Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu has reaffirmed the state government’s strong support for the growth of the creative industry.
At the reception in honour of the Headies Awards, which was hosted by the United States Consul-General, Will Stevens, Sanwo-Olu said: “As a government, we recognise the huge and largely untapped potentials in the creative industry, hence our continuous committed efforts towards the discovery of new talents while encouraging the high flyers to continue to soar”.
The governor, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Barrister ‘Bimbola Salu-Hundeyin, said that, in view of the fact that the youths formed the larger population of Nigeria and the majority in the creative industries, there is a need to empower them with the right opportunity to maximise their potential.
Sanwo-Olu noted that the “E” pillar of the T.H.E.M.E.S PLUS development agenda, which stands for Entertainment and Tourism, clearly expressed the government’s commitment to fully harness the wealth creation and employment generation opportunities in the entertainment and creative industry.
T.H.E.M.E.S+ represents Transportation and Traffic Management; Health and Environment; Education and Technology; Making Lagos State a 21st Century Megacity, Entertainment and Tourism; and Security and Governance, while PLUS stands for ‘Social Inclusion, Youth and Gender Equality’.
The governor stated that the Lagos State Creative Industry Initiative (LACI) partnership with Africa Film Academy and others was meant to provide opportunities for the young and talented youths to acquire skills in different aspects of movie making, cinematography and scriptwriting among others.
Earlier, Stevens chronicled the growing ties in the creative industry between the United States of America and Nigeria, most especially Lagos State.
The founder of Headies, Ayo Animashaun applauded Sanwo-Olu for unflinching support for the creative industry, including the Headies Awards.
The reception featured new talents who thrilled dignitaries with their performances. It was also a night of display of Nigeria’s rich culture in fashion, food, music and more.
