The National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC) and the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) have announced a plan to train two million Nigerians on cultural innovation by 2027. This was announced in a joint statement on Monday in which the agencies outlined their goal to integrate Nigeria’s cultural and creative industries with digital technology through training, digitization, and infrastructure projects.
The NCAC said its flagship program, Innovate, Create, and Empower (ICE), will expand to 1,000 locations with NITDA’s support. The program aims to upskill participants in cultural and creative industries.
“NITDA will provide support through local distribution networks and cloud services to strengthen these platforms,” the statement said.
As part of the initiative, NCAC and private sector partners are developing digital platforms for cultural inventory, fan engagement, influencer marketing, subscription video-on-demand services, e-commerce, and capacity building.
The agencies plan to pilot an e-commerce platform, BuyNigeria.ng, in key markets in Kano, Lagos, Aba, and Abuja. The platform is intended to boost visibility for traders and artisans.
The NCAC said it would mobilize creative and cultural communities to participate in NITDA’s Gulf International Technology Expo in Nigeria in 2025. A joint committee of directors from both agencies has been formed to oversee the partnership and its projects.
