The Nigerian Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism, and Creative Economy has presented its budget performance report to the National Assembly, highlighting the ministry’s achievements, challenges, and future plans.
The report presented to the House Committee on Art, Culture and Creative Economy on Wednesday, contained the ministry’s efforts to promote Nigeria’s cultural heritage, support the growth of the creative industry, and drive economic growth. The ministry’s initiatives include developing a robust intellectual property policy, investing in infrastructure, and fostering stakeholder collaboration.
The ministry’s budget performance report which highlighted its eight-point plan initiatives such as Nigeria Destination 2030, skills development, policy frameworks, intellectual property protection, strategic partnerships, growth targets, digital transformation, and cultural heritage preservation was accorded by the House committee.
Minister Hannatu Musawa, highlighted the challenges of the ministry which include limited resources and infrastructure, saying that the ministry has made significant progress in promoting Nigerian culture and supporting the creative industry.
The minister also emphasised the importance of collaboration and partnership in driving the growth of the creative industry saying that, “We cannot do this alone. We need to work together with stakeholders, including industry experts, international partners, and the National Assembly, to drive economic growth and job creation”.
Explaining the ministry’s initiatives, the minister said they are expected to have a significant impact on the creative industry, generating revenue, creating jobs, and promoting Nigerian culture globally. She stated, “The ministry has also secured a grant from the French treasury to support infrastructure development, and is working to leverage international partnerships to drive growth in the creative industry” the minister added.
Earlier, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry Dr Mukhtar Muhammed, MFR, mni. highlighted key achievements and budget performance in the sector as well as the ministry’s GDP contribution to the economy, tourism revenue accrued, and project implementation.
The Chairman, House Committee on Art, Culture and Creative Economy Honourable Gabriel Zok commended the ministry’s initiatives and expressed the Committee’s commitment to support the growth of the creative industry.
“We are here to assess your budget performance and ensure effective utilisation of funds appropriated. We expect to have a closer working relationship with the ministry”.
The interaction with the House Committee members provided insights into the Ministry’s efforts to drive economic growth and development through strategic initiatives and project implementation.