By Izunna Okafor, Awka

The Anambra State Commissioner for Culture, Entertainment and Tourism, Mr. Don Onyenji, has said the incumbent administration of the State Governor, Prof. Charles Chukwuma Soludo is not relaxing on the enviable heights so far occupied by the State in its natural, human capital, social and economic endowments; but still taking further steps and making more giant strides to improve and build on what already is on ground.

The Commissioner disclosed this over the weekend in Awka, the state capital, while speaking at the closing ceremony of the Creative Innovation Ecosystem Consultative Value Chain Mapping Workshop, organized by Technology for Social Change and Development Initiative (Tech4Dev) in partnership with the Anambra State Government, UK International Development, and Nigerian Creative Ecosystem Growth and Innovation Initiative.

The two-day workshop drew participants from both the private and public sectors, with the State Ministry of Culture, Entertainment and Tourism, as a principal actor.

Giving an overview of what happened at the event, Commissioner Onyenji said the workshop explored and featured intensive brainstorming on some key industries that drive creative economy, such as films/videos, music, fashion, content creation, examining what is on ground in those industries in the state, both in terms the practice, the potentials, the policies, the opportunities and the prospects.

This, he said, is with the aim of developing an illustrative map of the creative innovation ecosystem that will showcase both strengths and opportunities within the creative sectors of the State and also serve as a tracker, guide and valuable resource for policymakers, investors and entrepreneurs, looking to invest in, engage with or support the growth of the creative industries/sectors in the State.

The Culture Commissioner, while commending the Tech4Dev organization and its partners for selecting Anambra as one of the seven states (and the only state in south-east) where to carry out the project, also attested that the project and its objective align with the vision of the Soludo Administration, which, he said, was is the reason the administration approved and keyed into the initiative, without relenting or relaxing on the already enviable status occupied by the state in those critical sectors.

According to him, Anambra, as the Light of the Nation, has carved a niche for herself in the creative industry, produced many stars, and stands tall in both natural, human capital, social and economic endowments, which all make it a premier destination for investors.

He, however, said the Solution Government, without any complacency, still envisions a more prosperous homeland for the people, both, now and in the future. This, he described, was why the government is exploring more partnership opportunities and still investing heavily in the creative, tourism and other sectors of the state, as evidenced by the various projects, programs, policies and initiatives so far championed by the administration in just two years.

While commending the state government for its approval of the project, and participants for their massive turnout; the Commissioner, who emphasized that Soludo's Administration is a government with deadline, also assured immediate follow-up to the post-workshop activities and the timely implementation of the outcome of the event for both short and long-term benefits of the State.

Earlier in their separate remarks and keynote lecture respectively, a Senior Research and Policy Manager at Tech4Dev, Mr. Immanuel Ovemeso Umukoro, and Research and Policy Lead at the organization, Victoria Oletu explained that the organization's choice of Anambra State as one of the seven states in Nigeria where the pilot phase of the project will be carried out was well-thought, given that the state is revered to be a center and home for creativity, as one cannot talk about the creative sector in Nigeria without mentioning Anambra.

They also described Anambra as a state that has given the world arrays of global figures in the creative sector, a state with many yet-to-be tapped investment opportunities and yet-to-be-harnessed potentials; as well as a state that is ready to receive more investors, and whose government is ready for partnership to further prosper the various sectors of its economy and generally better the lives of the citizens.

Among other brainstorming knowledge-rich sessions, the last day of the event also featured consultative value chain mapping session, which involved identifying value chains, actors enablers, frictions, and investment opportunities.