By Edu Abade
Nigeria’s Creative Economy comprising 49 segments including entertainment, the arts, culture, tourism, music, theatrical arts, artifacts and museums, among others, have been identified as capable of contributing about $100 billion to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and creating no fewer than 2 million jobs by 2030.
Minister of Arts, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy (FMACTCE), Hannatu Musa Musawa, stated this at a media briefing on Thursday, February 27, maintaining that in more comprehensive terms, the ministry’s vision and plans for the country’s tourism and creative sectors, focuses essentially on the 2030 destination.
This is as she also disclosed plans for the Abuja Creative City, the Wole Soyiinka Centre, the $200 million funding facility and efforts being made to repatriate stolen Nigerian artifacts from foreign countries.
Speaking while addressing the press in Lagos and outlining the ministry’s comprehensive plans, she said her commitment to developing Nigeria’s tourism, culture and creative economy sectors aligned with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which aims to promote economic growth, cultural enrichment and community empowerment through creation of jobs.
Speaking on the $200 million Creative Economy Development Fund (CEDF), she revealed that the fund, domiciled with the African Export-Import Bank (AfreximBank) will be deployed to support the growth and expansion of Nigeria’s creative sector, adding that the CEDF will provide affordable financing to creative businesses and entrepreneurs, driving innovation and job creation.
On the Abuja Creative City, Musawa, who spoke in the company of Special Adviser to the President, Office of the minister, Prince Baba Agba; Head of Strategy, Nigeria Destination 2030, Jamma Amachree-Broad; Principal Advisor to the minister, Imam Faiz; Special Adviser to the President, Office of the minister, Imran Duba and Special Adviser to the President, Office of the minister, Moriam Ajaga, highlighted the gains of the project, which she said, is aimed at transforming the capital city into a vibrant hub for creative industries.
The initiative she noted further is expected to drive economic growth, create jobs, and showcase Nigeria’s rich cultural heritage.
She also announced plans to upgrade the infrastructure at the Wole Soyinka Centre, describing it as a project dedicated to preserving the legacy of Nigeria’s Nobel laureate, maintaining that it will serve as a cultural and intellectual hub, promoting arts, literature and critical thinking.
Speaking further on the critical issue of repatriation of artifacts, she stressed the importance of repatriating Nigeria’s looted artifacts, currently housed in foreign museums, adding that there was the need for international cooperation to ensure the safe return of the cultural treasures, which are essential to Nigeria’s cultural heritage and identity.
On the 2030 Destination Vision, the minister shared her vision for Nigeria’s tourism sector by 2030, emphasizing the need for sustainable tourism practices, infrastructure development and community engagement, among other projects.
She urged local and international stakeholders to partner with the government in achieving the vision, which aims to position the country as a top tourist destination in Africa, insisting that the initiatives demonstrate a commitment to promoting Nigeria’s cultural heritage, driving economic growth and empowering the creative industries.
It would be recalled that Musawa was appointed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2023 and she’s been instrumental in shaping Nigeria’s cultural and tourism landscape.
She pointed out that the ministry also aims to use the power of arts and creativity to boost the economy, preserve Nigeria’s cultural heritage, and share the country’s culture with the world.
The minister, who shared details of the projects being pushed by the ministry, said: “In the past four months, we have achieved significant milestones in advancing Nigeria’s creative economy and tourism sector. Our vision is to build an integrated, data-driven and investment-friendly ecosystem that unlocks the full potential of these industries.”
Also on the launching of the D30 Platform, she explained that one of the ministry’s most exciting initiatives remains the D30 Platform-a comprehensive, publicly accessible database that maps our current industry landscape and offers forward-looking insights.
“Key features of the platform include Infrastructure Audit-A tool to guide public-private partnerships and target investments. Our forecasts are built on clear, data-driven assumptions that incorporate planned investments, forthcoming policy reforms, and key infrastructure developments.
“These assumptions will be transparently shared on the platform to guide investors, highlight the government’s proactive role and support our Destination 2030 goal of creating two million new jobs in the creative industries and tourism sector.
“The D30 Platform is a critical component of our broader strategy, developed by VIISAUS in collaboration with Cavista Technologies and enriched by insights from industry experts,” she stated.
Speaking further, the minister disclosed that to drive sustainable investments in the creative economy sector, arrangements have been concluded to establish the Creative Economy Development Fund (CEDF) and the Creative Industries & Tourism Infrastructure Company (CITICo).
In her words: “While the CEDF will leverage innovative financing-combining debt, equity and grants-to support high-potential areas within the creative economy, the CITICo is designed as a predominantly private-sector-led investment vehicle focused on developing creative and tourism infrastructure. An initial commitment of $2 million has already been allocated through the FMACTCE for the revitalisation of the Obudu Cattle Ranch in Cross River State.”
On the operationalisation of the N300 Billion Funding Facility in partnership with Afreximbank, the minister revealed that the FMACTCE is working closely with the bank to deploy capital into strategic opportunities through the CEDF and CITICo, with Ernst & Young as principal advisors.
She also disclosed that under the ministry’s drive to actualize the President’s intentions and directive, plans have been concluded to resuscitate the moribund museums in the country, beginning from Lagos, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja and all the geopolitical zones of the country.
“Under CITICo, we are launching Abuja Creative City-a landmark 30-hectare development in Idu Industrial City, Abuja. In partnership with Creative Limited, developers of Madhouse Studios in Lagos, this project will create a dynamic, mixed-use space for creative businesses, entertainment, hospitality, and real estate, ensuring a sustainable ecosystem for the sector.
“We have established several integrated partnerships across all the projects. Our strategic partners include Cavista Holdings; Cavista Technologies; Creative Parks Limited; Ernst and Young; Future Tech Media; MTN; VIISAUS and Wakanow, among others.
These collaborations are vital to strengthening our commitment to driving growth and innovation in Nigeria’s creative economy and tourism sectors. These initiatives mark the beginning of a transformative journey for Nigeria’s creative economy and tourism sector.
“Through strategic investments, public-private collaboration, and transparent planning, we are creating an investor-friendly environment that will drive growth and help us achieve our ambitious goal of creating two million new jobs by 2030,” she concluded.
