The Nigerian government has set its sights on transforming the nation’s creative industry into a major economic powerhouse, unveiling an ambitious plan to generate $100 billion annually and create over two million jobs.
The blueprint, spearheaded by the Minister of Art, Culture, and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa Musawa, was presented to a gathering of local and international investors, signaling a bold new chapter for Nigeria’s creative economy.
Musawa’s plan, presented at a roundtable discussion on Wednesday, outlines a roadmap for harnessing the immense potential of Nigeria’s creative sector. Despite its vast cultural wealth, the industry currently contributes a modest $5 billion to the economy, a figure Musawa sees as only scratching the surface of what could be achieved. With the right mix of investment, technology, and policy reforms, the Minister envisions the sector driving significant economic growth.
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Musawa’s confidence in the creative industry is backed by her belief in the sector’s untapped potential.
“If implemented to its fullest, this plan has the potential to generate over $100 billion and create more than two million jobs every year,” she said.
The Current State of Nigeria’s Creative Industry
At present, Nigeria’s creative economy spans several sub-sectors, including music, visual media, arts and crafts, heritage and museums, fashion, culinary arts, publishing, and video gaming. These sub-sectors are at various stages of development, contributing to an uneven performance across the industry. The $5 billion contribution to the economy is relatively small, given Nigeria’s position as a cultural leader in Africa, and Musawa believes it is time to unlock the full potential of these sectors.
Strategic Initiatives for Growth
Musawa’s plan is centered around 14 pivotal initiatives grouped under four main pillars: Technology, Infrastructure and Funding, International Culture Promotion, and Intellectual Property Monetization. Each pillar is designed to address specific challenges facing the creative industry, with the aim of making it more globally competitive.
Technology
One of the core components of the strategy is leveraging technology to empower creatives. The Ministry plans to launch a Digital Content Creation Tool Accessibility Program, providing affordable and improved digital tools for Nigerian creatives. This initiative is expected to democratize content creation, giving more people access to the resources they need to produce high-quality work.
Another important element under this pillar is the Nigeria Content Distribution Initiative, which aims to increase nationwide adoption of digital tools for content distribution. This initiative could help creators reach a wider audience, not just within Nigeria but internationally, tapping into the global digital economy.
Additionally, a study to estimate the size of the creative industry will be launched, providing critical data to understand the market and chart a path forward. This data-driven approach will be complemented by efforts to expand internet accessibility in underserved regions, ensuring that digital initiatives have a broader reach.
Infrastructure and Funding
The Infrastructure and Funding pillar focuses on addressing the physical and financial needs of the creative industry. The Ministry will catalog existing infrastructure for the sector, assess its current state, and identify gaps that need to be filled. Through public-private partnerships, the government hopes to develop the necessary infrastructure to support the industry’s growth.
Incentives will also be provided to stakeholders in the creative economy to boost investment, while a Creative Accelerator Program will be launched to provide capital and capacity building for creative businesses. These initiatives are designed to tackle the funding challenges that have traditionally hindered the growth of creative enterprises in Nigeria.
International Culture Promotion
Nigeria’s rich cultural heritage and creative output have long been underutilized on the global stage. The plan aims to change that by establishing a Culture Promotion Office in collaboration with Nigerian embassies abroad. This office will work to promote Nigerian arts, culture, and creative products in international markets, leveraging initiatives like the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to boost exports.
Intellectual Property Monetization
One of the key challenges for Nigeria’s creatives has been the lack of a robust intellectual property (IP) framework. To address this, Musawa’s plan includes the establishment of globally standardized Collection Management Organizations (CMOs) and a Copyright Oversight Initiative in partnership with the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC). This initiative aims to enhance tracking, monitoring, and enforcement of copyright standards, ensuring that creators are adequately compensated for their work.
Partnering for Success
To support the ambitious job creation target, the Ministry has partnered with BigWin Philanthropy, an international development organization, to deliver a transformative capacity-building strategy. This partnership is aimed at equipping Nigerian creatives with the skills they need to thrive in a rapidly changing global marketplace.
Nigeria’s creative industry has immense potential, but it also faces significant hurdles. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, the sector contributes just 1.2% to Nigeria’s GDP, compared to other African countries like Egypt (4.3%), South Africa (3.0%), and Morocco (2.7%). Moreover, the industry’s contribution to government revenue is a mere 1.0%, far below South Africa’s 12.5%.
Despite these challenges, Musawa’s plan represents a bold step towards realizing the full potential of Nigeria’s creative economy. By focusing on technology, infrastructure, international promotion, and intellectual property, the government is laying the groundwork for a sector that could be a key driver of economic growth in the coming years.
However, many have questioned the feasibility of the plan, arguing that the road to $100 billion and two million jobs is very long for Nigeria to attain now.