Nigeria, Where is thePlace of Performing Arts in the Creative Economy?

Nigeria’s creative economy is attracting increasing attention from policymakers, investors and development institutions. Film, music, fashion and digital content are increasingly recognised as sources of jobs, investment and international visibility. Yet one critical truth remains insufficiently acknowledged: performing arts are the engine room of the creative economy. They train the talent, generate the stories, develop the skills, create the intellectual property and provide the live experiences that sustain the wider creative ecosystem.

Theatre, dance, opera, spoken word, puppetry and live performance are not peripheral cultural activities. They are the foundation on which many other creative industries are built. Actors, writers, directors, designers, musicians, choreographers, technicians and producers often develop their first professional experience on stage before moving into film, television, music, advertising, digital content and other creative fields. When performing arts are weak, the entire creative economy loses a vital source of talent, ideas, experimentation and professional development.

The Nigerian Association of Nigerian Theatre Arts Practitioners (NANTAP) maintains that performing arts must be recognised as the indispensable engine room and a distinct pillar of the national creative economy, with dedicated policy provisions, appropriate financing, functional infrastructure and measurable economic targets. Recognition without implementation will change very little.