Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, has stated that the creative industry is no longer a side attraction, but a global economic powerhouse.This, he said, informed the commitment of his administration to build an enabling environment where talent is nurtured.
Abiodun stated this while declaring open the Creative Youths Experience, themed “Framing the Future Bootcamp,” held at the June 12 Cultural Centre, Abeokuta, at the weekend.
He noted that President Bola Tinubu’s policies on youth development had continued to open doors of opportunities in varying sectors of the Nigerian economy, particularly in the creative industry, saying that it clearly demonstrates his commitment to building a generation of empowered Nigerians.
According to the governor, who was represented by his deputy, Noimot Salako-Oyedele, the programme was not just an event, but also a movement that places youths at the centre of creativity, innovation, and cultural preservation.
He noted that the programme aligns perfectly with the vision of his administration’s Building Our Future Together Agenda and the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Federal Government.
Abiodun, who promised that his government would continue to support the youths with mentorship, resources, and opportunities to ensure they lead Africa’s creative relations, charged them to allow their passion and creativity to be their propelling force.
The governor, while appreciating the organisers for putting the event together, said that vocational training in the creative sector was not just about survival, but rather about economic viability, self-determination, and global recognition, adding that the youth must see photography and videography as needed modern skills that mirror windows into lives, opportunities, and destinies.
Also speaking, a film producer and director, Tunde Kelani, urged photographers and videographers to use their cameras with conscience, challenge authority, celebrate beauty and hope, while also charging youths to embrace culture, as photography and videography are all about shaping the future. He noted that technology had been democratised because content can be sent all over the world within a few seconds.
In his own contribution, Chairman and CEO of NORD Motors, Oluwatobi Ajayi, said youths are living in an age where people are defining difficulties, urging them to focus on positives, be determined, be filled with character, build a reputation for integrity, have passion, be diligent, and pursue their dreams.
Earlier in his remark, the Convener of the Creative Youths Experience, Ayomide Ilesanmi, said the platform was created to provide an avenue for youths to thrive, stating that if young ones are not properly trained and equipped, they won’t be able to harness the opportunities in the digital world.
He, however, said that the programme, spanning three months, would afford youths the chance to be trained in different skills like photography, filmmaking, editing, and film shooting, among others, adding that after the completion of the three-month training, the best trainees would go home with gifts beyond their imagination.
