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Akwa Ibom urged to turn cultural heritage into jobs, businesses and wealth through technology.
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Commissioner Udofia says digital tools can take indigenous products and stories to global markets.
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Masterclass challenges youths to become creators and owners of cultural enterprises.
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Expert canvasses digital preservation and commercialisation of Ibibio language and culture.
September 15, (THEWILL) – Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Dr Anieti N. Udofia, has challenged the people of the state to move beyond preserving their cultural heritage to transforming it into a source of sustainable income, jobs and enterprise through digital technology.
Udofia made the call on Monday in Uyo while delivering the keynote address at the four-day Usoro Akwa Ibom Digital Economy Masterclass, themed “Culture to Capital”, held at the Ibom LED Hall, IBB Avenue, Uyo.
He said the state’s rich cultural heritage, including its textiles, cuisine, festivals, folklore, music, masquerades and traditional crafts, represented an untapped economic resource that could be packaged and marketed to local and international audiences.
According to him, technology has changed the way cultural products can be created, marketed and sold, noting that a young entrepreneur in a rural community could now use a smartphone to market indigenous fabrics and crafts to customers in Lagos, London or Los Angeles.
He said musicians could turn traditional rhythms into digital samples, while storytellers could transform proverbs, folktales and oral traditions into digital content capable of generating income and royalties.
Udofia described the essence of the masterclass as the conversion of “identity into income; heritage into enterprise; tradition into innovation; and culture into technology-enabled trade.”
He said the programme was designed around four key principles: Learn, Network, Innovate and Grow; which, according to him, were necessary for young creators, artisans and entrepreneurs to thrive in the digital economy.
The commissioner urged participants to take advantage of e-commerce, social media, digital finance, artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies to give their cultural products global visibility.
He said the ultimate objective should be to create an economy where “Made in Akwa Ibom” and “Coded in Akwa Ibom” would command equal pride and recognition on the global stage.
Udofia also stressed that the government could not build the creative and digital economy alone, calling for partnerships among government, private organisations, creative professionals, educational institutions and communities.
Also speaking during the masterclass, Dr Uduak S. Ibok, in a presentation titled “Ibibio Language Preservation Through Creative Media for Wealth Creation,” said the preservation of the Ibibio language could be combined with economic empowerment and enterprise development.
Ibok identified film, music, theatre, storytelling, social media, podcasts, broadcasting, animation and gaming as platforms through which Ibibio could be preserved while creating employment and business opportunities.
She proposed the development of Ibibio dictionaries and learning applications, e-books, audiobooks, online language courses, educational games, films, documentaries, music, animation and cultural tourism packages.
Ibok said the proposed value chain should move from language and culture to content creation, production, distribution, audience and revenue, with potential income streams including streaming, advertising, sponsorship, ticket sales, licensing, merchandise, tourism, educational products, subscriptions and royalties.
She further called for the creation of a state-wide digital archive of Ibibio language and culture, alongside support for indigenous creative productions and technology platforms.
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Speaking to THEWIL on the rationale behind the initiative, the initiator of Usoro Akwa Ibom, Mr Felix Uyah, said the masterclass was organised to expose young Akwa Ibom people to practical ways of converting their cultural identity and creative abilities into sustainable economic opportunities.
Uyah said the initiative was particularly focused on bridging the gap between the state’s rich cultural heritage and the opportunities presented by the digital economy, stressing that young people should not remain mere consumers of digital content when they could become creators, entrepreneurs and owners of intellectual property.
He said the organisers were interested in building a platform that would continue beyond the four-day programme by connecting participants with skills, networks, technology and opportunities capable of helping them develop commercially viable creative ventures.
The Commissioner, who declared the masterclass open, said the programme should become the seed of an enduring Akwa Ibom creative and digital economy capable of producing entrepreneurs, creating jobs and taking the state’s cultural products and stories to the global marketplace.
