Nigeria is finally waking up and supporting its creative industry. Even better, Nigerian citizens are steadily climbing the ladder and making a name for themselves internationally in various fields.
Read on to see what news made it to our Weekly Creative Roundup today.
1. Meta Plans To Shut Down ‘live’ Shopping On Instagram
Meta announced that it would shut down its live shopping feature on Instagram. The company reported on its support page that this move “…will help us focus on products and features that provide the most value to our users”.
Creators will not be able to tag products during IG Live sessions as of March 16 2023. However, online shopping isn’t going away entirely on Instagram. Instead, the company wants to quit Instagram’s live-stream shopping business.
Source: Innovation Village
2. Federal Government Enjoined To Support Nigerian Creative Industry
Stakeholders in Abuja have suggested that Nigeria’s ailing economy can receive a drastic boost if the Federal Government harnesses the creative industry opportunities and pass the ‘Creative Industries Development Bill’ into law.
The stakeholders, with the involvement of the Presidency, are insisting that the nation’s creative industry could become a leading Foreign Direct Investment driver, employing millions of Nigerians, especially youths, while unlocking the potential of the hospitality, aviation, tourism and other related industries.
Source: The Guardian
3. Popular Nigerian Artist Tiwa Savage Plays Lead Actress, Co-directs Debut Movie ‘Water and Garri.’
Afrobeats songstress Tiwa Savage is set to make her acting debut as the lead cast and her directing debut in the film titled: ‘Water and Garri’.
The title coincidentally is the same as Tiwa’s second EP, which houses five tracks and she released on August 20, 2021.
Source: The Nation
4. Six Nigerian Startups Selected To Pitch Live At Africa Tech Summit In Nairobi
Africa Tech Summit Nairobi allows its audience to gain insight and network with the African tech ecosystem. Every year, startups pitch their products and services to the investors, corporates and other stakeholders present as part of Pitch Live.
Fourteen startups were selected to pitch at the event, with six of them from Nigeria. They are HR tech startup Goodtalent, e-wallet platform Glover, lending startup Lendha, deliveries service Sendstack, SME credit platform Trade Lenda, and financial and legal services startup Vesti.
Source: Disrupt Africa
5. The Writing District Prize 2023 Is On For All Writers
The Writing District Prize 2023 is open to writers across the globe until May 31 2023, at 5 pm (EST). Stories don’t have to follow any particular theme or genre, but the authors must write the story in English.
The maximum word count is 3000 words, of which the 1st prize takes $1000 and publication on the Writing District site, while the two runners-up will be given $100 each, plus publication. To enter the competition, the applicant will pay an entry fee of $15.
Source: Creative Writing Ink
Conclusion
These are the top news concerning creatives for this week. And you can make use of the opportunities highlighted above.
Till next week, stay creative.