It is with great honour that I endorse this important publication on Nigeria’s cultural and creative sector. As a nation blessed with rich diversity, vibrant artistic heritage, and a dynamic youth population, Nigeria is uniquely positioned to harness creativity for economic growth, social cohesion, and global relevance. This book offers timely insights into how Nigeria can fully maximize the potential of its creative capital. It critically examines existing structures, challenges, and the reforms needed to build a resilient and competitive sector. More importantly, it aligns with the government’s renewed commitment to reposition the creative economy as a driver of national development. I commend the editors and contributors for producing what is arguably the first of its kind in Africa: a vital resource for policymakers, industry players, academics, and the general public. This work stands as a model of how scholarship, creativity, and policy can come together to unlock a brighter future for our creative industries and the nation.Barr. Hannatu Musa Musawa, Honourable Minister, Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, Federal Republic of Nigeria.Exploring Nigeria’s Cultural and Creative Industries: Perspectives, Problems & Prospects is a multi-faceted and deeply layered work that has endeavoured, successfully, to conceptualize and anatomize the vast ecosystem of the nation’s cultural and creative industries. The chapters build up to a value-adding relationship with each other. The overall effect is a nuanced awareness that connects intent with content and content with structure. On the whole, highly readable. Should stimulate research in the emergent discipline that is growing around the interaction of both industries and their ecosystem.Hyginus Ekwuazi, Professor of Broadcasting & Film, University of Ibadan.As Nigeria cements its place as a global cultural powerhouse, through our Nollywood films, our afrobeats music, our colourful fashion and digital innovations, this book, ‘The Nigerian Cultural and Creative Industry Ecosystem’ co-authored by Dr. Kizito Alakwe and Dr. Ikechukwu Obiaya, emerges as an important guide for scholars, policymakers, investors, and practitioners alike. It not only maps the sector’s contributions to GDP and employment but also grapples with questions of cultural identity, skills development, and the urgent need for infrastructure and institutional support. It is a crucial step toward grounding the creative sector in evidence-based planning and long-term strategy. It is a rigorous, timely, and illuminating exploration of Nigeria’s creative economy and cultural soft-power at a pivotal moment in their evolution. Best of all it draws an interesting conceptual framework to carefully unpack policy, regulation, and the interplay between government and industry players. Highly recommended reading indeed.Femi Odugbemi, Filmmaker, Screenwriter, Producer, and Media Executive.
