The Pan African University, Global Entrepreneurship Network Nigeria, and Enterprise Development Centre have partnered with Providus Bank to drive development in the creative industry sector in Nigeria.
A Director at the EDC PAN- Atlantic University, Nneka Okekearu, made this disclosure in Lagos, while speaking at the 2023 Creative Nigeria Summit themed, ‘Investing in Nigeria’s Creative Ecosystem: Unlocking Jobs and Economic Growth’.
She explained that the summit was part of efforts to deepen awareness and underscore the opportunities that exist within the industry.
Okekearu said the opportunities that exist in the creative sector and its contribution to wealth and job creation, as well as gross domestic product, could not be overemphasised.
“EDC is at the forefront to drive conversations that would see creative industry growth as well as its contributions to the GDP and creation of wealth and jobs. We must create awareness and bring stakeholders to see the challenges and opportunities that exist in the industry,” Okekearu said.
The Executive Director and Chief Financial Officer of Providus Bank, Deoye Ojuroye, said that the bank was well-positioned to support the growth of the creative economy.
Ojuroye said, “This is a huge potential in the industry, but we just need to harness this potential to provide optimal results.”
He noted that in other countries the creative sector was a huge revenue earner and that it was about time that Nigeria gave adequate attention to the creative industry.
Meanwhile in his keynote address, the Director-General of the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency, Charles Odii, said Nigeria did not have strong laws to protect the piracy of material without the creator’s consent.
Oddi who was represented at the event by a Director at SMEDAN, Mr Monday Ewans, said that the sector had its positives.
He, however, admitted that Nigeria’s creative industry was thriving, saying that the ability to sustain certain aspects of the industry fell short due to weak infrastructure.
“Nigeria lacks amenities like steady power within the country to effectively grow the creative sector optimally. The government can facilitate startup or business support grants/loans, to entrepreneurs in the creative industry under a prescribed criterion.”
On his part, the Country Lead, Global Alliance African, Joshua Adedeji, advised the government to relook at the educational curriculum to introduce people to technology early.
“People are afraid of Artificial Intelligence, but AI won’t take anyone’s job. Some jobs will disappear, and new ones will emerge. We also need to relook our educational system because we need to work a balance of learning and practical in schools,” he added.
