The National Council for Art and Culture (NCAC) has announced the launch of the Council for Creative Technology Futures (CCTF), a national initiative designed to serve as a high-level policy, strategy, and implementation platform for harnessing emerging technologies in creative sectors.
The council, formed with the approval of the Federal Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy (FMACTCE), will harness technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Augmented and Virtual Reality (AR/VR), Web3, and blockchain across over 49 creative industry sectors.
As Nigeria’s creative economy, projected to surpass $25 billion by 2025, continues to shape global narratives across music, film, fashion, gaming, and digital content, the CCTF will place Nigeria at the forefront of global innovation where culture meets code.
“This Council is about merging culture and code, storytelling and smart contracts, heritage and innovation,” said Obi Asika, Director General of NCAC. “We are not just reacting to global change, we are leading it from Africa.”
The core mandates of the CCTF include guiding Nigeria’s creative industries into a digitally empowered future that drives job creation and economic growth, equipping creators with global tools, platforms, and market access and enhancing Nigeria’s position as a cultural and technological powerhouse.
The CCTF will deliver the National Creative-Tech Framework & Roadmap (2025-2030), aligning with the National AI Strategy, Executive Order 005, the Digital Economy Policy (2020-2030), and NCAC-led programs such as ICE Hubs and Discover Naija. The council will take a memorandum from stakeholders and collaborate closely with NCAC sister agencies in culture and tourism, and taking a memorandum from the interested stakeholders’ angle will also advance global advocacy to elevate Nigeria’s creative sector on international platforms and look for the best-in-class solutions to drive economic growth.
Inaugural council members include Charles Emembolu, Talent Development, TechQuest, Talent Development as the Chairman of the Council, Misan Harriman, Director & Photographer, Dayo Elegbe, Sponge Group, Bizzle Osikoya, music executive, Kemi Awodein, Managing Director, Chapel Hill Denham, Osas Peter, Founder, BlackAt, Malik Afegbua, Creative Visual Futurism, Sandra Oyewole, Intellectual Property Lawyer, Judith Okonkwo, Tech Specialist, Dahiru Sani – Founder, Kaduna Business School, and Chinedu Odoala, Head, NCAC Secretariat.
Membership is pro bono according to the official statement, reflecting a national service ethos and shared commitment to a digitally empowered creative sector.
The council will, in its first phase, establish the foundational frameworks and deliverables, paving the way forward for the creator economy. The CCTF also announced that strategic partnerships will be developed with the British Council, University for the Creative Arts UK, UNESCO, Google, Meta, AfDB, Giz, the EU, Netflix, and other key development and technology partners-mobilizing investment, technical expertise, and global exposure for Nigeria’s creative-tech future.
“The launch of the Council for Creative Technology Futures is a milestone,” Asika said. “We are building the foundation for Nigeria’s creative future where our stories, music, and innovation are protected, monetised, and celebrated globally.
