Publisher seeks inclusion in Nigeria’s creative economy fund

Anwuli Ojogwu, CEO of Narrative Landscape Press, is advocating for trade publishing to be included in Nigeria's creative-economy funding programs. She argues that publishers are being overlooked despite their crucial role in developing intellectual property for film, television and other creative industries. At the QEDNG Creative Powerhouse Summit in Lagos, Ojogwu highlighted that publishing was excluded from Nigeria’s Creative Economy Development Fund and a government mapping exercise intended to identify activities across the creative economy.

She explained that the government’s traditional classification of publishing as educational rather than commercial has led to its exclusion. Ojogwu emphasized that books should be considered part of Nigeria’s creative infrastructure, noting the country’s existing literary resources that could serve as source material for films and television.

She urged filmmakers to explore locally published literature for story ideas, rather than limiting themselves to Hollywood appeal. Ojogwu’s comments come as stakeholders strive to expand Nigeria’s creative economy beyond music, film, and fashion, recognizing publishing’s foundational role in developing intellectual property and its potential to generate economic value.