UNESCO Trains African Students in Entrepreneurship for Creative Arts

Hey there! So, guess what? UNESCO recently provided some awesome training to a bunch of young Africans who are super passionate about the creative arts. This training program, which was totally free, had over 50 participants from all across Africa. How cool is that? The event took place at the UNESCO Institute for African Culture and International Understanding in Abeokuta, Ogun State. Can you believe it? Last week, these lucky participants got to learn all about entrepreneurship skills for careers in the creative and cultural industries. Talk about an amazing opportunity!

The director of the institute, Professor Peter Okebukola, gave a warm welcome to all the participants. He made it clear that UNESCO is all about helping African youth, especially those in educational institutions, become successful entrepreneurs in the cultural and creative industries. And you know what? He believes that after this training, these students will not only have awesome careers in these industries, but they’ll also be able to immediately start creating goods and providing services in their own communities. How awesome is that?

Representing the institute at the forum was Ambassador Adebola Labiran, who used to be the Nigerian High Commissioner to India. He’s now a Senior Programme Advisor to the UNESCO Institute for African Culture and International Understanding. Pretty impressive, right?

During the training, Professor Okebukola stressed the importance of digital education. He said that in today’s world, having good digital knowledge and skills is super important if you want to stay relevant in the economy. And guess what? This training program offers the perfect opportunity for the participants to explore digital spaces and find more effective and profitable ways to work. How cool is that?

The institute knows that the cultural and creative industries are key to economic growth and reducing inequalities. They’re also important for achieving the goals outlined in the UN’s 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda. That’s why they’re working so hard to encourage more African youth to get involved in these industries. They want young people to see all the amazing opportunities that the cultural and creative industries have to offer. And you know what? These industries are already giving birth to new entrepreneurs in Africa. How inspiring!

Professor Okebukola shared that the institute’s plan is to train over 200 young people in the creative arts by 2025. That’s a lot of talented individuals! He also talked about the importance of the UNESCO 2005 Convention and how signatory countries, like Nigeria, should use the digital environment to promote and benefit from the Convention. It’s all about protecting and promoting the diversity of cultural expressions and making sure that ideas and works can flow freely between countries. Such an important mission!

So, to wrap it all up, achieving these goals in Africa requires the support and efforts of everyone involved. It’s not just up to the states’ parties to the Convention, but also the people themselves. Together, we can make a real difference in the world of cultural and creative industries. Let’s go!