By Ozolua Uhakheme, Assistant Editor arts,The Nation

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“There should be continuous advocacy at the national and sub- national levels for policy makers to fully appreciate the huge potentials in the culture and creative economy sector. The governments at the national and sub-national levels should invest in the culture and creative economy sector to harness its huge capacity for wealth creation, soft power and national cohesion; and there should be a review of the nation’s educational curriculum at all levels to incorporate culture and creative studies.”

These were parts of the resolutions contained in a communique issued at the close of a 5-day Culture and Creative Summit with the theme: Monetizing Culture and Creative Industries at the Sub-national Level, held at the Landmark Nike Lake Resorts Enugu, Enugu State from 8th to 12th September. Participants included Chief Executives of federal cultural parastatals, Commissioners for Arts, Culture and Creative Economy and representatives of Mandate Secretary Social Development Secretariat FCT, and Directors of 29 State Councils for Arts and Culture / History and Culture Bureaux and the FCT. Also present were representatives of British Council, Nigeria, Goethe Institut, Lagos and University for the Creative Arts, United Kingdom.

According to the communique, participants declared that the sector has the capacity of creating mass employment, contributing to the nationn’s Gross Domestic products, and driving sustainable socio-economic growth and development.

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The summit, organised by the National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC) was preparatory to this year’s National Festival of Arts and Culture, (NAFEST 2025) holding in Enugu between November 21st and 29th, urged states to intensify efforts at information dissemination on funding and collaborative opportunities from funding agencies to practitioners in the culture and creative eco system.

Pro Vice-Chancellor for Partnerships and Engagement, University for the Creative Arts, United Kingdom, Prof Lyndsay Duthie, said that Nigeria has incredible opportunities to develop its creative economy.

Prof. Duthie who attended the Nigeria Governors’ Forum meeting alongside other attendees including Seyi Agboola, UCA Senior Regional Recruitment Manager, Director General, Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), Dr Abdullateef Shittu, and Director General, National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC) Mr. Obi Asika. She was in Nigeria following the announcement of a Global Creative Partnership between University for the Creative Arts and National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC).

“The creative economy is not tomorrow’s opportunity – it is today’s,” Prof. Duthie said during her courtesy visit to the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) in Abuja. Channeling years of expertise from Britain’s thriving media landscape, she spotlighted Nigeria’s untapped potential and challenged policymakers to move with urgency.

But, in her keynote address at the summit, she spoke on what bridged the two nations; UK’s success in turning creativity into economic gold and Nigeria’s dynamo of cultural talent poised for global renaissance.

According to her, it was a moment to explore how the UK’s resilient creative industries, which added £124.6 billion to the economy in 2022 alone, could inspire Africa’s largest economy to diversify beyond oil and harness its vibrant youth culture for international dominance.

Prof. Duthie underscored the nexus between creativity and economic growth: “Culture plus creativity equals economic power,” she added, pointing to how nations are leveraging “soft power” – the subtle influence of art, film, and music – to reshape perceptions and boost exports.

Corroborating the impact of the creative industry and Nigeria’s potential, Asika said ‘at NCAC we believe in collaboration and have been working closely with the leadership of the Nigeria Governor’s Forum to develop the economic and business case for the Nations cultural and creative industries.’

“As we progress we had engaged a strategic alliance with UCA as we see the need to update curriculum, adopt global best practice and enable our own people. In this regard we were delighted to meet with the leadership of the Nigeria Governor’s Forum, which is the policy secretariat for Nigeria’s sub nationals. We have alignment on the range and breadth of Nigerian soft power as represented by this sector and its innovation and disruptions across multiple sectors, we are delighted to have brought UCA to the NGF and look forward to progressing our alliance with tangible actions that will impact our people at scale,” he said.

Responding, Dr. Shittu, said: “The visit is both timely and significant as Nigeria positions the creative economy as a central pillar of economic diversification and youth empowerment.”

He explained that the NGF, a non-partisan platform, and a policy hub is increasingly committed to the creative sector because of its promise to deliver jobs, innovation, and social cohesion across Nigeria’s states.

“Our engagements with the NCAC, as well as the Federal Ministry of Art, Culture and the Creative Economy, reflect this commitment,” he continued. “Together, we are exploring avenues to strengthen cultural infrastructure, expand skills development and integrate creative enterprise into state-level economic strategies.”

The DG stressed that Nigeria’s creative talents already project the country’s cultural influence globally. What is missing, he said, is sustained investment and stronger partnerships to scale impact. “With structured investment, capacity-building, and international partnerships, this potential can be transformed into sustainable prosperity,” he argued.

“The NGF is ready to collaborate with the University for the Creative Arts through knowledge exchange and talent development. Building institutional partnerships with globally recognised institutions such as yours will significantly accelerate the growth of Nigeria’s creative economy,” he affirmed.

For Dr. Shittu, the visit was more than symbolic; it was a chance to align state-level ambition with global expertise. He welcomed the UCA delegation warmly and expressed optimism that the partnership could lay the groundwork for lasting impact.

“We welcome you once again and look forward to building lasting partnerships that empower our youth, strengthen our cultural industries, and deepen the creative ties between Nigeria and the United Kingdom,” he said.

Between Prof. Duthie’s rallying call for urgency and Dr. Shittu’s pledge of institutional commitment, the contours of Nigeria’s creative future were clearly drawn: if nurtured with the right partnerships, the sector could become the next economic powerhouse.