Korea urges Nigeria to strengthen creative industry for growth

The Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Nigeria, H.E. Jeong Yo-an, has urged the Federal Government to strengthen intellectual property protection, improve infrastructure and expand access to financing to unlock the economic potential of Nigeria’s creative industry. He spoke at a joint seminar by the Embassy of the Republic of Korea and the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs in Lagos, themed From Soft Power to Shared Prosperity: Korea-Nigeria Cultural Cooperation and the Creative Economy.

Yo-an cited South Korea’s success in turning cultural influence into billions of dollars in export earnings. He said South Korea began treating culture as an industry after the Russian financial crisis of the late 1990s and introduced a basic law to promote culture in 1999. Investments in digital infrastructure, financing, education, training and copyright protection helped build a globally competitive creative economy.

Korea’s export numbers

He said South Korea’s content exports reached a record $14.9bn in 2025, while the Korean Wave generated nearly $19bn in exports. He added that the government did not create artists such as BTS but provided structures that enabled creative professionals and businesses to succeed. He said Nigeria did not need to borrow another country’s culture, noting that Afrobeats, Nollywood, Nigerian fashion and comedy had gained international recognition.

Yo-an said Nigeria’s creative economy contributed about 2.6 per cent to GDP, with a government target of creating two million jobs by 2030. He identified limited funding, weak infrastructure and difficult regulations as major obstacles. He said intellectual property protection was essential, recalling that piracy nearly destroyed South Korea’s music industry before stronger copyright enforcement and digital platforms that fairly remunerated creators helped revive it.

Trade and cultural exchanges

He highlighted growing cultural exchanges, including Nigerian-Korean drama productions, K-pop festivals and the activities of the Korean Cultural Centre in Lagos. On trade, he said South Korea’s cosmetics industry showed how cultural popularity could translate into commercial benefits, with exports reaching a record $11.4bn in 2025. Nigerian consumers are increasingly embracing Korean skincare products, he said, stressing the need for genuine products, proper registration with NAFDAC and reliable local distribution networks.

Yo-an proposed cooperation in local processing of shea butter. Nigeria produces about 10 per cent of the world’s shea nuts but earns only about one per cent of the estimated $6.5bn global market, he said. South Korea could contribute research, technology and quality-control expertise to support finished products in Nigeria, but such investments would require predictable regulations, clear quality standards and access to foreign exchange. He said both countries should expand ties beyond oil, gas and construction to creative industries, education, technology and entrepreneurship.

Nigeria’s soft power gap

Director General of NIIA, Prof Eghosa Osaghae, said Nigeria had yet to fully appreciate the global influence and economic potential of its creative industry. He said entertainment, music, film and food had helped reshape Nigeria’s international image. Nigerian entertainers and creative professionals had become visible at major international events, including the Ballon d’Or, the FIFA World Cup and global concerts.

Osaghae said Nigeria needed to move beyond celebrating international recognition and convert that influence into measurable economic benefits. He identified intellectual property violations as a major challenge, noting that artists and content creators were frequently infringed upon and enforcement remained difficult even when affected individuals pursued legal action. He called for a stronger regulatory framework and a transition from the largely informal structure into the formal economy.

He said the creative sector currently contributed about 2.5 per cent to Nigeria’s GDP, adding that projections at the seminar indicated its value could exceed $110bn by 2030 if properly harnessed. He said Nigeria should develop a deliberate policy framework to identify creative assets, organise stakeholders and promote cultural products internationally rather than allow other countries to benefit disproportionately. He noted South Korea is ranked second in soft power while Nigeria is 71st, and said Nigeria should aim to break into the top 50 and eventually the top 10. He cautioned against relying entirely on foreign models, saying Nigeria needed its own structures while drawing lessons from South Korea, South Africa and Zimbabwe.

Research Professor Prof Femi Otubanjo also spoke, saying Nigeria’s creative industry could learn from South Korea, which has successfully addressed challenges.

For Nigerian businesses, the message is that creative exports and local processing could earn foreign exchange, but weak intellectual property enforcement and limited financing remain barriers.