Media company bids for funding from Nigeria's cultural development initiative

Anwuli Ojogwu, Chief Executive Officer of Narrative Landscape Press, is advocating for the inclusion of trade publishing in Nigeria's creative-economy funding programmes, citing the crucial role publishers play in developing intellectual property for various creative industries, including film and television.

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Ojogwu made this assertion at the QEDNG Creative Powerhouse Summit in Lagos on Tuesday, where she noted that publishing was notably absent from Nigeria's Creative Economy Development Fund and a government-led mapping exercise aimed at identifying activities within the creative economy.

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According to Ojogwu, the exclusion of publishing from the creative fund is evident, as she stated, "We are not included in the creative fund, and when the creative report mapping was done, publishing was not included."

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Nigeria's Creative Economy Development Fund is a Federal Government initiative that provides financing, capacity building, and intellectual-property-backed collateral solutions for businesses and creators across sectors such as film, music, fashion, art, gaming, publishing, and cultural tourism.

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Ojogwu attributed the exclusion of publishing to the government's traditional classification of the sector, which often views it through the lens of education, textbooks, and curricula, rather than as a commercial creative industry.

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This classification, she argued, overlooks trade publishing, which produces books for the general market and creates intellectual property that can be adapted into films, television productions, and other formats, making it a fundamental component of the creative industry.

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Ojogwu emphasized the importance of trade publishing, stating, "Trade publishing is very fundamental to the creative industry because that is where IP is really, really important."

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She suggested that books should be treated as part of the infrastructure of Nigeria's creative economy, given the country's existing body of literature that could provide stories and intellectual property for the film industry.

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Ojogwu urged Nigerian filmmakers to explore locally published literature for source material, rather than focusing primarily on whether stories would appeal to Hollywood.

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These comments come as policymakers and industry leaders seek to expand Nigeria's creative economy beyond its most visible sectors, including music, film, and fashion.

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Ojogwu noted that publishing often receives less attention due to its less immediately visible economic and cultural impact compared to music, film, fashion, and other creative activities.

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However, she argued that publishing's role in developing intellectual property makes it foundational to other parts of the creative economy.

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Yibo Koko, Director General of the Rivers State Tourism Development Agency, similarly criticized the government's approach to culture and the creative economy, stating that the sector is often treated as a "feel-good" activity rather than a source of sustainable economic value.

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Koko emphasized the need for Nigeria to view culture as an economic toolkit and establish structures that would enable creative businesses and artists to monetize their work.

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He highlighted the country's ethnic diversity, languages, and local cultural traditions as potential economic resources, arguing that festivals and cultural activities could attract investment, sponsorship, and visitors if developed within a stronger commercial framework.

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Koko stated, "The creative economy is a sustainable economic toolkit," and argued that the government still does not fully understand its economic potential.

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The QEDNG Creative Powerhouse Summit, themed "Creativity, Culture and Nigeria's Next Chapter", brought together participants from the creative, business, government, and technology sectors to discuss investment, partnerships, job creation, and sustainable development.