Creative Industry

Performance Report of the Minister of Arts, Culture, Tourism, and the Creative Economy

Published

6 months ago

May 16, 2025

By Joel Ajayi

The Minister of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, has outlined the remarkable progress made by the Ministry in under 18 months, highlighting major investments, infrastructure development, policy reforms, and Nigeria’s rising cultural influence on the global stage.

Speaking at the eighth edition of the Ministerial Press Briefing Session held at the National Press Centre in Abuja, Musawa noted that the Ministry has become a vital driver of sustainable development and economic diversification. The event was also attended by the Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Professor Joseph Utsev, and the Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi.
“In line with the Renewed Hope Agenda, we are transforming arts, culture, tourism, and the creative economy into engines of prosperity. Through strategic partnerships and visionary leadership, we are creating jobs, empowering youth, and diversifying the Nigerian economy,” she stated.

Musawa emphasized that the creative sector now stands at the forefront of Nigeria’s economic diversification strategy, evolving beyond cultural expression to become a strategic economic asset.
She recalled that on October 23, 2023, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu merged the former Ministries of Tourism and Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy to reduce government expenditure and enhance efficiency. The merger reflects the administration’s commitment to synergizing sectors for sustainable development, inclusive growth, and global cultural influence.

Key Initiatives and Achievements: “Data and Evidence-Based PlanningThe Ministry launched the D30 Data Initiative to map Nigeria’s creative economy. This initiative aims to inform policy, guide investments, and enable data-driven planning. In the music industry alone, five key value chain segments have been identified, with projections of creating over 500,000 new jobs by 2030. Mapping results are currently undergoing validation and will be published by June 2025.

“Policy Development and ReformWorking in partnership with stakeholders such as the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), the Ministry is overhauling outdated policies. New and revised frameworks include:

“National Policy on Intellectual Property RightsCreative Economy Development Fund (CEDF) approval, Review of the 1988 Cultural Policy and 2005 Tourism Policy, Transition from censorship to classification under the NFVCBMonetization and credit policies tailored to the creative sector

“Cultural Diplomacy and Global InfluenceUnder the Destination 2030: Nigeria Everywhere initiative launched at Davos, Nigeria’s global soft power ranking improved by 14 points within a year. Key international engagements include participation in the Cannes Film Festival and Venice Biennale. UNESCO also recognized cultural assets like the Sango Festival and Kano Durbar, with additional heritage sites inscribed under ICESCO and UNESCO frameworks.

“Economic Value and Investment MobilizationThe Ministry secured a $200 million investment from AFREXIM Bank for cultural and creative sector development. The Creative Economy Development Fund (CEDF) was launched with financing windows for debt, equity, and grants.

Collaborations with MOFI and FIRS are underway to monetize creative assets and ensure tax compliance. The Renewed Hope Cultural Project is revitalizing rural economies nationwide.
“Infrastructure Development: “The Creative and Tourism Infrastructure Corporation (CTICo) has been approved with a $100 billion investment plan and a potential to create 2 million jobs. Key infrastructure projects include:

“Development of the Abuja Creative City on 26 hectares in partnership with Creative Park Ltd, Nationwide renovation of cultural villages and museums.

“A digital museum initiative in collaboration with IHS Nigeria and the National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM). Concessionary funding of €35 million from the French Treasury, recently expanded to €100 million”

Other achievement includes; “Strategic Partnerships: The Ministry has forged strong collaborations with private sector players like MTN and Chocolate City, international institutions including WIPO, AFREXIM, and MOFI, as well as foreign governments such as Brazil, France, and the UAE. Additionally, projects are being executed in partnership with state governments and traditional institutions under the Renewed Hope Cultural Project.

“And Sectoral Impacts: In the film industry, co-productions with France and South Africa have advanced, alongside reforms to protect intellectual property and improve working conditions. The tourism sector is gaining traction with Nigeria set to host the 68th UN Tourism Commission for Africa (CAF) in Abuja in June 2025. There are also creative empowerment programs specifically targeting women and youth, as well as efforts in cultural preservation through education and intergenerational skill transmission.”

Despite the achievements, the Minister acknowledged ongoing challenges including:Funding constraints and limited distribution channels, Competition with globally produced, high-standard content, Inadequate infrastructure at tourism sites and Market fragmentation and lack of essential operational tools

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Creative Industry

THANK YOU MOM-Barr Hannatu Musa Musawa

Published

4 days 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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