In a watershed moment for African cinema, Nigeria marked two historic firsts at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, signalling the country’s emerging prominence on the global film stage. Akinola Davies Jr.’s debut feature “My Father’s Shadow” became the first Nigerian film ever selected for the prestigious festival’s lineup, while the nation’s Culture Minister Hannatu Musa-Musawa made her inaugural appearance on the Croisette to unveil ambitious plans for Nigeria’s creative industries.
“Nigeria is having this great global moment,” declared Musa-Musawa, Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, during an interview at Deadline’s Cannes Studio. Her presence at the world’s most celebrated film festival is a reference to the Nigerian government’s recognition of the creative sector’s potential as a cornerstone of economic development.
The minister revealed details of “Destination 2030 Nigeria,” a comprehensive growth initiative designed to establish the West African nation as a leading global hub for arts, culture, and creativity. The plan’s ambitious targets include creating more than two million jobs in tourism and creative industries while contributing $100 million to Nigeria’s GDP within the next five years.
What makes this initiative particularly noteworthy is the substantial financial commitment already secured. “The federal government has already secured $300 million in investment for the ministry,” Musa-Musawa confirmed, demonstrating unprecedented governmental support for a sector traditionally overshadowed by Nigeria’s oil-dependent economy.
The minister framed the creative economy push as a direct response to Nigeria’s youth unemployment challenges. “You have a growing population that don’t have jobs,” she explained. “They’re slightly disillusioned and slightly apathetic and why? It’s because there’s nothing really to sustain them.“
Musa-Musawa highlighted the democratizing nature of creative industries as particularly suited to Nigeria’s demographic reality. “Many of the Nigerians that are growing up are very impoverished. They don’t have access to oil companies or even to basic education,” she noted. “But in every single locality they have the ability to create content with their phones – it’s all within the creative industry.”
This grassroots accessibility forms the foundation of the government’s strategy. “In identifying the creative industry as something that is going to be long term and sustainable for this growing population is something that is very important to us,” the minister emphasized.
Nigeria’s Cannes presence extended beyond governmental representation. The Filmhouse Group, a leading force in Nigerian cinema, took centre stage at the Nigerian International Film Summit (NIFS) during the festival, facilitating crucial conversations about Nollywood’s evolving position in global entertainment.
Filmhouse Group CEO Kene Okwuosa and Chief Content Officer of FilmOne Entertainment Ladun Awobokun outlined strategies for connecting African content with international markets, emphasising the need for infrastructure development alongside creative output.
“We must invest in scalable ecosystems,” asserted Awobokun. “For Nollywood to thrive globally, structure and sustainability must complement creativity.” This sentiment reflects a maturing industry perspective that looks beyond individual project success toward systematic growth.
Okwuosa reinforced this vision with a call to action: “The world wants African stories, but it’s our responsibility to ensure we’re creating the ecosystems to sustain that demand.” He emphasized comprehensive development across “licensing frameworks and exhibition strategies to co-productions and international distribution,” noting the industry must “build for scale, not just success.”
The convergence of governmental support and industry leadership at Cannes represents a pivotal moment for Nigeria’s creative economy. With “My Father’s Shadow” bringing Nigerian storytelling to one of cinema’s most prestigious platforms and substantial financial investment backing ambitious growth plans, the country appears positioned for a transformative period in its creative industries.
As global interest in diverse storytelling continues to grow, Nigeria’s strategic focus on creative sector development could establish the nation as not just Africa’s most populous country, but potentially its most culturally influential on the world stage.
The journey from Nollywood to Cannes may soon become a well-travelled path rather than a historic exception.
