The Federal Government has stated that it does not have the finances to sponsor the formation of another agency or agencies in Nigeria since there are currently too many.
It made the announcement in Abuja at a consultation session with Ministries, Departments, and Agencies to discuss the proposed draft of the Creative Industries Development Bill.
The Nigeria Creative Industries Development Bill, 2023, aims to establish a Creative Industries Development Commission and to provide an enabling environment for Nigeria’s creative industries, among other things.
Speaking during the consultation session, Ben Akabueze, Director-General of the Federation’s Budget Office, stated that while the government will continue to support the creative industries, it would not support the formation of more agencies due to a shortage of funding.
He said that the proposed measure had two main components: the first was about establishing the commission, and the second was about creating an enabling environment.
“Personally, and the office that I currently head, will not support, on any condition, the establishment of yet another agency of government. We have for long maintained that in this sector right now, there are too many agencies,” he stated.
Akabueze added, “And we have maintained that this sector needs to harmonise and streamline these agencies so that we stop dissipating resources and focus on growth.
“Therefore, the much I have seen in this bill, there is nothing here that one of these agencies, even if it requires an amendment, cannot be amended to take on board. We will not be supporting the establishment of another agency.
“We don’t have the financing, and this is a consistent position that we have taken for a while. Many of you have heard about the famous Orosanye Report and for about 10 years now we’ve put it aside.”
He said the government did not only have a committee working on the implementation of the Orosanye report but had inaugurated another committee reviewing the additional agencies that had been established since the Orosanye report.
