Nigerians Calls For Adequate Funding Of The Nation’s Creative Sector.
Ahiaba Douglas
As the National Commission of Museum and Monuments Nigeria, joined her Counterparts all over the World to mark the 2025 International Day for Museums, an event that attracted Stakeholders from the Mother Ministry, Ministry for Arts, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy and other Ministries.
The need for adequate funding of the Nation’s Creative industry for Harnessing the economic potential dominated discussions and messages delivered by Nigerians at the event.
As part of his address at the event that took place at the China Cultural Center, Dabala street, Wuse Zone 5, of the federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Themed, ” The future Of Museum In Rapidly Changing Communities” the Director General/ Chief Executive Officer, National Commission for Museum and Monuments, Mr Olugbile Holloway, identified inadequate Funding as a major setback affecting the Commission’s actualization of it Core mandate and by extension the Mother Ministry, the Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy.
Mr. Olugbile Called for adequate funding for the Commission to enable her rescue some of the Cultural artifacts that could Contribute to Cultural identity and also generate revenue to the economy.
Corroborating the assertion of the Director General/ Chief Executive Officer of the National Commission for Museum and Muniments, the House of Representatives Committee Chairman on Culture and Tourism, Hon. Gabriel Saleh Zock , said the Sector if adequately funded Could become the new Oil, adding that that the richness, marketability and acceptability of Nigeria’s Cultural talents and potential at the international level was evidence in how some Nigerians in the entertainment industry attained global recognition within a short period.
While Calling on the federal government to invest in the Nation’s creative sector, he also pledged to use legislative instrument to ensure adequate funding for the Creative industry towards Harnessing the economic potentials of the sector.
In the same vain, the Ekiti State Commissioner, Ministry of Arts, Culture and Creative Economy, Rasaki Ojo-Bakare lamented what he described as “leap service” being paid to the Creative Sector of the nation inspite of the abundance of the human resources, Skills and Capacity that abounds in the sector, capable of stimulating economic growth if adequately funded.
” The Sector is perpetually underfunded and that is why we cannot go far, so, please the federal Government should do more for the Ministry”.
He called for deliberate and intentional funding of the Creative Sector by the federal Government to enable Nigeria harness it Creative potentials.
