Arts, Culture Ministry secures $200m investment, plans to create 2.5m jobs by 2030

By Emmanuel Elebeke

The Minister of Arts, Culture, and Creative Economy has announced plans to establish the Creative and Tourism Infrastructure Corporation (CTICo) with a projected investment of $100 billion and create about 2.5 million jobs by 2030.
The Minister of Arts, Culture and Creative Economy, Barr. Hannatu Musawa disclosed this on Friday at the eighth edition of the Ministerial Press Briefing Session, held at the National Press Centre in Abuja.
To achieve this, she said the Ministry is partnering with Creative Park Limited to develop Abuja Creative City, a first-of-its-kind creative hub in Africa, on 26 hectares of land in the Idu Industrial Area; and the establishment of the Nigerian Academy of Cultural Studies (NACUS) by the National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO), with four strategic campuses in Ogbomoso, Calabar, Lagos, and Abuja, offering specialized cultural education programs.
Also, the Minister said part of the plan is the launch of the D30 Data Platform, an open-source data initiative developed with BigWin Philanthropy to provide transparent, reliable, and actionable data for Nigeria’s cultural, tourism, and creative economy sectors.
Similarly, she said the Ministry has introduced the Creative Leap Acceleration Programme (CLAP) to provide essential resources like funding, creative technology and co-working spaces and promotes innovation via innovation labs and project support.
Renewed Hope Cultural Project’s infrastructure development, including restoration and conservation of historical sites, monuments, palaces, artifacts, and natural attractions, and the establishment of Renewed Hope Cultural Villages across all states of the federation, including the FCT, as well as
launch of a major initiative to renovate Nigeria’s national museums and preserve cultural heritage.
She further listed NCAC’s partnership with Mefa Abuja to develop six state-of-the-art performance venues across Nigeria and securing concessionary funding from the French Treasury for creative infrastructure projects in Nigeria, with potential funding expanding from €35 million to €100 million.
Also speaking, Musawa said there is an ongoing partnership with IHS Nigeria and the National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM) to digitize Nigeria’s cultural heritage, making historical artifacts and artworks accessible through a digital museum.
On strategic partnerships, the Minister said the Ministry has partnered with various organizations, including:
AFREXIM Bank for a $200 million funding commitment; Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI) for asset monetization; Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) for tax framework development; and State Governments, Traditional Institutions, and Nigerian Universities for cultural preservation and development projects.

“The creative economy in Nigeria has long been a vibrant and resilient sector that has thrived independently without adequate government support. With the establishment of this Ministry by the present administration, it is clear that a new era has dawned. The Ministry therefore operates as a catalyst for innovation, a driver of growth, and a champion for the empowerment of Nigeria’s extraordinarily diverse and talented cultural and creative sector.

“As part of its D30 data initiative, the Ministry is conducting a mapping exercise to offer a data-informed foundation for target setting, investment prioritization, and programme design across Nigeria’s creative economy. This evidence-based approach is fundamental to our strategic planning and decision-making processes.
“We have identified five segments in the value chain, including Production, Marketing and Sales. Based on our draft report, we project that we will create over 500,000 new jobs in the sector by 2030.
“Our mapping indicates that this sector will continue to thrive through self-employment and micro-enterprise pathways, with regional hubs like Edo, Delta, and Plateau playing key roles alongside Lagos. We are currently going through a validation process and should formally publish the mapping results in early June. These figures are not merely statistics; they represent real opportunities for Nigerian youth, women, and communities across our nation. They demonstrate the transformative potential of our creative industries when properly supported and strategically developed.”

According to the Minister, the Ministry’s initiatives aim to create jobs and stimulate economic growth, promote cultural preservation and development, support creative enterprises and industries and elevate Nigeria’s global cultural standing.
Despite challenges, Musawa said the Ministry has secured $200 million in investment commitments in just eighteen months. It also established innovative funding mechanisms like the Creative Economy Development Fund, encouraging rural communities, women, and youth to participate meaningfully in the creative economy. “Our strategic partnerships spanning government agencies, international organizations, and private sector leaders have positioned Nigeria’s tourism and creative sectors not just as alternatives to oil dependency, but as vibrant, inclusive economic pillars capable of addressing our nation’s most pressing challenges,” she said.

For her, the Ministry’s efforts aim to transform the creative economy into a significant contributor to Nigeria’s economic growth and job creation.

Earlier, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, dismissed reports circulating in traditional and online media suggesting that the Ministerial Press Briefing Session had been relocated from Abuja to London.
“This is your answer to the insinuation that the press briefing session is relocating abroad. We have our responsibility first to the Nigerian nation, so we invite these ministers to come here and address Nigerians and those outside this country directly from the National Press Centre here in Abuja.

“So if you think that the ministerial press briefing, for those who are already making the insinuation that it’s being moved outside this country, is false. The platform that the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation is providing, is what is happening here in the country,” he said.
Similarly, the Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, who was falsely reported to be among the ministers scheduled to unveil President Tinubu’s achievements at a press briefing in London, affirmed the position of the Minister of Information and National Orientation, stating that the report is untrue.

Idris used the occasion to commend the economy’s performance, noting a marked improvement reflected in the gradual decline of the headline inflation rate, as reported by the National Bureau of Statistics.

Today, I am pleased to announce encouraging news from the National Bureau of Statistics, which released yesterday’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) for April 2025. According to the report, the headline inflation rate for April stood at 23.71%, representing a decrease of 0.52% from the 24.23% recorded in March 2025. Similarly, month-on-month, inflation dropped by a notable 2.04%, from 3.90% in March to 1.86% in April.

“This has not happened by chance. The President’s focused interventions are clearly paying off. The benefits of reform, though gradual, are real and measurable,” he said.

He stated that one of the major drivers of inflation – food prices – has been controlled through President Tinubu’s significant interventions, leading to a noticeable reduction in the cost of food items.

“One of the key indicators of relief is the food inflation rate. While food prices remain an important concern for many Nigerians, the year-on-year food inflation rate eased to 21.26% in April. On a month-on-month basis, it slowed to 2.06%, down from 2.18% in March. Price reductions in staple items such as maize flour, wheat grain, yam flour, okro, soya beans, rice, and beans have largely driven this positive movement.

“Ladies and gentlemen, we acknowledge that we are not yet where we desire to be. But these latest figures give us every reason to be hopeful. They show that the hard decisions are beginning to bear fruit. And as inflation eases, we expect to see corresponding improvements in consumer purchasing power and living conditions,” he stated.

Idris assured that the Tinubu Administration will sustain the momentum of economic improvement by prioritizing people-centered policies to provide relief, restore economic stability, and promote shared prosperity for all Nigerians.

The Minister stated that Nigeria is turning a corner and urged the media to continue disseminating these positive developments responsibly and constructively, emphasizing that the government remains accountable to the people of Nigeria.

The session was attended by Hannatu Musawa, the Minister of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy; Professor Joseph Utsev, the Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation; and Senator David Umahi, the Minister of Works.

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