Lai: Creative industry is Africa’s only hope from economic woes

Lai Mohammed, the minister of information and culture, says the creative industry has been identified as Africa’s only hope from economic woes, unemployment, and fragmentation.

According to NAN, the minister was speaking in Abuja on Tuesday about his recent visit to Cairo, Egypt to attend the 49th annual general meeting (AGM) of the Afreximbank.

Mohammed said though the AGM was primarily to give the scorecards of the bank activities, a day was, however, set aside to discuss the creative industry in Africa.

The minister said at the event, that stakeholders agreed that the creative industry is Africa’s only hope of prosperity because “it is a resource which is limitless, renewable and can easily create wealth and jobs’’.

“When you look at the development of the creative industry in Africa today, you will realise that we are sitting on a goldmine,” he said.

“In most African countries, the creative industry has developed with less contributions from government, this is because we have the population and the talents.

“The creative industry is gender-friendly, engages both male and female old and the youth. The importance of creative industry is not just in terms of creating jobs or wealth but can be used as soft power in maintaining peace and harmony.

“This is very important in Africa where we have a fragmented society along religions and ethnicity.”

Mohammed said with about 52 million of its population mostly between the ages of 18 to 25 years, Nigeria has a lot to benefit from the creative industry.

“We have about 33 million Nigerians who are internet users and this is a huge advantage to us,” he added.

“Nigeria has what others do not have to leverage in the creative industry, especially in movie, music, arts, fashion, and gastronomy.

“It is amazing today that Nigeria fashion, music, movies are making waves all over the world.”

The minister, however, called on governments across Africa to invest in infrastructures like creativity hubs, better internet connectivity, and cheaper data to enable optimum utilisation of potentials in the creative industry.