Beyond Raw Talent: Why Nigeria’s creative economy demands structure, capital, and protection - Editorial@ITREALMS

For decades, Nigeria’s creative industry has been celebrated as a triumph of sheer willpower. From the global dominance of Afrobeats and the prolific output of Nollywood to the viral reach of digital content creators and literary icons, the nation’s cultural influence is undeniable. Yet, behind the glitz and international accolades lies a sobering economic reality: raw talent alone can no longer sustain or scale Nigeria’s creative economy.

The message delivered at the second QEDNG Creative Powerhouse Summit in Lagos was both urgent and clear. As stakeholders noted, talent without structure is merely a hustle. While creative individuals continue to put Nigeria on the global map, the country contributes barely 1.2 percent to its national GDP from the creative sector; less than half of South Africa’s contribution, where intentional policy, proper infrastructure, and transparent measurement frameworks are firmly in place.

iDICE's Ife Adebayo to keynote QEDNG Creative Powerhouse Summit 2.0 - ITREALMS

Mr. Ife Adebayo, the National Coordinator of the Investment in Digital and Creative Enterprises (iDICE) programme at the Bank of Industry (BOI), has been named the keynote speaker for the upcoming QEDNG Creative Powerhouse Summit 2.0. The event is slated for Tuesday, August 11, 2026, at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos, reports ITREALMS.

The announcement was officially made on Wednesday by Mighty Media Plus Network Ltd, the parent organization of the online publication QEDNG. This year’s summit, themed "Creativity, Culture and Nigeria's Next Chapter," seeks to explore how strategic collaborations between the government, the investor class, and the creative community can catalyze national growth, drive job creation, and foster sustainable economic development.

Chams founder, Demola Aladekomo, to chair QEDNG Creative Powerhouse Summit 2.0 — ITREALMS

Illustrious technology entrepreneur and founder of Chams Holding Company Plc, Sir Demola Aladekomo, has been announced as the official Chairman of the upcoming QEDNG Creative Powerhouse Summit 2.0, reports ITREALMS.

The high-level industry gathering is scheduled to take place on August 11, 2026, at the prestigious Radisson Blu Hotel in Ikeja, Lagos.

ÀLKÉ debuts, aims to protect, monetize Africa’s creative heritage - ITREALMS

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A major continental institution dedicated to protecting, preserving, and commercially monetizing Africa's vast creative heritage has been unveiled, with Lagos confirmed as one of its primary tour destinations, reports ITREALMS.

Dubbed The ÀLKÉ Ball; named after Alkebulan, one of the oldest known historical names for the African continent, the initiative is designed to fundamentally reshape the global understanding of African fashion, fortify regional creative economies, and secure long-term cultural sovereignty.

FirstBank, NLNG, Shell back QEDNG Creative Powerhouse Summit - ITREALMS

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Nigeria’s leading commercial bank, First Bank of Nigeria, has joined forces with Mighty Media Plus Network Limited for the maiden edition of the QEDNG Creative Powerhouse Summit.

Also supporting the event are Nigeria LNG (NLNG) and Shell Nigeria, two major players in the country’s energy and development sectors.

Udeme Ufot to chair QEDNG Creative Powerhouse Summit - ITREALMS

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Mighty Media Plus Network Limited, publishers of the online newspaper QEDNG, has named Udeme Ufot as Chairman of the inaugural its Creative Powerhouse Summit, reports ITREALMS.

Ufot is the Group Managing Director of SO&U, one of Africa’s foremost marketing communications groups.

QEDNG unveils summit to shape Nigeria's creative economy - ITREALMS

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QEDNG, the renowned online newspaper published by Mighty Media Plus Network Limited, has launched the QEDNG Creative Powerhouse Summit, reports ITREALMS.

This groundbreaking event will be held on Tuesday, August 12, 2025, at 10:00 a.m., at the prestigious Radisson Blu Hotel, Isaac John Street, Ikeja GRA, Lagos.

Hannatu Musawa: I have not broken any law, as 'Minister or Youth corp member' - ITREALMS

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The newly sworn-in Minister of Art, Culture and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa has declared that she did not break any law for accepting the Ministerial appointment by President Bola Tinubu, reports ITREALMS.

Hannatu in a personally issued public statement available to ITREALMS on Sunday, affirmed she is still serving as a member of National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) with four months to go.

Wakeup call! Nigeria must lead by creative technoligical development - ITREALMS

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"It’s amazing how you all sit there and watch yourselves die; the man next to me said 'Get up and do something about it.'"

Brawny Walter, fully bald-headed, with intense, steely eyes, he was as cold as they come. When I first discovered, I was going to spend my New Year’s Eve next to him on a non-stop JetBlue flight from Los Angeles to Boston, I was angst-ridden. I associate marble-shaven Caucasians with iconoclastic skin-heads, most of who are racist.

