Nigeria’s Minister of Arts, Culture, Tourism, and Creative Economy (FMACTCE), Hannatu Musa Musawa, has disclosed the plan to understudy China in developing and branding the country’s cultural identity.
She disclosed this at the weekend’s New Year Gala, which was held at the China Cultural Center in Nigeria to celebrate China-Nigeria friendship.
“Since 1971 Nigeria and China have had cultural relations. You know, for me, as a minister of our culture, tourism, and creative industry, I need to see how we can explore further expanding those relationships between Nigerian culture and China because China has done very, very well in branding itself culturally.
“It has done very, very well in the creative industry in a way that we want to see how we can tap into getting production agreements between Nigeria and China to also get training capacity building across the different 49 sub-sectors of which China has been able to excel.
The Minister said Nigerians should expect “great announcements” coming out next year in line with collaborations with China, adding that: “We’ve already started discussing doing a co-production agreement between Nigeria and China that will boost growth within the creative industry, and at the same time, one or two projects that harbour around infrastructure for the creative industry and also for the culture as well.
“We hope to see how we can tap into the wealth of experience that China has had in terms of how they have branded their culture. Everywhere you go in the world, you see an aspect of Chinese culture, whether through their food or just through their kung fu or through their film. And this is something that we want to see how we can monetize in Nigeria in the way that China has been able to do so.
“And of course, now with tourism as well, China has been able to brand itself and make China a great tourist destination, with the Great Wall of China and what have you. And Nigeria has a lot to offer. So we want to see how we can work with China and learn from China.”
In his welcome message, Mr Yang Jianxing, Director of the China Cultural Centre in Nigeria and Cultural Counsellor of the Chinese Embassy, said the event was held to celebrate the extraordinary 2024, to welcome the hopeful 2025, and to celebrate the friendship between the two countries.
“China is willing to work with Africa to implement the ‘Ten Partnership Actions for China and Africa to Work Together to Advance Modernization’ in the next three years, covering mutual learning among civilizations, trade prosperity, industrial chain cooperation, interconnection, Development cooperation, health, promoting agriculture,” Jianxing said.
He said the advancement of China and Nigeria relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership had provided huge opportunities for the greater development of China and various African partner countries, especially China and Nigeria.
“The upcoming 2025 will be the first year of the ‘Beijing Action Plan proposed by the Beijing Summit of the FOCAC. We are in good communication with the Nigerian Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, as well as the Nigerian Ministry of Education, House Committee On Nigeria-China Relations, and other institutions. We will hold a series of exchange activities in the fields of culture, tourism, education and other fields to enhance the friendship between the people of China and Nigeria.
“At the same time, we are willing to provide support and assistance to the best of our ability for the development of Nigeria’s creative economy, tourism and vocational education by holding lectures or trainings”, he said.
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