Governor Sanwo-Olu unveils plan to boost arts and tourism with Renewed Hope Creative Villages
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu announced on Thursday, December 12, 2024, that the Ministry of Arts, Culture, Tourism, and Creative Economy will establish “Renewed Hope Creative Villages” to promote culture and tourism across the state. This initiative is part of the Tinubu administration’s plan to develop Nigeria’s creative industry.
Governor Sanwo-Olu explained that the new creative villages will serve as cultural hubs, integrating historic sites and monuments to create one-stop destinations for visitors. “The whole idea is for the ministry to collaborate with sub-national governments to identify these sites and historic locations and integrate them into the creative villages,” Sanwo-Olu said. He emphasized that the project aims to highlight rural historic sites and monuments, turning them into thriving cultural centers.
Sanwo-Olu also highlighted the vast potential of the creative industry, noting that it could generate hundreds of thousands of jobs across the country. “We’ve discussed the enormous opportunities within the creative industry. This vision will bring it to the forefront and encourage local governments to identify locations that can become cultural hubs,” he added.
In related news, Finance Minister Wale Edun revealed that states currently owe the Federal Government a total of N16.6 billion. Edun also provided an update on Nigeria’s financial accounts as of December 10, 2024. He shared that the Excess Crude Account holds $424 million, the Stabilisation Account is at N33.3 billion, and the Natural Resources Account stands at N23 billion. States’ surplus positions with the Federal Government amount to N363.4 billion, while their deficit is approximately N16.6 billion.
