FG Targets 2 Million Creative Jobs by 2030

The Federal Government has set a target of creating two million jobs in Nigeria’s creative industry by 2030, as it intensifies efforts to position the creative economy as a major driver of employment, investment and economic diversification.

The Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa-Musawa, disclosed this at the closing of the 2026 Kano Creative Summit, organised by the National Theatre to strengthen Nigeria’s creative economy and equip practitioners with skills needed to build sustainable creative businesses.

Musa-Musawa said the government was integrating the creative sector into its broader economic development strategy through President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and the Destination Nigeria initiative.

“The Federal Government is integrating the creative sector into its economic framework through the Renewed Hope Agenda and ‘Destination Nigeria’ initiative, with a target of creating two million jobs in the creative industry by 2030,” she said.

The minister said the target reflected the government’s recognition of the capacity of Nigeria’s creative industry to generate employment, attract investment and create new opportunities, particularly for young people.

She also highlighted the economic potential of Kano State, describing its rich cultural heritage and long-standing creative traditions as important assets that could contribute to job creation and economic growth.

According to her, Kano’s centuries-old traditions in Kofar Mata indigo dyeing, leatherwork, weaving, blacksmithing, embroidery and Kannywood represent important components of Nigeria’s wider creative economy.

She said the international recognition of Kano’s traditional indigo dyeing further demonstrated the global value of the state’s cultural heritage.

The Kofar Mata indigo dyeing tradition was inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in December 2024, giving the centuries-old practice greater international recognition.

Musa-Musawa urged creative practitioners to take a more professional approach to their work by developing sustainable business structures around their creative activities.

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She advised practitioners to register their businesses, protect intellectual property, separate personal and business finances, understand project costs and strengthen collective bargaining through professional associations.

The minister also called for the revival of dormant cultural sites, including Kofar Mata, and the introduction of community-based training programmes that would enable older practitioners to transfer traditional skills and knowledge to younger generations.

She said preserving Nigeria’s cultural heritage should be linked to efforts to create viable economic opportunities for communities and practitioners who depend on the creative sector.

The Kano summit also featured a panel discussion on the future of Northern Nigerian creativity, bringing together senior figures from the creative and academic sectors.

The panel was anchored by Kaltume Bulama-Gana, Chief Executive Officer of the National Troupe; Abdulkareem Mohammed, founder of the Kano Indigenous Languages of Africa Film Festival (KILAF); and Rukayat Banjo, Head of the Department of Theatre Arts at Bayero University, Kano.

Bulama-Gana stressed the need for Northern creatives to repackage their works and make greater use of digital platforms to showcase the region’s cultural identity to Nigerian and international audiences.

Mohammed called for sustained professional training and stronger collaboration between universities and the creative industry to help young practitioners acquire the skills required to build successful careers.

Banjo identified language barriers and inadequate indigenous storytelling as some of the challenges limiting the region’s creative potential.

She urged creatives to produce stories that reflect Northern Nigeria’s history, personalities and cultural identity, while maintaining the quality required to compete for audiences on global platforms.

The panellists also called for stronger government intervention in skills development, grants, affordable financing and institutional support for practitioners across the region.

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They proposed the establishment of a National Troupe zonal office in Kano as part of efforts to strengthen cultural and creative activities in Northern Nigeria.

The summit further identified intellectual property protection, access to funding, digital technology, financial management and professional networking as critical areas requiring greater attention if Nigerian creatives are to compete effectively in the global market.

Participants said the practical sessions provided useful insights into how creative practitioners could improve their approach to creative production, business management and emerging opportunities within the industry.

The event brought together creative practitioners, policymakers, investors and industry experts to examine practical ways of transforming Nigeria’s cultural assets and creative talent into sustainable businesses and employment opportunities.

The National Theatre said the summit was designed to expose young creatives to industry leaders, policymakers and experts while providing practical knowledge on how to build sustainable careers in the creative economy.

The focus on Kano also reflects efforts to broaden access to creative-sector opportunities beyond Lagos and other established creative centres.

The Federal Government’s latest employment target is linked to a broader strategy to expand the contribution of the creative economy to Nigeria’s GDP.

In recent remarks, Musa-Musawa said the creative sector currently contributes about 2.3 per cent of Nigeria’s GDP, while the government is working to substantially increase its contribution by 2030.

