Creative Designers Guild of Nigeria Hosts 2.0 Creative Exhibition

Theme: Redefining Culture for Economic Productivity through Film Industry in Nigeria

Lagos, Nigeria – The Creative Designers Guild of Nigeria (CDGN), the largest guild within the Nigerian entertainment industry, is proud to announce its second edition of the CDGN Creative Exhibition tagged “Redefining Culture for Economic Productivity through Film Industry in Nigeria.” The exhibition will take place on Thursday, October 16, 2025, at NECA House, Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos.

As the Creative powerhouse of Nollywood, CDGN plays the central role in shaping the visual identity of Nigerian films through costume design, makeup and hair artistry , props management , set design, and location management. Under the leadership of Mrs. Akinyemi Osawaru Joy, National President of CDGN, this second edition builds on the success of the inaugural exhibition and aims to highlight the creative industry’s contribution to Nigeria’s cultural diplomacy, economic growth, and international partnerships.

The 2025 exhibition will feature:
National Showcase: Creative designers from all geopolitical zones of the Federation will present their works, offering a true reflection of Nigeria’s cultural diversity, innovation, and artistry.
Durbar & Panel Session: A high-level dialogue on “Building Bridges in Cultural Creativity and Design Between Countries with Cultural Ties to Nigeria,” will explore opportunities for cultural exchange, international collaborations, and cross-border trade.
Immersive Experiences: Guests will encounter Nigeria’s traditions and modern creative designs through live displays, exhibitions, and networking opportunities.

Speaking on the upcoming event, Mrs. Akinyemi noted: The CDGN 2.0 Creative Exhibition is not just a showcase of culture and design, but a bold statement of how creativity can drive national productivity. By bringing together stakeholders from academia, culture, entertainment, and the international community, we are creating new pathways for cultural exchange and economic growth.”
The exhibition will be attended by government officials, cultural diplomats, industry stakeholders, and international representatives. With support from both local and foreign partners, CDGN continues to reaffirm its key role in shaping Nollywood’s global influence while positioning Nigeria’s creative sector as an incontestable driver of development.

Slated to commence on
Thursday, October 16, 2025, at NECA House, Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos
Theme: Redefining Culture for Economic Productivity through Film Industry in Nigeria

For media inquiries, partnership opportunities, and participation details, please contact:
CDGN Secretariat
Email: [email protected], [email protected]
Phone: +234-8033482715
+234-8025773388
Website: www.cdgnworldwide.com

About CDGN
The Creative Designers Guild of Nigeria (CDGN) is the umbrella body of creative professionals in Nollywood, including costume designers, makeup and hair stylists, property masters, and set designers. Since its inception, CDGN has been committed to preserving Nigeria’s cultural heritage, empowering creative talents, and advancing the economic value of the nation’s entertainment industry.

KCCN is connecting cultures, inspiring millions world over – Director Jeon

By Ifeoma Ikem

The Director of Korean Cultural Centre in Nigeria (KCCN), Mr Jeon Ju Ho said the centre’s K-pop annual Multi Cultural Festival project is connecting diverse cultures and inspiring millions around the world

Ju Ho who disclosed this during the celebration of the annual event in Lagos said K-pop was to showcase Korean heritage and the heritage of other countries in order to strengthen their cultural ties.

“This festival stands as part of the celebration of our culture, creativity, and friendship as well in Nigeria

“What you witnessed here today was not only to enjoy music and performance but to celebrate culture, creativity, and friendship’’.

He noted that K-Pop, a global phenomenon born in the heart of Korea, has found a vibrant and passionate home in Nigeria, a country rich in national resources, musical talent and vibrant youth culture.

“At the South Korean stand, it was a delight to a great number of festival buffs swarming around and getting in queue to enjoy the culinary experience.

“Actually this year’s festival is different, we prepared for this event, our food was enough, everyone tasted our food and testified their different experiences,’’ he added.

The festival was highly competitive, respective countries’national flags, food, dance and traditional artifacts were displayed

Other participating countries included Egypt, Zimbabwe, Indonesia, the Philippines, Ghana, India, Jamaica, Pakistan, Côte d’Ivoire, and South Africa.

Honouring the Hands That Shape the Future: A Tribute to Teachers and the Legacy of Mrs. Anna Chinenye Udunze

By Blaise Udunze

Every year on October 5, the world pauses to celebrate World Teachers’ Day, which is a day to honour the men and women whose quiet labour builds the foundations of every great society. They are the custodians of knowledge, the gardeners of potential, and the silent architects of transformation. Long before the first brick of any nation’s progress is laid, teachers have already done their work by nurturing minds, refining values, and lighting the path of purpose.

In every thriving society, progress rests on the shoulders of its teachers. They shape the minds that build nations, innovate solutions, and drive economies. Yet, in Nigeria, these same nation-builders have become the forgotten heroes of development, with a neglected sector battling shortages, poor welfare, and dwindling morale. The implications of this systemic neglect go far beyond the walls of our schools; it strikes at the heart of the nation’s social and economic well-being.

