The Nigerian government has sought for more assistance from the United Nations Education Scientific and Cultural Education UNESCO, to revamp the country’s creative sector after the devastating socio- economic effect of the Covid-19 pandemic.
This was made known by Nigeria’s Information and Culture Minister, Alhaji Lai Mohammed during his intervention at the 41st General Conference of UNESCO, in Paris on Wednesday, particularly, the meeting of the Commission on Culture.
After the intervention by the leader of the Information and Culture delegation, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Nigeria declared her support for some of the interventions made by UNESCO in respect of the body’s budgetary proposal.
In the 2022 to 2025 budgetary provisions of the organisation debated by member states during the 41st general conference in Paris on Tuesday, the Nigerian government said the focus of the document falls in line with the ideas and policy direction of Nigeria.
Some of the areas that align with Nigeria’s interests and concerns are that of post Covid-19 resuscitation of the creative economy, illicit trafficking of cultural goods, digital innovation and investment in the creative industry, gender equality and development and many others.
Budgetary provision
Mohammed said the Covid-19 pandemic gave Nigeria one of the hardest economic and social hit but affirmed that the country was slowly recovering and hope it becomes faster than it is considering the type interventions put forward by UNESCO in the proposed budget.
Besides Spain who queried the submission, every other member state had a consensus on the 2022-2025 budgetary provision and believes it will impact the sector positively post Covid.
“We are delighted that the budget focuses on some of our areas of concern. Our surveys and findings indicated that the creative industry in Nigeria has been the worse hit during the pandemic and it is still suffering.
We need influx of funds to save the industry from collapse. The creative industry in Nigeria employs about five million young people and is a big driver of the economy. After the agriculture sector, the creative industry is the biggest employer and that is why we are appealing to all stakeholders to assist the industry.”
Illicit trafficking of artefacts
The Minister disclosed that another area that the UNESCO budget affects that is in Nigeria’s interest is illicit trafficking of cultural goods. He said it is an area that the Nigerian government has been working on with huge success recorded so far.
“We have received some of our stolen artefacts from Europe and other parts of the world. We have collected some from France, the U.K and working for a huge collection to be received from Germany over 1,130.”
On his part, Chairperson of the UNESCO, Culture Commission, Vasif Ejuaccade said the Commission believes that culture provides response to contemporary concerns. He said the Commission will agree on present and future areas of concern and then provide strategic solutions.
Nneka Ukachukwu
