The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has given his support to the Uncover Naija project, a national creative initiative aimed at showcasing Nigerian artistic talent and strengthening the country’s cultural and creative economy.

The convener of the initiative, Abiola Adelana, who confirmed this during the national exhibition of the project in Abuja earlier in the week, also said that the project received the endorsement of other public and private-sector participants.

A statement by Adelana said the minister’s endorsement was significant to the project’s objective of taking Nigerian creative talent to wider domestic and international audiences, starting from the connection between aviation, tourism and the creative economy.

She said aviation provides an important gateway for international visitors and investors to experience Nigeria, adding that the country’s creative assets could play a greater role in shaping the destination’s image and attracting global attention.

According to her, Uncover Naija was established to identify, showcase and support Nigerian creative talent while creating opportunities for Nigerians to derive greater economic value from their works.

She added: “The project has received more than 700 applications from across Nigeria, with 25 finalists selected by a jury comprising Nike Okundaye, Ato Arinze, Arinze Stanley, David Olatoye and Maryam Maigida.”

Adelana said the initiative had developed into a national partnership involving the Federal Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, the Office of the Special Adviser to the President and private-sector organisations.

She also mentioned the contributions of financial institutions in the country, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and other partners to the project.

The convener said the support from stakeholders, including the Aviation Minister, would help strengthen efforts to position Nigerian creativity as an asset for tourism promotion, cultural diplomacy and economic development.

Adelana said the organisers intended to sustain Uncover Naija beyond the Abuja exhibition and expand it to other regions, creative disciplines and generations of Nigerian talent.