FG determined to transform creative industry into creative economy - ITREALMS Online

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The Federal Government (FG) has reiterated determination to transform the nation’s creative industry into creative economy, reports ITRealms.

Speaking at the 2018 Creative Nigeria Conference in Lagos, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said assured that Buhari administration remains dogged in its determination to grow the Creative Industry and turn it into a Creative Economy.

He told participants at the 2018 Creative Industry Summit, with the theme: ''Content - The Future of Nigerian Film and Television in a Digital Era'' that the summit has thus become an annual event designed to bring together international and indigenous experts, thought leaders, key players and renowned professionals from the entertainment and media industry, to examine and exchange ideas and innovations, to create sustainable solutions to challenges and harness the full potential of the Nigerian film and television industry.

The two-day summit, he noted was put together by Think Tank Media and Advertising Limited, in conjunction with the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture, was borne and executed out of a desire to urgently transform the Film, Television and Music sectors into a well-structured industry.

The first edition, he said, achieved some milestones, including sending a delegation of the Nigerian Film and Music Industry, led by himself, to the Inspector-General of Police, and resulted in the establishment of police anti-piracy units in all the 36 states.

The subsequent extensive piracy raids, he said, have led to the confiscation of pirated products worth hundreds of millions of Naira.

In addition, they facilitated the granting of pioneer status for the creative industry by the Federal Government to reduce financial burdens on new investments and encourage both foreign and local investments within the industry.

Just as a meeting with the Governor of the Central bank of Nigeria (CBN) resulted in the provision of stimulus capital for the Creative Industry to be invested through long-tenured single digit debt to private investors to build 100 community cinemas, 6 music Arenas across the geopolitical zones and state-of-the-art Pre and Post production facilities across the country, among others.

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Akinwumi Isola: Monumental loss to creative industry - SYNW

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The Society of Young Nigerian Writers (SYNW) has described the recent demise of Prof. Akinwumi Isola, the renowned author of O Le Ku, Efunsetan Aniwura as a huge loss to nation’s creative industry, reports ITRealms.

Reacting to the news of the death in Ilesa country home, SYNW President, Mr. Wole Adedoyin, said that he was yet to come to terms with the reality of Prof. Akinwumi Isola’s death as it was hard to contemplate the void his passage has created.

Also speaking, the national secretary of SYNW, Mr. Izunna Okafor, lamented that the father of modern Yoruba literature passed away at a trying period in the life of the nation when his knowledge and intelligent are mostly needed.

“We wish to express our deepest condolences to the illustrious Akinwumi Isola’s family, him hometown and Oyo state in general. We further pray that God Almighty will give the family the fortitude to bear the grievous loss” Izunna said.

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‘Tunde Oloyede, a creative genius’

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The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has described the death of former Village Headmaster Producer, Chief Tunde Oloyede, as a big blow to the creative industry in particular and the nation in general, reports ITRealms.

Speaking in Lagos, the Minister told ITRealms that Chief Oloyede's demise has robbed the nation's Creative Industry of a great icon, a creative genius and a passionate advocate of the industry.

He said while Chief Oloyede was a man of many parts, he stood out for his legendary role in the production of the TV drama series, Village Headmaster, which for a long time enraptured Nigerians.

''Chief Oloyede was a key player in the timeless and evergreen Village Headmaster. The industry and the nation remain grateful to him and the other greats who made the TV series a household name in its time, and even now.

''As a notable producer and a former President of the Independent Television Producers Association of Nigeria, Chief Oloyede helped to pave the way for the emergence and success of today's Nollywood, for which the industry remains eternally grateful,'' Alhaji Mohammed said.

As said by the Special Assistant (SA) to Hon Minister of Information and Culture, Mr. Segun Adeyemi, the Minister was quoted as also saying, the best tribute that could be paid to the late Chief Oloyede is for the industry practitioners to dedicate themselves to a life of excellence, creativity and hard work, qualities that made him to excel in his chosen career and brought him accolades in his lifetime and after his demise.

He prayed that God will give strength and succour to the family of the deceased, and also grant them the fortitude to bear their irreparable loss.

The Minister also prayed that God will grant eternal rest to the soul of the departed.

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FG places creative industry in front burner

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The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has said that the Federal Government has placed the Creative industry in the front burner, reports ITRealms.

“We have succeeded in putting the Creative Industry in the front burner of national discourse due to its critical role in the diversification of the economy,” he declared.

Speaking in Abuja, Monday, while granting audience to the Music Producers and Marketers Association of Nigeria (MUPMAN) on a courtesy call, the Minister reiterated the commitment of the Federal Government and his ministry in particular in positioning Creative Industry.