The ministry has also relied on findings from Nigeria’s Creative Economy Mapping Report, which estimated that the sector could create up to 2.58 million new jobs and contribute about $100 billion to GDP by 2030 under an ideal scenario.

Under a more conservative scenario, the report projected more than 769,000 jobs, highlighting both the potential of the sector and the scale of investment and reforms required to unlock it.

The government has identified challenges including inadequate infrastructure, limited access to finance, skills gaps, piracy and weak intellectual-property enforcement as issues that must be addressed for the industry to achieve its full potential.

The ministry has consequently been pursuing measures aimed at improving financing, creative infrastructure, skills development and intellectual-property protection while attracting greater private-sector investment into the industry.

The creative economy covers a wide range of activities, including film, music, fashion, theatre, visual arts, literature, crafts, cultural heritage, digital content and other intellectual-property-driven businesses.

Government officials believe the sector can provide significant employment opportunities for Nigeria’s large young population while creating new avenues for international investment and export earnings.

The two-million-job target therefore places greater emphasis on converting Nigeria’s considerable creative talent and cultural resources into sustainable businesses capable of generating income and employment.

Achieving the target by 2030, however, will require sustained investment in skills training, financing, infrastructure, digital technology, intellectual-property protection and access to domestic and international markets.

The Kano Creative Summit reinforced the government’s position that Nigeria’s cultural heritage should not only be preserved but also developed into commercially viable opportunities capable of supporting livelihoods and contributing to national economic growth.

FG Targets 2 Million Creative Jobs by 2030

Police Clarify IGP Disu’s Position on Recording Officers

The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has clarified that Inspector-General of Police Olatunji Disu has not banned Nigerians from recording police officers while they perform their duties in public.

The Force said the IGP’s concern is instead the misuse of police recordings, particularly when footage is deliberately created to ridicule, provoke or turn police encounters into social media skits and entertainment.

The Force New Media Officer, Aliyu Giwa, made the clarification in a series of posts on X on Saturday following public criticism of Disu’s recent comments on citizens filming police officers.

Giwa said the IGP’s position had been misunderstood, stressing that the police were not seeking to shield officers from accountability or prevent citizens from exercising their rights.

“The IGP’s concern is not to shield Police officers from accountability or deny citizens their rights,” Giwa said.

He explained that Disu was specifically concerned about the misuse of recordings, including situations where officers are allegedly provoked, ridiculed, filmed for entertainment or subjected to unnecessary intrusion while carrying out their duties.

Giwa urged Nigerians to distinguish between responsible documentation of police activities and deliberately exploiting encounters with officers for social media content.

According to him, legitimate recordings can serve both citizens and police officers by providing evidence when misconduct is alleged and helping to protect officers against false accusations.

“As a public institution, the Police must remain open to legitimate scrutiny. Evidence is essential when an officer acts improperly. Similarly, responsible recording can protect officers from false allegations and support investigations,” he said.

The police spokesman, however, maintained that being in uniform does not completely remove an officer’s right to dignity and privacy.

“However, wearing the uniform does not remove an officer’s right to dignity or privacy,” Giwa said.

The controversy followed comments by Disu during a recent engagement with the leadership of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) at the Force Headquarters in Abuja.

The IGP had expressed concern about the increasing practice of Nigerians recording police officers, particularly when such encounters are subsequently used to create social media skits.

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Disu described the practice as “very, very demoralising” for police officers but acknowledged that citizens have the right to record officers performing their duties in public.

The IGP urged Nigerians to exercise restraint and avoid turning police officers into entertainment content.

“We are not saying they cannot exercise their rights of recording officers in the public places while doing their jobs,” Disu said.

“But they should put restraints and not turn our police officers to content for their skits or anything,” he added.

His comments generated debate among lawyers, human rights advocates and other Nigerians, with some arguing that recording police activities in public is an important tool for police accountability and transparency.

Giwa subsequently rejected the interpretation that the police were opposed to recording officers generally.

Responding to an X user who suggested that police officers should instead be equipped with body cameras, Giwa said the IGP’s comments were about misuse rather than a blanket restriction on recording.

“While you are allowed to interpret it as you see fit, the message from the IGP was concerning the misuse of recordings, not a general rejection of legitimate documentation or accountability,” he said.