Across the country, classrooms overflow while teachers dwindle. From urban schools in Lagos to rural communities across the country, the teacher-to-student ratio grows alarmingly worse. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) recommends one teacher for every 35 pupils, yet Nigeria’s classrooms often see a single teacher struggling to manage 80 to 100 children. Some states have not recruited new teachers in years, even as retirements and resignations thin the ranks.

This crisis is not just about numbers; it is about neglect. Many teachers go months without salaries. Promotions stagnate for years. Training opportunities are rare or nonexistent. In an age where education systems are evolving globally, Nigerian teachers remain under-equipped, underpaid, and undervalued.

Worse still, the nation is now losing many of its finest educators to the brain drain sweeping across critical sectors. In search of better welfare, security, and dignity, a growing number of Nigerian teachers are migrating to countries such as the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States. These are nations that understand the value of quality education and reward it accordingly. These countries are actively recruiting teachers from Africa, offering them decent pay, housing, and professional development opportunities that remain elusive back home.

The exodus is devastating. Every teacher who leaves represents not just a personal loss but also the erosion of institutional memory and mentorship for younger educators.

The result is a hollowing out of the education system, where classrooms are filled with children but starved of skilled instructors. If this trend continues unchecked, Nigeria may soon face a generational void, one where the brightest educators are abroad while those left behind struggle to do more with less.

The consequences are profound. The quality of education continues to decline as overcrowded and poorly resourced classrooms stifle both teachers and pupils. Literacy and numeracy rates fall, while dropout rates soar. Nigeria already bears the burden of having one of the world’s largest populations of out-of-school children, over 10 million.

Beyond academics, the social fabric suffers. Education is not merely an academic exercise; it shapes civic values, tolerance, and productivity. When teachers are absent or ineffective, a generation grows without discipline, moral grounding, or employable skills. The result is evident in the rising wave of youth unemployment, crime, and moral decay. A society that fails to invest in teachers inevitably reaps a harvest of instability and ‘bundles of wahala.’

Economically, the neglect of teachers directly undermines growth. Nations like Japan, Finland, Singapore, and South Korea that thrive well did so by prioritizing education and elevating the teaching profession. In Nigeria, however, policymakers treat education as an afterthought, allocating N1.54 trillion, representing only 7.9 percent of the N19.54 trillion 2024 national budget, to the entire education sector. This figure falls far below the UNESCO-recommended benchmark of 15-20 percent, underscoring how little priority is given to building human capital.

Poorly educated citizens limit innovation and productivity, forcing industries to import expertise that local talent could have supplied if properly nurtured. The vicious cycle continues as poor education leads to weak human capital, which in turn hampers national competitiveness.

To reverse this decline, Nigeria must begin by restoring dignity to the teaching profession. Teachers deserve fair remuneration, timely payment, and continuous training. Recruitment must become a priority to fill the widening gap in public schools. States should adopt deliberate policies to attract bright young minds into teaching through incentives, scholarships, and professional development programs. Investment in digital teaching tools and curriculum reform is equally critical. A 21st-century nation cannot thrive on a 20th-century education model. Beyond policy, society must also renew its respect for teachers by celebrating them not only on World Teachers’ Day but every day, as the moral and intellectual engineers of our nation.

This year’s celebration holds a deeply personal resonance for me. It is a day to not only salute all teachers across the world but also to remember one whose life and service embodied the noblest ideals of the profession in the person of my late mother, Mrs. Anna Chinenye Udunze, a devoted and exemplary teacher who worked with the Lagos State Ministry of Education for 33 years.

For over three decades, she gave her heart and her strength to shaping young minds. Her students, many of whom are now professionals across Nigeria and beyond, remember her not only for her discipline and excellence but also for her compassion, her insistence on doing what is right, and her unwavering belief that education was the surest path to dignity and nation-building. To her, teaching was not just a job; it was a calling, and one she answered with grace, patience, and an undying sense of purpose.

Mrs. Udunze’s classroom was a place of transformation. She believed every child had a spark waiting to be discovered. She spent long hours preparing lessons, mentoring her pupils, and ensuring that even the least promising learner left her class with renewed confidence. Meanwhile, I was also once her student for a term of an academic year! Her legacy endures, not in monuments or titles, but in the countless lives she touched and the values she instilled.

Neglecting teachers is not merely an educational issue; it is a national emergency. When classrooms collapse, the future collapses with them. The strength of any nation lies in the quality of its teachers, for they shape every doctor, engineer, entrepreneur, and leader that society will ever know.

As we celebrate this year’s World Teachers’ Day, let us remember that teachers remain society’s moral compass and developmental backbone. They are the ones who keep the ideals of knowledge, integrity, and hard work alive in generations. Governments and communities owe them more than words of praise. We owe them the dignity, support, and recognition they so richly deserve.

Today, as the world celebrates its educators, I stand proud, proud of all teachers who remain steadfast in their mission and proud of a mother whose legacy continues to inspire. The life of Mrs. Anna Chinenye Udunze is a testament to the truth that while classrooms may be small, their influence stretches far beyond walls into the hearts of generations and the story of nations.

To all teachers, past and present, thank you. You are the hands that shape humanity, the voice that awakens dreams, and the light that no darkness can extinguish.

Blaise, a journalist and PR professional writes from Lagos, can be reached via: [email protected]