The National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC) and the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) have announced a groundbreaking partnership aimed at integrating Nigeria’s cultural and creative industries (CCI) with the country’s rapidly growing digital and innovation ecosystems.
The director-general of the NCAC, Mr. Obi Asika and his team met with the director-general of NITDA, Mallam Kashifu Abdullahi along with his senior leadership team at NITDA’s headquarters in Abuja to establish a collaborative framework. This strategic alliance seeks to harness the strengths of both agencies to drive growth, innovation and digital transformation across Nigeria’s creative and cultural sectors.
Key Focus Areas of the Partnership:
1. ICE Capacity-Building Programme:
NCAC’s flagship program, ICE (Innovate, Create, Empower), is designed to upskill participants in the cultural and creative industries. With NITDA’s support, ICE will expand to 1,000 locations nationwide, aiming to train 2 million Nigerians by 2027. NITDA will provide training facilities and digital labs to enhance the program’s impact.
2. Digital Platforms:
In collaboration with private sector partners, NCAC is developing digital platforms for cultural inventory, fan engagement, influencer marketing, subscription video-on-demand (SVOD), e-commerce, and capacity building. NITDA will support these platforms through local distribution networks and cloud services.
3. Infrastructure Development:
NCAC has formally requested NITDA’s assistance in equipping its headquarters and zonal offices with computers, tablets, consumables, digital labs and podcast studios to achieve full digital transformation.
4. Collaboration on Major Events:
NCAC will mobilise its creative and cultural communities to participate in NITDA’s initiatives, including the highly anticipated GITEX Nigeria 2025.
5. BuyNigeria.ng Project:
Both agencies have agreed to pilot BuyNigeria.ng, an e-commerce platform designed to take Nigerian markets online. The initial phase will focus on markets in Kano, Lagos, Aba, and Abuja to increase visibility and accessibility for traders and artisans, aligning with NCAC’s vision of enhancing productivity in the cultural and creative sectors.
6. Joint Committee:
A joint committee consisting of directors from both NCAC and NITDA has been established to drive the partnership forward and ensure the seamless implementation of shared initiatives.
7. Nigeria’s Got Talent:
NCAC’s Nigeria’s Got Talent platform will incorporate NITDA’s digital literacy programmes and gamified learning systems, creating opportunities for creatives to thrive in a digitally empowered environment.
A statement from the NCAC’s head of media, Dr. Dennis Olofu and NITDA’s director of corporate communications and media relations, Mrs. Hadiza Umar remarked that this partnership marks a significant step toward integrating Nigeria’s cultural heritage with cutting-edge digital innovation, unlocking limitless potential for the nation’s creative and digital economies.
