Creative industry to inject $100 billion to GDP by 2030 – Minister

The Minister of Art, Culture, and Creative Economy, Barrister Hannatu Musawa, outlined an ambitious plan to transform Nigeria’s creative industry into a major economic driver by 2030 in Abuja on Thursday.

This she hopes to achieve leveraging the country’s vast cultural and creative assets.

Speaking after making presentation of 2025 budgetary proposal of her ministry to the National Assembly joint committee on Arts, Culture and creative Economy, Musawa emphasized the ministry’s commitment to contributing $100 billion to the nation’s GDP by 2030 through targeted reforms, infrastructure development, and strategic partnerships.

The minister emphasized the sector’s potential to drive economic growth and create millions of jobs.

Musawa highlighted the creative sector’s ability to transform the lives of young Nigerians, citing events like “Dirty December” in Lagos as proof of the industry’s capacity to contribute significantly to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

“Every single part of Nigeria is bursting with creative talent. This is real estate for the country and the ministry,” she said.

The ministry’s strategy she indicated focused on creating an enabling environment for the sector to thrive while securing external funding to complement government support.

“So far, the ministry has attracted funding from partners like Afrexim Bank, Big Win, and the UAE and Saudi governments.

“In addition to the $100 billion GDP target, the ministry is working with Big Win to create two million jobs by 2027,” she added.

She however, stressed the need for adequate government funding to realize these goals, noting that the current budget allocation has been inadequate just as she highlighted the untapped potential of Nigeria’s creative sector, pointing out that, despite being home to world-renowned Afrobeat artists and the second-largest film industry globally, the country lacks critical infrastructure like arenas, museums, and cinemas.

“We are losing value because we don’t have the infrastructure to support the growth of the industry,” she said.

Musawa also underscored the need to develop Nigeria’s cultural and tourism assets, such as Yankari Game Reserve and Dashaka Hills, to attract global and local audiences.

She therefore called for collaboration with the National Assembly and state governments to enact supportive policies and create an enabling environment for growth.