The Federal Ministry of Arts, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy (FMACT&CE) has successfully convened its 2025 Ministerial and Sectoral Retreat, marking another milestone in its commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s creative and cultural industries.
The retreat, held at the Army Resource Centre, Abuja, was themed “Strategic Repositioning of Nigeria’s Arts, Culture, Tourism & Creative Economy for National Development & Global Competitiveness.” The gathering brought together consultants, stakeholders to reflect, strategize, and chart a course for sustainable growth across the Ministry’s diverse portfolios.
In his welcome address, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr. Mukhtar Yawale Muhammad, MFR, mni, welcomed participants and highlighted the Ministry’s recent achievements. These include significant strides in the film and music industries, the revitalization of traditional and modern festivals, the renovation and expansion of creative hubs, and the growing global recognition of Nigeria’s arts, design, and tourism professionals.
Dr. Muhammad emphasized that the retreat is focused on shaping a forward-looking framework to position the creative economy as a driver of inclusive economic growth.
“The core objective of this assembly is to engage in constructive deliberations on repositioning our vibrant, revenue-generating sectors as catalysts for economic transformation. This involves identifying legislative, institutional, and financial reforms, while developing a world-class vision and strategic mandate to inform the Ministry’s Multi-Sectoral Strategic Plan 2026–2030,” he stated.
Delivering her keynote remarks, the Honourable Minister, Barr. Hannatu Musa Musawa, expressed appreciation for the progress recorded under the leadership of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR. She acknowledged that while the sectors under the Ministry’s purview hold immense potential, they continue to face critical challenges such as inadequate funding, piracy, security concerns, fragmented and outdated data, and weak monitoring and evaluation mechanisms.
The Minister outlined priority sectors requiring targeted investment—Tourism & Hospitality, Audiovisual & Multimedia, Photography, and Fashion—and announced strategic interventions in the areas of infrastructure development, policy reform, skills development, tourism infrastructure, and data-driven decision-making.
“The creative economy and tourism sectors represent sustainable pathways to economic diversification that can withstand global market fluctuations, unlike traditional revenue sources,” the Minister affirmed.
The opening day also featured goodwill messages from the Chairman, House Committee on Tourism; representatives of the Senate Committee on Tourism; the Country Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP); and the Special Adviser on Policy and Coordination, Central Delivery Coordination Unit.
Attendees included Directors-General and Heads of Agencies, Directors within the Ministry, Special Advisers to the President and Honourable Minister, as well as senior officials of the Ministry.
Signed:
Ahmadu Chindaya
Director, Information & Public Relations
25th August 2025.
