Nigeria's Creative Economy Fund Excludes Trade Publishing: An Oversight

• Nigeria's Creative Economy Development Fund excludes trade publishing, despite its crucial role in developing intellectual property.
• Trade publishing produces books that can be adapted into films, TV productions, and other formats, making it fundamental to the creative industry.
• Nigerian publishers are seeking alternative financing options due to their exclusion from government-funded initiatives.

Trade publishing is very fundamental to the creative industry because that is where IP is really, really important.

Nigeria's creative economy is touted as a key driver of economic growth, but a closer look reveals a glaring omission: trade publishing. Despite its crucial role in developing intellectual property for film and TV, this sector has been excluded from government-funded initiatives. The exclusion is not just a minor oversight; it reflects a deeper issue - the way Nigeria's government classifies the creative industry. Traditionally viewed through the lens of education, textbooks, and curricula, trade publishing is often overlooked as a commercial creative industry in its own right.

Trade publishing produces books for the general market, creating intellectual property that can be adapted into films, TV productions, and other formats. This is not just a niche activity; it is fundamental to the creative industry as a whole. Books provide stories and IP that can fuel the film industry, and Nigeria already has a large body of literature that could be tapped into. Yet, policymakers and industry leaders often focus on more visible sectors like music, film, and fashion, neglecting the crucial role of trade publishing.

The exclusion of trade publishing from government-funded initiatives highlights the need for Nigerian publishers to explore alternative financing options. This could include partnerships with investors or crowdfunding, allowing them to tap into new sources of funding and support their work. The comments made by Anwuli Ojogwu, Managing Director of Narrative Landscape Press, at the QEDNG Creative Powerhouse Summit serve as a wake-up call for policymakers and industry leaders to rethink their approach to the creative economy.

This development highlights the need for Nigerian publishers to explore alternative financing options, such as partnerships with investors or crowdfunding, given their exclusion from government-funded creative economy initiatives.

Source: Original reporting via Publisher seeks inclusion in Nigeria’s creative economy fund