How stronger partnerships can drive Nigeria’s creative industry — Expert

Nigeria's creative sector, including film, music, advertising, publishing, theatre, cultural tourism, technology, and digital content, requires stronger partnerships across industry, policy, finance, and technology to unlock its economic potential, according to Olumide Iyanda, CEO of QEDNG. Speaking at the second edition of the QEDNG Creative Powerhouse Summit in Lagos, Iyanda emphasized moving beyond systemic bottlenecks to focus on actionable commercial opportunities.

The summit aimed to bring together creative professionals, policymakers, financiers, and business leaders to explore opportunities for growth and betterment of the industry. Iyanda stressed that Nigeria's creative output not only contributes significantly to the economy but also shapes how the country is perceived globally. The focus of the second summit shifted from financing challenges to broader economic opportunities arising from closer ties between creative professionals, investors, government, and businesses.

As Nigeria seeks to diversify its economic activities and create new sources of employment, the creative industry, though often operating in informal and changing markets, requires access to capital, intellectual-property protection, infrastructure, and predictable policy to scale.