The Federal Executive Council has approved two significant initiatives by the Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, designed to bolster Nigeria’s cultural sector and reshape the nation’s global reputation.
The Minister, Hannatu Musawa, disclosed this to State House Correspondents on Tuesday at the end of the 23rd Federal Executive Council meeting at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja.
According to the minister, the Creative Leap Acceleration Programme will serve as a digital one-stop shop for creatives in 49 sub-sectors.
Developed under a public-private partnership framework, CLAP is intended to provide artists and innovators across Nigeria with access to training, funding and networking resources, regardless of their location.
By levelling the playing field, Musawa said the platform would nurture the next generation of top-tier talents akin to popular figures in music and film.
“This is a capacity and developmental initiative and it seeks to ensure that creators all over Nigeria are trained and they have the tools and the resources that are required for them to be able to get the best out of their crafts.
“On this platform, we are making sure that we take care of all 49 different sub-sectors. So, no matter what side or spectrum of the creative industry you’re part of, CLAP is your home because it is through CLAP that we are going to make sure that we get you the network that will get you the funding, the training, the capacity building and just the general access that is needed for you to become the next Davido, the next Burna Boy, the next big actress in Nollywood or Kannywood.
“So, CLAP is a great initiative, and I look forward to ensuring that we get as many people enrolled on the CLAP network because that’s the way we can reach out to as many creators all over the country,” she said.
The minister also announced ‘Destination 2030: Nigeria Everywhere,’ which she described as a global soft power and tourism brand that seeks to highlight Nigeria’s cultural, artistic, and creative strengths.
The initiative aims to reposition the country’s image worldwide by showcasing its diverse content—from Benin bronzes to Afrobeat music and Nollywood films.
As part of this effort, she said a seven-part short series has been produced. The first two episodes–“I Am Nigerian” and “Letter to My Younger Self,” have already been filmed, while future episodes will explore national identity, historical legacies, patriotism and leadership.
She explained, “This cultural and tourism brand, the main objective is to transform Nigeria’s artistic, cultural, creative and tourism assets into huge economic drivers, and also to use it as a national soft power tool.
“No matter where you go in the world, people look at you as a Nigerian, not because we have oil or anything else. People are interested in our content, whether it’s in our Benin bronzes or our Afro beats or in the Nollywood; that is where the interest is in Nigeria. So, we want to use that to change the narrative about Nigeria.
“Soon, Nigeria will be everywhere. Under this Destination 2030 brand, we’ve already started a seven-part series. It’s a seven-part series. It’s called Nigeria Everywhere shorts. We started with the first. The first is called, I am Nigerian. I wrote and performed that. We have seven different parts.”
Another is “Letter to My Younger Self,” which adopts the perspective of Nigeria at age 65, writing to the nation on the day before its independence, among others.
Musawa said the film outlines potential pitfalls and challenges—offering an introspective lens on where the country might have faltered or succeeded over the decades.
“Rather than complaining about the country not becoming the way they feel it should be, you should take ownership of the fact that you are a Nigerian and see what you can do as a Nigerian to play your part in making Nigeria the great country that we all know it can be,” she stated, among others.
Tuesday’s gathering is the second in the two days, as council members considered 101 memos in both sittings.
Stephen Angbulu @ThePUNCH
