Ladire: Nigeria Must Tap Into The Creative Ingenuity Of Her Youths, Says Ooni As He Reaffirms His Commitment To Advancing The Creative Culture

The Ooni of Ife, Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi Ojaja II has said that the country needs to leverage the huge potentials embedded in the creative spirit of her younger generation.

This is as the monarch reaffirmed his strong commitment to discovering new young creative minds and talents through the newly launched TV Series, Ladire, an offshoot of his Adire Oodua Hub initiative.

The Ooni in a statement said, the country needs to deconcentrate on the downstream oil sector and effectively harness her creative economy to attain a much desired new level of economic prosperity.

"As we traverse through the most difficult period in our country's history, I am determined and dedicated to forging a path for long-term economic assistance for Nigeria's youth. Only by tapping into the amazing creative ingenuity that abounds in the hearts and minds of our youthful generation can our country achieve enormous grandeur. 

"By establishing a TV series dubbed "Ladire," I am strengthening the initiative of Adire Oodua Hub by unlocking the untapped goldmine that is embedded in creative culture, which is one of the five pillars of my royal calling.

"Significantly, the creative economy must become one of our most important export items if we are to achieve the new prosperity and wealth development that we so desperately need. 

"Leadership must establish a contemporary economy via a creative culture, replacing our traditional income generation and job creation methodologies, with every feeling of responsibility and burden of good governance.

"Our nation's leaders have a moral duty to recognise that the bright spot of our economic success is not oil-dependent. Since the discovery of oil in Nigeria, we have yet to become an oil-rich country. Our vision has been encased in crude oil at the expense of other valuable resources bestowed upon us by Eledumare.", the Ooni said.

The prominent monarch further added that the country needs to sustain the huge economic drives informed by the creative sector which include employment generation and economic independence for the youthful population.

"We must reset the long, rich heritage of creative culture and empower our young people to lead the way through their entrepreneurial spirit, inventiveness, and technical weaponry while still in the early phases of their higher education studies.

"Statistics have shown that both Nollywood and our music sectors have become national assets and drivers of our economy, as they provide answers to our existing unemployment and help young people achieve economic independence.", Ooni added.