FG Targets 2 Million Creative Jobs by 2030

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