Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun has stated that the creative industry is no longer a side attraction, but a global economic powerhouse.
This, he said, informed the commitment of his administration to build an enabling environment where talent is nurtured.
Governor stated this while declaring open the Creative Youths Experience, with the theme “Framing the Future Bootcamp,” held at the June 12 Cultural Centre, Abeokuta, on Saturday.
He noted that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s policies on youth development have continued to open doors of opportunity across varying sectors of the Nigerian economy, particularly in the creative industry, saying it clearly demonstrates his commitment to building a generation of empowered Nigerians.
According to the governor, who was represented by his Deputy, Engr. Noimot Salako-Oyedele, the programme was not just an event, but a movement that places youths at the center of creativity, innovation, and cultural preservation.
He noted that it aligns perfectly with the vision of his administration’s Building Our Future Together Agenda and the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Federal Government.
Abiodun, while promising that his government will continue to support the youths with mentorship, resources, and opportunities to ensure they lead Africa’s creative relations, charged them to allow their passion and creativity to be their propelling force.
Appreciating the organizers for putting the event together, the governor said that vocational training in the creative sector is not just about survival, but rather about economic viability, self-determination, and global recognition, adding that the youth must see photography and videography as needed modern skills that mirror windows into lives, opportunities, and destinies.
Also speaking, film producer and director Tunde Kelani urged photographers and videographers to use their cameras with conscience, challenge authority, celebrate beauty and hope, while also charging youths to embrace culture, as photography and videography are all about shaping the future.
He noted that technology has been democratized because content can be sent all over the world within a few seconds.
Contributing, the Chairman and CEO of NORD Motors, Mr. Oluwatobi Ajayi, said youths are living in an age where people are defining difficulties, urging them to focus on positives, be determined, be filled with character, build a reputation for integrity, have passion, be diligent, and pursue their dreams.
Earlier in his remarks, the convener of the Creative Youths Experience, Mr. Ayomide Ilesanmi, said the platform was created to provide an avenue for youths to thrive, stating that if youths are not properly trained and equipped, they won’t be able to harness the opportunities in the digital world.
He noted that the programme, spanning three months, would afford youths the chance to be trained in different skills like photography, filmmaking, editing, and film shooting, among others, adding that after the completion of the three-month training, the best trainees would go home with gifts beyond their imagination.
