The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed has lamented that the creative industry, comprising music, concerts, theatres, travels, among others is the the worst hit by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Mohammed who stated this Wednesday in Abuja while fielding questions from journalists at the daily briefing of the Presidential Taskforce on Covid-19, also said the creative industry is second only to agriculture in the area of job creation in the country.
He explained that the creative industry which is the fastest growing sector of the Nigerian economy is severely affected in the Covid-19 era because it attracts a lot of people together, against the protocols on the dreaded disease.
“It is true that the creative industry is probably the most hit by the Covid-19 and this is the industry which creates so many jobs. It has always been the fastest growing sector of the economy.
“As a matter of fact, apart from agriculture, it employs the highest number of people and regrettably with the Covid-19, the industry has been badly hit.
“Before the pandemic we were in the process of organizing the third Annual Creative Sector Week. It is a platform whereby every stakeholder in the industry will come together and plan ahead for the expansion of the industry.
Unfortunately with the Covid-19, this is no longer possible.
“What we are doing now is that we are trying to set up a committee to communicate stakeholders in the industry to come out with other measures that will keep the industry going.
“Fortunately for us, even before this pandemic, the Federal Government had put in place certain palliatives that will speed up the industry – the Central Bank Creative Industry initiative which allows people in the industry to apply for a loan between N5 million and N500 million”, Mohammed said.
The Information Minister assured that members of the planned committee will soon be announced and mandated to liaise with the Central Bank and other agencies to work out the modalities on how persons in the creative industry can come out of the present economic crisis.
He also disclosed that the United Nations and other international organizations have been holding virtual meetings in a couple of weeks with the Ministers of Culture across the globe to find solutions to the global challenges facing the creative industry.
Mohammed further said the Federal Government was using this period to speed up the implementation of digital switch over which can greatly support the creative and other industries to create more jobs in the post-Covid-19.
Also speaking, the Minister of State for Education, Ben Nwajiuba apologized to Nigerian students in Russia who have not received their scholarship allowance and assured them that they would be paid this week.
“I think we have few problems in just about two countries, everybody else have received their money. I think the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) suspended work on it. We at the Ministry of Education had signed off all the remittances.
“However we expect that you will be paid within the week. I just confirmed from the Director, Scholarship that CBN is at work and it will be implemented within the week. If you incur expenses out there, the Embassy and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are available for you to report so that you can be augmented”, he instructed.
James Kwen, Abuja
