LAGOS/Nigeria: AfriLabs, a leading Pan African innovation organization, has called for a collaborative effort between the government and the Organized Private Sector (OPS) to tap into the vast opportunities within Nigeria’s burgeoning creative economy, valued in the multi-billion-dollar range.
This was emphasized during a recent forum in Lagos named “Art Tech Lagos,” by stakeholders as they x-rayed the potential of Nigeria’s creative economy to not only provide employment for the nation’s youth but also significantly contribute to the country’s GDP, contingent upon the implementation of appropriate policies by the government.
Obi Asika, a renowned reality TV show icon, who delivered the keynote address, stressed the need for increased recognition and valuation of Nigeria’s creative and cultural works, including traditional festivals and films. Asika underscored the originality and global appeal of these cultural assets.
Asika asserted that the key to unlocking the one-billion-dollar industry lies in effectively packaging and promoting its content, with television being the primary medium for reaching a wider audience. He urged television stations to shift their focus from selling airtime to content creation, which he deemed more profitable.
“We have to engage ourselves, we have to engage our actual culture, our indigenous value. And until you place value on yourself, you cannot have money. If you diminish who you are, you will stay diminished,” Asika remarked. He further emphasized that technology could provide the necessary distribution, scalability, and monetization for creative content, spanning various forms such as podcasts, documentaries, films, animation, music, literature, and poetry.
Asika lamented the abandonment of African mythology and encouraged the embrace of indigenous narratives, asserting that Africa holds some of the world’s greatest untold stories.
Ann Ekeledo, the Executive Director of AfriLabs, highlighted Nigeria’s rich talent pool in music, comedy, writing, fashion, and dance during her address. She articulated AfriLabs’ goal of collaborating with critical stakeholders, including governments, to capitalize on the creative sector’s potential to create millions of jobs, thereby addressing the country’s unemployment crisis.
Ekeledo emphasized the global influence of African creatives, particularly in music and film, and expressed the organization’s commitment to making the creative sector financially viable. She called on the government to view the creative economy as crucial for social and economic growth and to implement policies and regulations that facilitate its growth.
To bolster the creative sector, Ekeledo advocated for policies that protect intellectual property, provide infrastructure and technologies for high-quality production, offer subsidies for filmmakers to reduce production costs, and establish a marketplace for practitioners.
Dr. Itoro Emembolu, a Board Member of AfriLabs, urged creative professionals to collaborate and leverage each other’s expertise to enhance the quality and quantity of their work while expanding their online presence for economic viability. Emembolu stressed the importance of indigenous social media platforms that enable local creatives to reap the full benefits of their work.
The event, which attracted prominent creative figures from across Nigeria, including Creative Director and Choreographer Kaffy and Efe Omorogbe, featured discussions on value chain opportunities within the music industry.
The creative economy in Africa, encompassing music, film, literature, art, fashion, and digital media, continues to demonstrate rapid growth and potential for substantial economic contributions.
As Nigeria looks to harness this potential, collaborative efforts between government, the private sector, and creative industry stakeholders appear to be the key to unlocking the full economic and cultural value of the nation’s creative assets.
