Creative Industry
Performance Report of the Minister of Arts, Culture, Tourism, and the Creative Economy
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in partnership with stakeholders such as the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), the Ministry is overhauling outdated policies.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
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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