… Urges State, FG to Harness the Dynamics of Cultural industries for Wealth Creation
Senior Special Assistant to Bayelsa State governor on Tourism Development, Mr. Tamaramiebi Abiri has called on states and federal government to explore the potentials of the creative and cultural industries for job creation and wealth, just as he commended the great feats of Nigeria’s Afrobeat stars, Burna Boy and Wizkid, who both won the 2021 Grammy Awards recently in Los Angeles USA.
Mr Abiri who spoke with travel journalists in Port Harcourt on Tuesday, described the 2021 Grammy Awards conferred on Damini Ogulu aka Burna Boy and Wizkid as very exciting moment for African artists and the entire youth across the continent.
He pointed out that: “Early discovery and mentorship of talented youth across Africa could be the driving force to achieve Africa’s cultural renaissance in the post Covid19 Pandemic era for our quick economic recovery, adding that Burna Boy and Wizkid became global cultural tourism icons through their music talents which have made them international music stars today.”
The SSA who also is alumnus of Oxford Brookes University, where Burna Boy graduated from, pointed out that there are numerous events that come under the creative and cultural industries which have significant impact on local businesses, just as he called on the public and private sectors to focus more attention on the creative economy with a view to stimulating entrepreneurship among the youth for job creation.
“Globally, the creative economy is driven by television and visual arts in terms of revenue generation. Technology is an integral part of the creative economy in the global market because much of the content for the digital economy is generated by these industries. Examples of this include the consumption of videos and movies, music and books on digital platforms, as well as online and mobile games.
“The creative and cultural industries are important because of their potential employment generation. The benefits of the creative economy are heavily concentrated in North America, Asia and the Pacific as well as Europe, both in terms of revenue and employment. For instance, the creative industries in the United Kingdom (UK) have experienced growth at twice the rate of the national economy since 2010 and exceeded the £100 billion mark (£101.5 billion) in 2017.
“The UK government points to the strength of their digital and technological sector in driving economic growth as well as continued support from the government for creative industries in the form of innovation funding for example,” he reiterated.
According to the SSA on Tourism Development: “the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) recommends that countries integrate creative and cultural industries’ opportunities into their national strategies, policies and budgets to enhance the protection of intellectual property rights to improve regional ties; develop, retain and attract the human capital required for creative and cultural industries to improve the dynamics of the creative and cultural industries and improve planning and policy-making.”
According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), the cultural industries include music, writing, art, fashion, design and media industries and are inclusive of technology and craft-intensive production.
Damini Ogulu was born in Port Harcourt, Nigeria. His father managed a welding company and his mother worked as a translator. His grandfather Benson Idonije once managed Fela Kuti. His mother Bose Ogulu would later become his manager. Ogulu grew up in southern Nigeria and began making his own beats using Fruity Loops.
He attended Corona Secondary School in Agbara (Ogun State) and relocated to London to further his studies. He later studied Media Technology at the University of Sussex, followed by Media Communications and Culture at Oxford Brookes University.
