Nigeria: Hannatu Musawa named minister-designate for art and culture

Musawa, a barrister, along with 44 others, was announced on Wednesday as part of Tinubu’s ministerial team, chosen after his victory in February’s general elections.

The inauguration of the ministers is scheduled for 21 August in the State House Conference Centre at Aso Villa, Abuja. It comes on the heels of Tinubu’s swearing-in as Nigeria’s president on 29 May.

Prior to her new post, Musawa served as special advisor on culture and the entertainment economy. She will succeed Layiwola Mohammed, who has been the minister of information and culture since November 2015.

Speaking to the press last month, Musawa shared her objective of implementing a national strategy aligned with Tinubu’s aim to double the national economy to $1 trillion in eight years. She stressed the global profile of Afrobeats and Nollywood as essential components of modern pop culture.

She also outlined a plan to boost growth in Nigeria's creative economy through the Destination 2030 initiative, which covers literature, music, film, design, and more to showcase Nigeria’s cultural identity worldwide.

“As demonstrated by the bold decisions made thus far by the president, this administration has a transformative agenda that has the Nigerian people at its core,” she said. “The developments planned in the creative space will reflect this by ushering in a new era where the government engages with and supports the extensive talent in the country in building a vibrant sector on par with global cultural capitals.

“Nigeria sits at an inflexion point where our global cultural impact is at an all-time high, combined with a new progressive administration. The time is now to support the talent and institutions that power the cultural, entertainment and creative economy.”