Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has said his administration would continue to encourage and support the creative industry with the aim to make the sector achieve a sustainable economic status.
Sanwo-Olu, while speaking at the opening ceremony of the inaugural design week Lagos festival at the weekend, said the creative industry is the next oil therefore government would provide an enabling environment for the practitioner to prosper and make the industry more bankable, create employment opportunities and fit into the growth track of the state.
He said: “In line with our project THEMES, which has E representing entertainment and tourism, we would not leave the creative industry behind. The creative industry has several sides, there is entertainment side which includes the film industry as well as artistes and there is another side to creative industry which is why we are here and it has to do with design, innovation, creativity, use of hands and intellect to come up with a whole lot of ideas.
“This is because, there is no point if we have all these talents and it is not known or cannot get to the market. To achieve this, what we need to do is to encourage this creative sector and help take it to the market. We will work with you to ensure that activities like this becomes bankable and sustainable. We need to ponder on how we would get a level where you begin to see the business side of it and I think that is the crux of my discussion with management of the Bank of Industry and other financial organisations that also need to be involved.’’
The Governor said Lagos is all about innovation, creativity and sustainability which is what Nigerians and the African Continent as a whole represent.
He added that creativity should depict nature, sustainability and innovation that can attract financiers for wealth creation and financial independence.
“The future is about innovation, creativity, sustainability and this is what Lagos is about, this is what we as Nigerians are about and this is the strength of the African continent. I want to say that this is something that we as a government will continue to support. We will do anything that we need to do to support you and make it a bit more reassuring so you don’t lose hope. We must be able to understand that anything we do, even if criticism comes, it is to make it better and bring out the very best in us.
Exhibitors displayed creative and handmade artworks.