Giwa also disclosed that body cameras were part of discussions around modern and accountable policing, noting that the technology could protect both officers and members of the public.

“Body cameras are, in fact, part of the broader conversation about modern, accountable policing, and they can protect both citizens and officers,” he said.

The debate has also been linked to a recent Federal High Court judgment affirming Nigerians’ right to record police officers while they perform their duties in public.

The court, sitting in Warri, Delta State, ruled on March 17, 2026, in a fundamental rights case involving lawyer Maxwell Nosakhare Uwaifo.

The judgment affirmed the right of citizens to record, photograph and document police officers carrying out their duties in public spaces.

The court also addressed the conduct of police officers towards citizens who record them, reinforcing the importance of protecting constitutional rights while police officers carry out law-enforcement functions.

The judgment has since become an important reference point in the debate over citizens’ right to film police officers and the limits of that right.

The NBA has similarly maintained that citizens should be able to document police activities in public, while recognising that officers are also entitled to protection from unnecessary intrusion into their private lives.

NBA President Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya recently backed the principle of recording police officers while they are performing public duties and called for clearer rules defining the boundaries between legitimate documentation and inappropriate intrusion.

Giwa said the issue should not be framed as a confrontation between the police and citizens or as a dispute between the IGP and the NBA.

“Therefore, the conversation should not be framed as Police versus the public or the IGP versus the NBA,” he said.

He said the focus should instead be on finding a balance between accountability and responsibility, transparency and privacy, and citizens’ rights and the professional discharge of police duties.

The Force New Media Officer also urged Nigerians to discuss the issue without resorting to insults or inflammatory language.

He said both citizens and the police ultimately had a shared interest in building a more professional police institution and creating a safer Nigeria.

Giwa further argued that technology should be used responsibly rather than treated as a threat to law enforcement.

“In the digital age, the solution is not to fear the camera. Instead, we should use technology responsibly, uphold professionalism, and let truth, rather than social media narratives, define the conversation,” he said.

“The camera should not weaken the institution. Also, institutions should not fear legitimate scrutiny. Both must ultimately serve the truth, justice, and the Nigerian people,” he added.

The latest clarification means that the Nigeria Police Force is not imposing a general ban on recording police officers. Instead, the Force is seeking to discourage recordings that allegedly provoke, ridicule or exploit officers for entertainment while maintaining that legitimate documentation can support accountability, investigations and the protection of both citizens and police personnel.

The debate is likely to continue as the police, legal practitioners and civil society groups consider clearer guidelines for balancing the right to record police officers with privacy, dignity and the need to avoid obstructing police operations.

Police Clarify IGP Disu’s Position on Recording Officers

Police Uncover List of 125 Lagos Traders Marked for Fraud, Kidnapping by Syndicates

No fewer than 125 business owners trading in some of Lagos’ busiest markets have been marked out as potential victims by two suspected fraud syndicates, in what the police have described as a disturbing web of calculated targeting. According to the police, members of the gangs studied successful traders, identified the commodities they dealt in, and devised different schemes to lure them into what appeared to be lucrative business deals. But the operation reportedly went beyond fraud. In some cases, victims were kidnapped and held hostage until their families or associates paid ransom. One such case involved a tyre merchant who, according to the police, was lured to the Aiyetoro-Itele area of Ogun State, where members of one of the syndicates held him captive and collected about N24 million in ransom before releasing him.

The development came to light following the arrest of seven suspected members of two fraud syndicates by operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit of the Lagos State Police Command, headed by CSP Sunday Cirman. The breakthrough reportedly came when one of the gangs lured a cloth seller to Ayobo, Lagos, apparently unaware that the police were already closing in. Three members of the gang were arrested in the ensuing operation, leading investigators to uncover a list containing the names of more than 125 business operators lined up for similar schemes. The suspects reportedly described themselves as “local 419” , a Nigerian slang for fraudsters who obtain money or property through deception. A police source said: “The two groups use different tactics but their mode of operation is that they target prospective investors or traders but ended up defrauding them in the process.”

