The Edo government says it is targeting increased job creation and revenue generation through the development of the state’s creative economy, tourism and hospitality sectors.

The state commissioner for arts and culture, Chris Okaeben, disclosed this on Friday at a stakeholders’ engagement with players in the hospitality and creative industries in Benin City.

The engagement was themed “Heritage to Hospitality: Driving Edo Economic Growth.”

Mr Okaeben said the state government was committed to creating an enabling environment where talents could thrive, businesses could grow and creative professionals could earn sustainable incomes.

He listed hoteliers, hospitality operators, comedians, masters of ceremonies, hype men, stylists, makeup artists, content creators and disc jockeys among those who could contribute significantly to the state’s creative economy.

The commissioner said the government had commenced the grading and classification of hotels in the state to improve standards, attract visitors and strengthen the hospitality sector.

He also said the Edo Carnival festival had been revived for December to showcase the state’s unity, creativity, culture and heritage.

Mr Okaeben said the stakeholders’ engagement was an opportunity for the government to hear directly from industry players, understand their challenges and work with them on practical ways to reposition Edo as a major tourism and creative destination.

“Our task in this ministry is to create the enabling environment where your talents can thrive, your businesses can grow and your creativity can pay you well.

“This engagement is not a formality; it is to listen to you, understand your challenges and jointly fashion a roadmap that will put Edo on the global map as a major destination,” he said.

He urged stakeholders to support the state government’s programmes and work collectively to promote Edo’s cultural heritage, particularly ahead of activities marking the 10th anniversary of the reign of the Oba of Benin.

Speaking at the event, the chief executive officer of Amena Academy, Edosa Eghobamien, called for a structured framework to turn Edo’s heritage, culture and creativity into sustainable economic opportunities.

Mr Eghobamien said the creative industry had existed in Edo for centuries but lacked the modern structures needed for effective training, certification, organisation and access to markets.

He said a well-structured creative economy would generate income for practitioners, create jobs and increase government revenue through tourism, hospitality, events and other related activities.

Mr Eghobamien called for the establishment of a creative academy that would bring together experienced practitioners, academics and industry experts to develop training and certification programmes for different creative professions.

He also advocated the creation of creative hubs and an international-standard studio in Benin City to provide infrastructure and opportunities for local talents to develop and market their work globally.

“We need feasibility and structure. When structure comes, people will invest in it.

“The ministry will have to start certifying practitioners through a creative academy, while we create hubs and partnerships.

“We cannot continue to export talent; we must start exporting services while giving our talent a platform to grow,” he said.

The Amena Academy chief executive also called for increased promotion of Edo’s tourist destinations, noting that content creators and media professionals could play a major role in attracting visitors and generating visibility for the state.

He proposed an annual Edo Heritage and Content Creator Festival, as well as competitions and programmes to promote local talents, including hype men and other emerging creative professionals.

According to him, the creative economy should make greater use of social media and digital platforms to reach global audiences, create commercial opportunities and attract investment.

Mr Eghobamien urged creative professionals to take ownership of the industry, collaborate among themselves and produce more positive content that showcases Edo’s culture, heritage and economic opportunities.

Also speaking, the director-general of the Edo State Tourism Agency, Vivian Elabor, said the government was using the engagement to identify gaps in the sector and develop practical solutions.

Me Elabor said government was a continuum and that the meeting was designed to foster stronger engagement between the government and stakeholders in the creative and tourism sectors.

She said observations, complaints and suggestions from participants would be considered as the government worked to position Edo prominently in Nigeria and globally in arts, culture, the creative economy and tourism.

“To undermine the creative sector is to undermine the resources that can be generated. We are talking about a lot of money in this space.

“So, if we work together as a ministry, as an agency and as creatives, we can make a lot of money, reduce crime, illegal migration and kidnapping because our youths become employed,” Ms Elabor said.

The tourism agency director-general urged stakeholders to move beyond identifying challenges and focus on practical solutions that could be implemented before the next stakeholders’ meeting.

She called for greater private-sector participation in arts, culture, creativity and tourism, stressing that all stakeholders must contribute ideas and resources to develop the sector.

Ms Elabor said Edo must take a leading role in the creative and tourism space by creating structures that would enable young people and other practitioners to turn their talents into sustainable livelihoods.

She commended the organisers for bringing stakeholders together and urged participants to remain committed to raising the standard of the state’s creative and tourism sectors.

The event was attended by other top government officials, including Mr Earnest Ohunyon, the Permanent Secretary, Office of the Secretary to the Edo Government.

Others were Florence Edokpolo, permanent secretary, Edo Ministry of Trade and Investment, and the state head of service, Anthony Okobuwa. 

(NAN)