The federal government has unveiled strategic interventions to boost Nigeria’s creative economy and tourism sectors, the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Arts, Culture, Tourism, and Creative Economy, Dr Muktar Yawale Muhammad, disclosed this during the 2025 Ministerial and Sectoral Retreat held in Abuja yesterday.
In his welcome address, he identified limited funding access, poor infrastructure, piracy issues, security concerns and inadequate data on job creation estimates as major challenges hindering the full realisation of the sectors’ capabilities.
Dr. Muhammad said the retreat was a unique opportunity to reflect and set a strategic tone to reshape various sectors of the ministry.
He stated that the objectives of the retreat were to align the ministry’s strategic direction with the Renewed Hope Agenda and national development priorities, strengthen inter-agency coordination, and develop a performance framework and implementation roadmap for the ministry.
“This retreat comes at a pivotal time. The world is changing rapidly, technologically, economically, and socially, and the creative sector must be willing and ready to adapt if we are to remain the driver of innovations, job creation, and a viable tool for soft power and cultural diplomacy.
“The core objective of this assembly is for constructive deliberations on repositioning our vibrant revenue-generating sectors as catalysts for exponential economic growth, producing an effective virtuous circle for increased job creation.
“To identify key legislative, institutional, and financial reforms needed for the sector’s transformation and to adopt a world-class vision, mission mandate that will guide the formation of the Ministry’s Multi-Sectoral Strategic Plan 2026-2030,” the permanent secretary stated.
There were also goodwill messages from the Chairman House Committee on Tourism, representatives of the Chairman Senate Committee on Tourism, the Country Representative of the UNDP, and the Special Adviser on Policy and Coordination Central Delivery Coordination Unit.
