*Nigeria and China Art and Culture Ministers Barr. Hannatu Musawa (Nigeria) and Mr. Sun Yeli (China), with other Principal Stakeholders and Delegates at the Meeting in Beijing, China
Efforts by Nigeria’s Federal Government to leverage on cross border opportunities to unlock, promote and grow the country’s creative economy has been commended by Dr. Ali Nuhu, Managing Director/Chief Executive of the Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC). Dr. Nuhu specifically commended Barr. Hannatu Musawa, the country’s Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy Minister for her foresight, determination and drive in improving the nations creative economy assets to attract both domestic and foreign investors.
The commendation comes on the heels of Nigeria’s delegation to the People’s Republic of China led by Barr. Hannatu Musawa, whose resolve towards the strengthening of existing relations, the enhancement of a robust and sustainable people- to- people exchanges, utilising the rich and distinctive cultures, creative and tourism assets of both countries, was evidently canvassed.
Barr. Hannatu Musawa at a high level meeting/engagement with the Culture and Tourism Minister of the People’s Republic of China, Mr. Sun Yeli, spoke on the tremendous efforts by the Federal Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy to improve the offerings of Nigeria’s creative sectors, including innovative approaches, support structures and reforms that have enabled the inflow of domestic and offshore partnerships, and increased investments. Barr. Musuwa informed her host of the need for both countries to expeditiously engage, initiate and activate all provisions of the existing memorandum of understanding on cultural exchanges between both countries, including the outcomes of the recent visit by Nigeria’s President, Ahmed Bola Tinubu GCFR to China.
Speaking at the meeting, Dr. Ali Nuhu, Managing Director/Chief Executive, Nigerian Film Corporation highlighted the global impact of Nigeria’s creative industries and the inherent great opportunities for a stronger and sustainable cross border partnerships and collaborations. Furthermore, Dr. Nuhu specifically commended and requested for the recommencement of the human capital support and scholarship scheme for Lecturers of the National Film Institute (NFI) under the Students/Lecturer Educational Exchange Program at the Beijing Film Academy, which was initiated in 2006, but unfortunately discontinued six years after.
The Safe Nigeria Audio-Visual Heritage preservation, digitisation and archiving project being undertaken by the NFC at the National Film, Video and Sound Archive (NFVSA) was equally highlighted for grant funding, while the need to promote the exhibition, marketing, financing, film co-production and value chain exchanges through the participation of the People’s Republic of China at the annual Nigeria’s ZUMA international film festival held in Abuja, the nation’s capital and vice versa was also on the agenda.
Mr. Sun Yeli averred that Nigeria and China continue to exert significant and great impact on the world creative economy, promoting strong export growth in creative goods and services, and China was excitedly ready to engage and up her cultural relations with Nigeria.
For Nigeria, the nudge to further grow the creative sectors is being achieved through domestic and offshore collaborative partnerships, innovative government policy frameworks that support technological advancements, as well as a friendly and safe investment environment. NFC, is determined to not only power possibilities, but also drive impactful innovations, human capital development, sustainable partnerships and collaborations.
