Nigeria creative economy development and policy

The Nigerian government has identified the creative sector, or ‘orange economy’, as a primary driver for economic diversification to support a goal of reaching a $1 trillion economy by 2030. Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, has set targets for the sector to contribute N100 billion to the GDP and create 2 million jobs by 2030. To facilitate this, the Ministry has inaugurated four committees focused on policy, strategy, stakeholder engagement, and monitoring to build the necessary institutional and financial architecture.

As the sector seeks projected annual growth of 8.6 percent through 2028, industry stakeholders have raised concerns regarding weak intellectual property protections. Experts highlight that widespread copyright infringement and inadequate registration services threaten the ability of creators to monetize their work. Proposed reforms include copyright levy changes to direct 50 percent of collections to rights owners and the establishment of the Creative Infrastructure Trust Company (CITco) to support the ecosystem. Observers emphasize that compensation must extend across the entire ecosystem, including producers, songwriters, and technical professionals.

Under the ‘Renewed Hope Agenda’ and ‘Destination Nigeria’ initiative, the government is also looking toward regional cultural assets. At the 2026 Kano Creative Summit, Minister Musawa highlighted the economic potential of Kano’s cultural heritage, such as the Kannywood film industry and traditional leatherwork, while calling for the professionalization of the sector through the separation of personal and business finances and the revival of cultural sites.