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One of the suspects, 61-year-old Patrick Nwankwo, said the journey into the fraud business began, by his account, with a failed business, the death of his wife and the struggle to survive afterwards. He said: “I was into second hand cloth selling at the popular Katangua Market. At a time, the business failed and at that time, I lost my wife. I used the small money that was remaining with me to bury my late wife. I started as a ‘Caller’. A caller is a person who goes out to identify and speak with our prospective victims. We identify businessmen. After this, we lied to them that someone was in need of large supply of any particular commodity and for them to supply. We usually use bicycle spare parts as the needed commodity. Another member of the gang will serve as the receiver. Once they supplied those items to him, we will disappear from that address. Our base is in Ogun State but we target businessmen at popular markets, including Oshodi, Arena, Idumota, Alaba and Trade Fair markets. We already have our targets and what they sell. We don’t pray for gullible people to finish. Gullible people cannot finish in Nigeria. They want to get very rich quick and we take advantage of that.”

Sixty-year-old Emeka Obi also said he became involved after falling victim to another gang. According to him: “After serving my boss for six years and I had my own shop, somebody told me that they had drugs in large quantity but, when I got to where I was to get the drugs, I saw large quantity of American dollar. I didn’t know that they were fake. I was asked to deposit the N400,000 that was with me. That was a large money then in 1990. Initially, after collecting my money, they ran away but after they came back, I asked to join them and since then I have made more than the N400,000 that I lost to them. I used to be a caller but now I am old. I only allow them to use my office for their operations and I get only ten percent of whatever they get from their victims.”

Another suspect, 47-year-old Charles Okeke, a shoemaker in Aba, Abia State, said the journey followed a failed attempt to travel abroad. He said: “I joined the syndicate in 2018, when I was duped, while trying to travel out. One Mr Eze took me to Ghana. He promised to take me to Europe or America but abandoned me in Ghana. I started looking for something to do. I met some Nigerians there. I was into shoe making but the money was nothing to write home about. I met a boy, Chukwudi and a Ghanaian, Jojome. They invited me to join them and we duped people, under the guise of washing money for them. They lured people with gold. Later my mother died and I had to come back to Nigeria for her burial. When my family saw my situation, they advised that I should not return to Ghana. They said that I was not doing well. Because of hardship, my wife left with my two children. It was while I was looking for what to do that I met Emeka, through one of our town brothers, who was also into the fraud business but had quit.”

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Fifty-three-year-old Emmanuel Ekenta, an indigene of Awka, Anambra State, said he was once a successful businessman exporting plates to Ghana. “I was exporting plates to Ghana then and I was doing well. Problem started, when I was duped at the Togo border. Ghana people and some Nigerians duped me. They lied to me that they wanted to wash dollar for me in 2006. After I was duped, I requested to join them and they directed me to their boss in Lagos. He is the one who taught me how to dupe and I worked with him for six years,” he stated. Ekenta also described the roles played by different members of the group. He explained: “What we do is that one of us, usually the catcher, will pose as a sailor and a foreigner, who just arrived Lagos with goods for sale. We would then tell our prospective victim that he would make huge money by selling these non existent goods. After agreeing to sell the goods, the catcher will pretend to take them to the place, where the goods are kept but instead take them to our base, where we introduce them to dollar washing business. It is the normal thing of telling them that we have dollar but we need chemical to wash it. They will be asked to pay for the chemical. That is how we collect money from them. There is also usually the ‘sitter’, who sits at our base. He would corroborate whatever the ‘catcher’ already told the victims. He would lie to them. He would pretend to be the younger brother of the Customs officer that cleared the goods.”

Another suspect, 46-year-old Uchenna Paul, a former foodstuffs seller, said he joined the group after being duped of his master’s money while on a trip from Abia State to Lagos to buy stockfish. For the more than 125 business operators identified as potential targets, the arrests may have disrupted a carefully planned operation. Lagos State Police Command spokesperson, SP Abimbola Adebisi, said the development reaffirmed Commissioner of Police, CP Fatai Tijani’s determination to make the state uninhabitable for criminals. She assured residents that the police would continue to intensify efforts to dismantle criminal networks operating across the state. According to the police, the arrests have provided investigators with further information on the activities of the syndicates, including their methods of identifying potential victims and the roles allegedly played by different members of the groups. Investigations are ongoing.

Police Uncover List of 125 Lagos Traders Marked for Fraud, Kidnapping by Syndicates