WorldStage– The Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF), the National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC), and the University for the Creative Arts (UCA), UK, have formalised their partnership aimed at unlocking Nigeria’s creative economy.
The NGF Director of Media and Strategic Communications, Mr Yunusa Abdullahi in a statement said that the partnership was formalised during the visit of the UCAS Pro Vice Chancellor for Academic Partnerships and Industry Engagement, Prof Lyndsay Duthie to NGF office on Friday.
Abdullahi quoted Duthie as saying the creative economy is not tomorrow’s opportunity, but today’s opportunity.
Duthie, a veteran television producer with credits spanning BBC, ITV, Channel 4, and Sky, is a strong voice connecting the United Kingdom’s proven creative industry model with Nigeria’s youthful energy.
With her years of expertise from Britain’s thriving media landscape, Duthie spotlighted Nigeria’s untapped potential and challenged policymakers to move with urgency.
Duthie underscored the nexus between creativity and economic growth, saying that “culture plus creativity equals economic power.”
She cited how nations were leveraging “soft power” – the subtle influence of art, film, and music – to reshape perceptions and boost exports.
NCAC Director-General, Obi Asika, while corroborating the impact of the creative industry and Nigeria’s potential, commended the NGF for the partnership.
According to Asika, the partnership will drive capacity building, skills development, and global opportunities for Nigerians beginning with the sub-nationals.
In his remarks, NGF Director-General, Dr Abdulateef Shittu, described the engagement as ‘both timely and significant’ as Nigeria positions the creative economy as a central pillar of economic diversification and youth empowerment.
Shittu said that the NGF, as a non-partisan platform and a policy hub, was committed to the creative sector because of its potential to deliver jobs, innovation, and social cohesion across Nigeria’s states.
“Our engagements with the NCAC, the Federal Ministry of Art, Culture and the Creative Economy, reflect this commitment.
“Together, we are exploring avenues to strengthen cultural infrastructure development, expand skills and integrate creative enterprise into state-level economic strategies,” he said.
Shittu, while noting that Nigeria’s creative talents were already projecting its cultural influence globally, identified lack of sustained investment and stronger partnerships to scale impact as the missing link.
“With structured investment, capacity-building, and international partnerships, this potential can be transformed into sustainable prosperity,” he argued.
Shittu, who highlighted the importance of collaboration with international institutions, assured Duthie of the NGF’s readiness to partner with the UCA.
“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.
Shittu described the visit as a chance to align state-level ambition with global expertise, expressing optimism that the partnership could lay the groundwork for a lasting impact.
“We 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.
Abdullahi recalled that the partnership came few days after Duthie delivered a keynote at NCAC’s culture and creative economy summit in Enugu State to bridge the two nations.
He described the summit as a moment to explore the UK’s resilient creative industries.
He noted that the sector which added 124.6 billion pounds to the UK economy in 2022 alone, could inspire Africa’s largest economy to diversify beyond oil and harness its vibrant youth culture for international dominance.
