Nigeria has deepened its partnership with France through a strategic initiative aimed at boosting the country’s creative industry. The agreement secures access to concessional funding, which could increase from an initial €35 million to a potential €100 million.
The announcement came during the eighth Ministerial Press Briefing Session held at the National Press Centre in Abuja, where the Minister of Arts, Culture, and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, shared details of this transformative collaboration.
Musawa emphasized that the funding goes far beyond infrastructure—it represents a significant step toward nurturing creative talent, generating employment, and elevating Nigeria’s status as Africa’s creative powerhouse. “This isn’t just about buildings or studios,” she said. “It’s about building people, boosting opportunities, and putting Nigeria at the forefront of the continent’s creative movement.”
Central to the initiative is Nigeria’s partnership with the French Treasury, aimed at financing large-scale creative infrastructure projects. Musawa also underscored the critical role of public-private partnerships in realizing these ambitious goals.
She highlighted the recently signed audiovisual co-production treaty between Nigeria and France, which demonstrates France’s growing interest in Nigerian storytelling and content. The agreement is expected to stimulate economic activity, open new markets, and help position Nigeria as a global contender in the creative space.
Musawa revealed that the creative sector has already made a substantial economic impact, having generated over 577,000 jobs across the arts, culture, and tourism industries. With the launch of the Creative and Tourism Infrastructure Corporation (CTICo), and support from the French Treasury, the government aims to attract up to $100 billion in investments and create over two million jobs by 2027.
Creative Industries Fueling Employment Growth
Musawa proudly stated that Nigeria’s creative economy is a major engine of job creation. Backed by figures from the National Bureau of Statistics, she revealed that the entertainment sector alone has created 257,745 jobs, with an additional 23,221 roles emerging in 2024 thanks to over 20,000 new startups.
These figures represent a leap from 300,000 jobs in the previous period to over 577,000 by 2024, highlighting the sector’s rapid expansion. “When we speak of employment in this industry,” Musawa explained, “we’re talking about opportunities across the entire value chain—from production to distribution and everything in between.”
With continued investment and international partnerships, Nigeria’s creative sector is set to reshape the nation’s economic landscape and establish itself as a key driver of inclusive growth.