“We have taken practical steps to demonstrate our commitment to the promotion and protection of the Creative Industry. Mr. President has said it many times that we must diversify our economy and that we must produce in Nigeria what we consume in Nigeria, and in the last two weeks or thereabout, the Creative Industry, through the programmes and actions of this ministry, has dominated discourse," he said.

Mohammed also said, despite criticisms and unsavory comments, the ministry remains overwhelmingly committed to re-positioning the Creative Industry into a viable sector of the economy.

The Minister expressed the optimism that the newly-inaugurated
Anti-Piracy Committee consisting of officials of the ministry, Creative Industry stakeholders and the police will stamp out the piracy of intellectual property that has become rampant.

In his remarks, the National President of the Music Producers and Marketers Association of Nigeria, Mr. Sharon Essco-Joshua, hailed the Minister for his uncommon commitment to the growth of the Creative Industry in Nigeria.

He briefed the Minister on the forthcoming Nigerian Music Stakeholders Awards being organized by the Association, and which is aimed at recognizing major stakeholders in the industry with a view to encouraging them to strive for excellence.

Also speaking at the occasion, the President of the Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON), Chief Tony Okoroji, allayed the concerns raised by the Association on the menace of piracy, saying the minister has activated a plan of action to tame it.

"The meeting going on here (conference room of the Hon. Minister) is a major historic development. We have major stakeholders here. They are meeting with two Deputies Inspector General of Police sent by the IG and we have crafted a serious attack on piracy and none of this could have been possible without the support, the inspiration and leadership of the Honourable Minister.

"What I can say to you confidently is that during his tenure Alaba will no longer be a no-go area. We are dealing with it and we have set up some important action plan but it shows what can happen when you have the right kind of leadership," he said.

The Association later honoured the Minister with the title of the Grand Patron and also conferred on him the "Most Prestigious Stakeholder Award".

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Financing confab to take creative industry into golden era

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The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has said the Creative Industry Financing Conference, scheduled to hold 17-18 July 2017, will take the industry into a golden era of smooth access to short and long term financing, world class management as well as local and international distribution, reports ITRealms.

Special Assistant to Hon. Minister of Information and Culture, Segun Adeyemi quoted the Minister as speaking in Lagos on Thursday, at a press conference formally announced the event, which the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture is organizing in conjunction with the Think Tank Media and Advertising.

He said the two-day conference was conceived ''because of our realization that lack of access to financing is stunting the growth of the Creative Industry''

Alhaji Mohammed recalled that the conference is the latest in a series of conferences and other events that have been held by the ministry to boost the industry, citing others as the National Summit on Culture and Tourism held last year to chart the path for the industry, the Roundtable on the Creative Industry held in Lagos last Monday and the MoUs with the Bank of Industry, Tony Elumelu Foundation and the British Council.

''As you are undoubtedly aware, this Administration attaches a whole lot of importance to the Creative Industry. This is in line with its cardinal programme of diversifying the economy away from oil,'' he said, adding: ''There is no better demonstration of the high priority given to the Creative Industry than the fact that the Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, himself will declare open the Creative Industry Financing Conference.''

The Minister said the overall essence of the Ministry's efforts is to transform the Creative Industry to a Creative Economy.

''We also believe that this transformation must be driven by the private sector, with the government providing the enabling environment,'' he said.

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Responsible use, key to social media influence – Aniagoh

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The Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on Social Media to Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra State, Mr. Ifeanyi Aniagoh has urged West Africa Bloggers to be creative and use social media responsibly so as to influence their societies, reports ITRealms.

Speaking at the just concluded two-day conference of bloggers in Lagos, Aniagoh cautioned those uncreative to avoid social media as they may not stand the test of time, but expressed glad on what have been achieved in recent times by genuine social media experts who mean business.

He defined social media as a means of interaction among people in which they create, share and or exchange information as well as ideas via virtual communication, but was quick to add that responsible use of these tools is the secret of social media influence on the society.

“I am continually excited about what social media experts have achieved and provoked by what is still possible,” he asserted.

According to him, there are over 60 million active internet users in Nigeria, making it the largest internet population on the continent, noting that with a click, one passes information to thousand folds of people in a second, and describing that as the power of the social media.

He also said that social media has given people, especially the new generation who are Information Technology (IT) savvy, a new and effective instrument to come together for issues they believe in.

“I am a living testimony. Social Media is the revolution of our century,” he declared, pointing out that some of the recent social transformations in West African history were empowered via social media platforms.

Aniagoh cited an instance with Anambra State, where he said, social media has kept youths more informed and up to date; opened up channels for job vacancies, which has improved employment situation.

“The social media is gradually enabling Anambra youths to more effectively put pressure on how Ndi Anambra are governed,” he said, emphasizing that today, social media has taken the front burner as a means of educating and receiving feedback from the populace, hence serving as the vital link between the government and the governed.

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Pix: Ifeanyi Aniagoh, SSA to Gov. Willie Obiano on social media.