The Minister of Arts, Culture, and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, announced that the ministry is poised to create a national museum and a national theatre within a “Creative City” to be situated in Abuja.
Musawa conveyed this information while presenting her ministry’s budget to the Senate Committee on Arts, Culture, and the Creative Economy on Thursday at the National Assembly, as outlined in a statement signed by her Special Assistant on Media, Nneka Ikem. This statement was made available to our correspondent on Friday.
Musawa highlighted that the establishment of two projects, a national museum and a national theatre within a “Creative City” in Abuja, holds top priority for the ministry. These initiatives are specifically designed to contribute to job creation for Nigerians.
She emphasized that the realization of these goals is contingent on the Senate approving the budget in a timely manner.
Additionally, she expressed regret over the substantial underfunding of the ministry and appealed to the Senate Committee to increase its allocation in the 2024 budget.
She said, “The ministry has been grossly underfunded, and we will be unable to achieve anything of significance without the right funding.”
“The potential of this ministry is astronomical if we tap into that so we would like to see what we can do at the legislative level to give the ministry the kind of funding and support that we require to achieve our vision within the roadmap, to be able to achieve the objectives of the Renewed Hope Agenda of Mr. President.”
“In line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu, the ministry has committed to an aspirational target of N100bn contribution to the nation’s GDP by 2030 and also to the establishment of major projects, which include the building of a National Theatre and National Museum in Abuja among other projects.”
Previously, Musawa underscored the ministry’s commitment to repositioning Nigeria through a range of proposed projects.
She elaborated on the significance and potential of the creative economy, outlining the core functions of the ministry. These functions encompass attracting foreign investment, cultural promotion and preservation, among other responsibilities, in alignment with Section 21 of the 1999 Constitution.
“We have set high key performance indicators for the ministry, and we are ready to hit the aspirational targets which we have set for ourselves.
“This is a new ministry which is also trying to create jobs and in addition, establish an intellectual property framework which will harness the culture and creativity of Nigeria. This, therefore will require adequate financial provision,” Musawa stated.
Senator Mohammed Onawo, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Art, Culture, and the Creative Economy, commended the minister for her efforts in initiating the establishment of a national museum and theatre in Abuja. He emphasized that the budget review aims to support her in efficiently carrying out her responsibilities and realizing her vision for the ministry.
“The committee encourages frequent interactions over the course of the year to achieve more synergy and ensure enhanced collaboration with the Senate,” the senator said.
A committee member, Senator Ede Dafinone, who represents Delta Central, also referenced the inadequate budgetary allocation. He expressed concerns about how the ministry planned to execute significant projects with such a limited allocation.