me that originality feeds the soul and energizes the mind. She teaches me to exercise greater patience and always try to endure. She teaches me the difference between right and wrong. She teaches me not to use my power to hurt others. She teaches me to always strive to give more than I receive. This is an example that she lives with daily. Throughout her life she has always been known to help people, even at her own expense. It is the way she lives, even now. She simply loves being there for others and making their lives easier. It is the times that she helps people that you can see the greatest joy in her eyes.

As a little girl, she often took me and my siblings to orphanages, shelters and hospitals so we could see people who were suffering; so we could develop a desire to help people who are suffering. She made us touch and feed lepers in the days when people shunned them. She worries for everyone more than she worries about herself. She tries to do all she can to fix other people’s problems. Her charity was to everyone she interacted with, anyone who needed her and that was what made people gravitate towards her. That is the kind of woman my Mom is.

For the duration of my life I will dedicate every morsel of who I am, everything I have achieved and all that I have ever done good and right to my Mom and Dad. I thank them deeply for loving me so much and being the brightest light in my life. I thank them for showing me what I should be and teaching me how to be free and how to dream. I thank them for being the ultimate example of forgiveness, compassion, friendship, kindness, strength, generosity, honesty, elegance, beauty, resilience, selflessness, care, hope and love. I thank Mom for telling me she loved me every single day of my life. Even when we were not together, she finds a way of getting the message across to me, even if it was just through her energy.

Mom is my rock, my anchor; my strong, beautiful, vibrant angel; my heart and my precious gift from Allah. I am beyond proud of her and everything she is. From the time I was a little girl, Mom and Dad have always been all I have ever needed in my life. My submission to the Almighty comes first beyond everything else and my dedication to Mom and the memory of my Dad I draw through that faith. I truly have exceptional parents. My siblings and I truly won the loterry as far as parents go! We thank The Almighty with everything that we have for the grace and gift he has given us in the form of parents.

…Every day I get to celebrate and honor being a mother, and honor my mother. Joining grateful children and mothers around the world to give gratitude and celebrate the special gift of motherhood is a priviledge. I want to encourage everyone to celebrate and pray for their Mom every single day whether she is living or passed.

“Hajia Ladi Binta Musawa, I wanted to tell the world about the essence of you, my salute to you so they can celebrate with me on my great blessing of you, so they can celebrate their mothers too. You impact the world around you more than you realize. I love you on your good days and on your bad days. I see your sacrifice and struggle day after day. You are not just a mother, you are a role model and an advocate My heart will always belong to you and I want to say “May Allah always be with you.” May we witness many more days together by Allah’s special grace. I LOVE YOU MOM… I THANK YOU!”

Written by Barr Hannatu Musa Musawa

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