By Tony Obiechina Abuja
The Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism, and the Creative Economy (FMACETC) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), convened a National Focus Group Forum on Nigeria’s Culture Sector.
The event brought together policymakers, industry leaders, creatives, and cultural advocates to explore strategies for unlocking the vast economic potential of Nigeria’s cultural and creative industries.
The discussions focused on policy reforms, digital transformation, sustainable investment, and stakeholder collaboration, with an overarching goal to position Nigeria’s culture sector as a major driver of economic growth, job creation, and global competitiveness.
In his opening remarks, NESG Board member, Mr. Udeme Ufot noted that the forum provides a strategic platform for sector updates, dialogue, and collaboration among stakeholders in the culture ecosystem.
“As Nigeria’s cultural sector continues to evolve into a significant economic contributor, this engagement is vital to refining policies and structures that will drive sustainable development. Beyond economic contributions, the cultural sector plays a crucial role in promoting social harmony, preserving our rich heritage, and fostering peacebuilding,” he stated.
He further revealed that the forum aims to identify strategies for preserving and promoting Nigeria’s cultural heritage, explore governance reforms through policy and regulatory frameworks, integrate cultural industries into national economic development, develop youth empowerment initiatives and leverage technology for sector transformation.
Key Highlights of the stakeholders Insights include, Strategic Roadmap for Growth, a roadmap for optimizing Nigeria’s cultural sector which was presented by Jahman Anikulapo, Member, Steering Committee, Tourism, Hospitality, Entertainment, Creatives, Culture and Sports Industries (THECCS) Sector of NESG.
A presentation by Goodness Ejim-Obilo, Thematic Lead, Cultural Industries Thematic Group (CITG) of NESG, Deji Olatoye, Co-Thematic Lead, CITG, NESG, emphasized that global exports of creative services increased from $490 billion in 2010 to nearly $1.4 trillion in 2022, highlighting the potential for Nigeria’s creative sector to increase its GDP contribution to $100 billion by 2030 and create two million new jobs by 2027.
The roadmap focused on:
Policy formulation and implementation to support the sector’s growth
Technological innovation and digital transformation to modernize the industry
Development of cultural infrastructure to enhance capacity-building and content creation.
International engagement to expand Nigeria’s creative footprint globally
Cultural diversity and economic growth, positioning the sector as a strategic national asset.
Perspectives from Key Industry Leaders, Dr. Shaibu Husseini – Executive Director, National Film and Video Censors Board, Dr. Husseini emphasized the need for a new mindset and reform within the public sector to effectively support Nigeria’s creative industry.
Having transitioned from the private sector into regulation, he acknowledged bureaucratic hurdles—such as delays in renaming the board to better reflect its classification role—but stressed the importance of working within official mandates.
He criticized unrealistic stakeholder expectations, such as government funding for memorial events without proper budgetary backing. Additionally, he highlighted internal resistance from civil servants unfamiliar with reform-driven leadership, but noted that progress was being made in reorienting his agency towards efficiency and effectiveness.
Ultimately, he underlined that the board’s role is to balance regulation and creativity—not to dictate artistic direction, but to ensure content is properly classified for public consumption.
Gbile Holloway – Director-General, National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM)
Mr. Holloway shared insights from his transition from the private to the public sector, emphasizing the stark contrast in operational efficiency. While the private sector thrives on speed and profit-driven goals, the public sector is often slowed by bureaucratic processes that can be frustrating for newcomers.
He stressed the need for improved synergy between government agencies and ministries to ensure a unified national direction for cultural development. Despite the challenges, he acknowledged the presence of highly skilled and dedicated professionals within the public sector, such as his legal director. At the NCMM, he expressed confidence in the competent team he found and emphasized the importance of deliberate and efficient execution of cultural policies.
Mr Obi Asika – Director-General, National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC), emphasized the need for legal reforms, infrastructure modernization, and stronger stakeholder collaboration. He highlighted NCAC’s evolving role from a cultural custodian to an active ecosystem builder, advocating for the repurposing of NCAC offices into creative hubs to support entrepreneurship and digital transformation.
Yinka Iyinolakan – Founder/CEO, C-Dial, Mr. Iyinolakan tackled the digital divide in Nigeria’s creative industry, stressing the need to integrate indigenous languages into technology. He cited ongoing efforts to develop voice recognition models for Nigerian languages such as Hausa, Yoruba, Pidgin, and Fulfulde.
Makinde Adeniran – President, National Association of Nigerian Theatre Arts Practitioners (NANTAP)
Mr. Adeniran advocated for effective internal regulation in Nigeria’s creative sector, particularly in light of the ongoing conflict between the Bankers’ Committee and the National Theatre. He called for a modernized organizational structure aligned with global best practices, ensuring cultural professionals have a say in the management of cultural institutions.
Mrs. Ugochi Akudo Nwosu – Federal Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism, and Creative Economy
Representing the Ministry, Mrs. Nwosu reaffirmed the government’s commitment to leveraging Nigeria’s cultural heritage for economic growth and global influence. She outlined key initiatives, including:
Review of Nigeria’s 1988 cultural policy
Development of a new Cultural and Creative Economy policy
Improved access to funding through institutions like the Bank of Industry and African Development Bank
Capacity-building programs and international partnerships to empower creatives
Aisha Augie – Director-General, Centre for Black and African Civilisation (CBAC)
Ms. Augie highlighted CBAC’s Pan-African mandate, focusing on cultural diplomacy, sustainability, and economic empowerment. She emphasized the importance of:
Digitizing and documenting African cultural heritage
Promoting indigenous skills through a Pan-African development program
Bridging tradition with technology through AI, virtual reality (VR), and social media
Peter Addison – Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN)
Mr. Addison discussed SMEDAN’s Grow Nigerian Strategy, which prioritizes tourism development through the Visit Nigerian program. He called for structured interventions to enhance access to financing and market opportunities.
Victor Okhai – President, Directors’ Guild of Nigeria (DGN) & Federation of Nollywood Guilds
Mr. Okhai highlighted structural barriers impeding Nollywood’s growth, including:
Piracy and intellectual property theft
Informal business structures affecting industry sustainability
He advocated for tailored financial products and stronger government support to unlock the full monetization potential of Nollywood.
Mrs. Uche Nwuka – Creative Industry Expert
Mrs. Nwuka focused on funding challenges faced by creatives, emphasizing improved financial literacy, strategic partnerships, and clearer monetization strategies to drive sectoral growth.
In his closing Remarks titled A Roadmap for the Future, Dr. Ikenna Nwosu – Facilitator, NESG THECS Policy Commission described the forum as a pivotal moment for Nigeria’s cultural and creative economy. He emphasized that the insights gathered would contribute to a comprehensive report shaping Nigeria’s cultural policy, setting a global benchmark for sector development.
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