Boom! Musawa is Minister of Art, Culture and Creative Economy

Glitz Entertainment

  As President Bola Tinubu prepares to inaugurate a new cabinet tomorrow, Vanessa Obioha profiles Hannatu Musawa who will oversee the newly formed Ministry of Art, Culture and Creative Economy and the challenges she would navigate towards achieving the ambitious goals of  the Destination 2030 campaign

Tomorrow, President Bola Tinubu will swear in a fresh cohort of ministers.

Among them stands Hannatu Musawa, poised to assume a unique mantle, overseeing the Ministry of Art, Culture, and Creative Economy. But what lies beyond the ceremony’s pomp and circumstance is a journey towards a dynamic future, where cultural identity meets economic prowess.

Musawa’s ministerial portfolio is a departure from previous ministerial titles that primarily focused on culture and tourism. The nation now recognises a creative economy which in the past few years has been pushed forward as a critical contributor to the economy given the global impact of our music and films. A creative economy will encompass other forms of the creative industry such as media, beauty, tourism and visual arts.

Drawing from a distinguished trajectory in the political arena, Musawa emerges as a figure of substance, having last served as the deputy spokesperson and deputy director of public affairs for the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council. Her unwavering dedication to public service has paved a path marked by resilience and strategic acumen. Her educational background boasts lofty degrees in law from international universities. Her LinkedIn profile also stated that she is an activist for women and human rights and a lawyer. Apart from being a writer and a poet, Musawa’s knowledge of the creative economy seems limited, although she was appointed as a special advisor to the president on creative economy before her ministerial role. This does not in any way underrate her ability to handle such ministry. If anything, Nigeria has a knack for discovering hidden talents, irrespective of one’s educational or career background. Musawa surely will set the ball rolling once she settles in office.

While identifying the global impact of Nollywood and Afrobeats, Musawa champions a dynamic renaissance for the creative domain. Her blueprint dubbed Destination 2030 encompasses not only the establishment of pivotal public-private alliances and innovative funding avenues, but also strategic implementations, enriched educational avenues, and purpose-built spaces to dismantle the confines that have long curtailed the boundless potential of individuals and industry alike.

Similar ambitions have been taken by past administrations. For instance, during Goodluck Jonathan’s regime, billions of Naira were injected into the Nollywood industry and loan facilities were given to individuals to help them achieve their creative dreams. However, not all loans were returned and the money distributed created discord instead of harmony.

Therefore, in creating partnerships between the government and individuals, Musawa would have to put in parameters that would ensure that the funds are channelled into the right places.  In creating educational opportunities, Musawa would have to be specific in this area.  Does she intend to grant scholarships to individuals to study abroad and improve their skills? Or is there a plan to have more creative academies in the country? Also, how would beneficiaries of such programmes add value back to the industry?

In building spaces for entertainment to thrive, it will be interesting to see how the ministry plan to implement such projects. Already, Del-York International and the Lagos State Government are embarking on building a film city in Lagos. Will the minister replicate such projects in other parts of the country?

The litmus test that beckons Musawa’s tenure lies not merely in the grandeur of words but in the crucible of action. How these ambitions will unfurl in reality remains the critical threshold for the steward of culture’s evolution.

As she embarks on this transformative journey, perhaps a glimpse into the digital tapestry of her persona could unveil a dimension yet untapped. It might be prudent for the minister to revisit her posts on X (formerly known as Twitter). A curatorial gaze reveals a curious conundrum – a writing cadence adorned with capitalisation of each word, where even the humble conjunction and the unassuming article partake in this typographic waltz. There is also the ‘Boom!’ effect that reverberates at the inception of some of her posts about President Bola Tinubu. For instance, her post announcing the reasons why the president arrested the former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, was introduced by the word ‘Boom’ and a glowing star.

But who knows, the ‘Boom’ effect may work eventually if she manages to put the creative economy in the spotlight during the tenure of this ‘progresssive’ administration.