Nigeria realised $104m from creative industry in 2019 – Lai Mohammed

The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, said on Wednesday Nigeria generated $104million in the creative industry last year.

Mohammed, who disclosed this during a working visit to the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC)’s headquarters in Abuja, added that the film industry is the least tapped sector of the creative economy.

He told journalists the creative industry is the fastest-growing sector of the nation’s economy with $53 million and $51 million accrued to the government last year from the film and music industry respectively.

The minister urged players in the creative sector to work harder to actualize the potential of the industry and make it not just the fastest growing sector in Nigeria but also increase the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) from 1.24 percent.

Mohammed said: ‘‘Today we have 53 cinema houses with less than 200 screens but for a population of 200 million people. We need a minimum of 1,000 cinema houses and 6,000 screens.

‘‘You can imagine if Nigeria made $53million last year from the film industry with less than 200 screens, how much more when we have 6,000 screens. Our music is growing; we are looking at $86 million next year.

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‘We need to work harder so that we can actually actualise the potentials of this industry and make it not just the fastest growing sector in Nigeria but also increase our GDP from 1.24 percent. The industry accounts for 2.24 percent of our GDP. This can actually grow to 3 percent of the GDP.

“Nigeria is a country of colours, with 250 ethnic groups, good culture and almost all-year-round good weather.

“We are blessed with a good music industry that has become global and even the Nollywood is the second best in the world. Our fashion is celebrated globally.”

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