The President/ Founder of Welcome to Nigeria, Mr. Sago Yusuf, says the Nigerian cultural sector has huge potential to transform the economy of the country.
Mr Yusuf said this in Abuja when he led the inter-ministerial Committee on Enjoy Nigeria EXPO 2021 on a courtesy visit to the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Information and Culture in Abuja.
He stated that Enjoy Nigeria EXPO 2021 is designed to showcase Nigeria’s cultural, creative and entertainment industries as well as travel trade to the world.
Mr Yusuf explained that the creative entertainment has empowered millions of youths in the areas of photography, music, fashion, food, creative designs, painting, sculpturing, among others.
He underscored the need for Nigeria to tap into her enormous cultural, creative entertainment and tourism heritages, noting that Nigeria currently does not have statistical data of the contributions of tourism to the growth of the economy.
Mr Yusuf pointed out that Enjoy Nigeria EXPO has provided a platform to promote Small and Medium Enterprises(SMEs) and entrepreneurs in Nigeria, who are engaged in all of these industries.
“Enjoy Nigeria EXPO is designed to showcase the businesses of SMEs, build network for them, educate them on how they can better their businesses as well as show them how they can access funds to stimulate the growth of their businesses,” he said.
Giving the highlights of the 6-day event, Yusuf said the EXPO would start with Business and Investment Forum tailored to bring together critical stakeholders to discuss issues cutting across creative entertainment, the cultural industry, tourism and travel trade.
In addition, he revealed that masterclass would hold for SMEs operators and Entrepreneurs to empower them with requisite knowledge to improve on their businesses.
“The event will feature Exhibitions, Business and Investment Forum and Entertainment in different contents including Taste of Nigeria (food value chain), Sounds of Nigeria (music), Colours of Nigeria (fashion), Images of Nigeria (photography, film) and Experience Nigeria (Drama and play).
“These give the tourism sector opportunities to market and reposition Nigeria.
“The film industry under Images of Nigeria content is a multi-billion dollar industry which has given Nigeria global recognition,” he added.
In his remarks, Mr. Murtala Tanko, Deputy Director, Investment, in the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, said letters of invitation have been sent to State governments seeking their participation, to which some have responded.
Tanko, therefore, pleaded with the Permanent Secretary to direct the agencies under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture to participate actively during the EXPO as well as encourage government-owned media outfits to provide coverage for the event.
Enjoy Nigeria Expo, slated for December 6th-12th, 2021, an initiative of the Welcome to Nigeria, is being organized through public- private sectors’ arrangement.
