Nigeria, China deepen partnership on creative economy

MANAGING Director of the Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC), Dr. Ali Nuhu, has expressed satisfaction with Nigeria’s growing efforts to unlock, promote, and expand the country’s creative economy through partnerships with foreign governments.

He stressed that making Nigeria’s creative assets more attractive to both local and international investors would not only benefit stakeholders in the sector but also make notable contributions to the national economy and gross domestic product.

Nuhu spoke following the recent official visit to the People’s Republic of China by a Nigerian delegation led by the Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, with himself as part of the team.

He described the engagement as a decisive step toward deepening global collaboration.

During the China trip, Musawa met with the country’s Minister of Culture and Tourism, Mr. Sun Yeli, where she outlined ongoing efforts by her ministry to strengthen Nigeria’s creative sectors.

These include reforms, innovative strategies, and support structures that have attracted fresh domestic and foreign partnerships as well as increased investments.

She also emphasised the need to fast-track the implementation of the existing Memorandum of Understanding on cultural exchanges between both nations, building on the agreements reached during President Bola Tinubu’s recent state visit to China.

Nuhu, who attended the meeting, underlined the global resonance of Nigeria’s creative industries and the vast opportunities they hold for stronger and sustainable cross-border collaborations.

He further urged the resumption of the human capital support and scholarship scheme for lecturers of the National Film Institute (NFI) under the Students/Lecturer Educational Exchange Program at the Beijing Film Academy. The initiative, launched in 2006, was suspended six years later.

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The NFC also spotlighted its Safe Nigeria Audio-Visual Heritage project — focused on preservation, digitisation, and archiving at the National Film, Video, and Sound Archive (NFVSA) — as an area requiring grant support.

In addition, Nuhu highlighted the importance of enhancing film exhibition, marketing, financing, co-production, and value-chain exchanges through China’s participation in the annual ZUMA International Film Festival in Abuja.

Responding, Mr. Yeli affirmed that both Nigeria and China continue to make substantial contributions to the global creative economy, driving growth in creative goods and services. He added that China remains committed to strengthening cultural ties with Nigeria.

The China mission, Nuhu concluded, reinforced the Ministry and NFC’s resolve to harness opportunities, spur innovation, build human capital, and sustain mutually beneficial partnerships and collaborations.