The Lagos State Film and Video Censors Board, LSFVCB, has joined forces with the Creative Designers Guild of Nigeria, CDGN, to redefine culture as a driver of economic growth and national development.
This was made known by the Executive Secretary/CEO of LSFVCB, Mrs. Adebukola Agbaminoja, during the Creative Exhibition 2.0 held at NECA House, Ikeja, Lagos, on Thursday, with the theme “Redefining Culture for Economic Productivity.”
In her remarks, Mrs. Agbaminoja underscored the importance of collaboration between regulatory agencies and the creative industry to drive innovation and sustainable growth.
“Culture is the lifeblood of any society; it shapes our identity, values, and aspirations,” she said, emphasizing that the partnership between LSFVCB and CDGN was crucial for fostering creativity while ensuring responsible content that reflected Nigerian values.
Speaking on the link between culture and the economy, the LSFVCB Executive Secretary explained that redefining culture for economic productivity entailed aligning artistic expression with strategic economic goals.
“We must advocate for policies that foster creativity, ensure fair compensation for our artists, and promote our cultural products on global platforms. By doing so, we create an ecosystem where culture thrives and, in turn, fuels economic development,” she said.
Mrs. Agbaminoja commended CDGN for its initiative to invite students to the exhibition, describing it as a deliberate effort to pass cultural values to the next generation.
She expressed concern about the increasing cases of role reversal in some homes, where children are pushed into street trading or hustling as breadwinners, stressing that such trends undermine societal balance.
“We must return to teaching and reinforcing our cultural values at home and in schools to build a healthy and morally grounded society,” she added.
She further called on all stakeholders to unite in redefining culture for economic productivity and positioning Nigeria as a global cultural powerhouse.
In her address, Dr. Joy Osawaru Akinyemi, President of CDGN, outlined the Guild’s vision to make Nigeria the “Design Capital of Africa.”
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“We aim to showcase Nigeria’s creative genius as a viable export, build partnerships between the creative industry and government, and attract investment into our cultural economy,” she stated.
She added that the Guild’s vision aligned with the Lagos State government’s commitment to promoting the creative sector as a major contributor to the state’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and youth empowerment agenda.
Renowned cultural expert, Bishop Dr. Joseph Ighalo Edoro, delivered a paper titled “Redefining Culture for Economic Productivity in Contemporary Nigeria and Nations.”
He highlighted Nigeria’s potential to leverage its cultural heritage for economic transformation, citing the success of Nollywood as a global case study.
Dr. Edoro noted that the creative industry could significantly boost Nigeria’s GDP, create employment opportunities, and enhance cultural exchange.
He recommended targeted investments in training and technology, strengthened cultural partnerships, and effective management of intellectual property rights and copyright education as key strategies for sustaining growth in the creative economy.
According to industry projections, Nigeria’s entertainment and media sector, valued at approximately USD 9 billion in 2023, is expected to rise to USD 13.6 billion by 2028, representing a compound annual growth rate of nearly 8.6 per cent.
Also speaking, Mr. Daniel Krull, Consul General of Germany, proposed a cultural partnership between Nigeria and Germany that would link Nollywood with the German film sector for mutual benefits.
“Nigeria possesses the stories, rhythms, and colours; Germany provides infrastructure, training models, and global distribution networks,” he said.
He further suggested exchange programmes in set and prop design, art direction, cinematography, and post-production to merge Africa’s vibrant cultural heritage with Europe’s technical expertise.
“German studios can benefit from the warmth and emotional depth of African narratives, while Nigerian designers can learn the science of visual storytelling through structured apprenticeships,” he explained, adding that “This synergy can create a new sub-economy of cultural engineers—Africans trained to export the essence of their heritage with global quality assurance.”
Mr. Krull expressed Germany’s readiness to collaborate further with Nigerian creatives and production companies, noting that the German delegation’s presence at the exhibition was to explore opportunities for deeper partnership with Nollywood and CDGN.
