Minister Backs African Descent Creative Industry Summit

The Minister of Arts, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, Barr Hannatu Musawa has thrown her weight behind the forthcoming African Descent Creative Industry Leadership Summit, Honours and Pageants, scheduled to be held in May.

Barr Musawa made known the interest of her ministry when she hosted the delegation of the organisers, the Global Initiative for Leadership Success (GILLS), led by its President and CEO, High Chief Sunnie Chukumele, in Abuja.

The minister also expressed the ministry’s readiness to collaborate and give necessary support for the initiative to succeed, while commending GILLS for conceiving the project which she noted to encompass the entire network of the creative industry.

She noted that the mandate of her ministry aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s vision to position Nigeria as a strong economy that will no longer solely rely on petroleum export as major foreign exchange earner.

According to the Minister, “Many countries of the world particularly the Caribbean and some in Africa earn so much foreign exchange from tourism,” expressing delight with the proposed pageantries of arts exhibition, fashion exhibition and runway.

The event also seeks to showcase cultural parades, tourism and hospitality expos, and African/black beauty pageant as well as African Descents Creative Industry Awards and Honours.

Countries of African descents within Africa and beyond were anticipated to participate in the programmes with participants drawn from are heads of state, state ministries of culture and tourism, as well as agencies and parastatals under them.

Initiator of the summit, High Chief Chukumele informed the Minister that Embassies and High Commissions of African descent countries in Nigeria have embraced the initiative and were willing to participate at the programme.

He added that policymakers, industry stakeholders, and local and international financial organisations were also billed to participate at the summit.