Creative industry can create 2.7m jobs by 2025, says Sanwo-Olu

Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, said the creative sector has the potential to create 2.7 million jobs by 2025.

He stated this yesterday at the Art of Technology Lagos 5.0 in Lagos on the theme, the creative economy and a digital Lagos.

Sanwo-Olu said the future of technology propels the state government to create a Lagos that everyone wants.

He said the creative sector is set to contribute five trillion naira to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).

According to him, the industry employs 4.2 million people across five sectors including media, entertainment, beauty and lifestyle, visual arts as well as tourism and hospitality.

He said the state is partnering with the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) to help tackle piracy in the industry.

He said the state is investing in a $100 million film city to create an enabling environment for the creative sector.

Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, said Nigeria was on a path to change its path.

Tijani said Nigeria today is a top destination for technology development in the world.

He described Lagos as a hub for creative professionals among other celebrities making waves within the creative industry.

He urged participants at the event to see the occasion as a forum to bind together and forge strategies that will create formidable solutions within the creative sector.

Actor, Film Maker and Entrepreneur, Kunle Afolayan, said Africa is going through a big creative change, saying the continent has witnessed a surge in creative output with a blend of culture and diversity.

Afoloyan described the creative economy as a treasure chest of artistic talents.

He said the industry is bedevilled with challenges including inadequate infrastructure, funding limitations, intellectual property issues and policy gaps.

However, he listed opportunities within the industry to include cross-border collaboration, market expansion, economic growth, cultural exchange and investment opportunities.

He advocated for a culture of open communication within the industry, saying people in government must create such synergy.

Commissioner for Innovation, Science and Technology, Lagos State, Tunbosun Alake, said the creative economy is strategic to economic growth.

He said the state is planning to engage 50,000 people in deep technology with the involvement of private sector participation.