IPLAN Seeks Urgent Government Intervention On Power Supply To Safe Creative Industry
The Founder of the Intellectual Property Lawyers Association Nigeria (IPLAN), Folarinwa Aluko, has raised alarm over the crippling impact of Nigeria’s electricity crisis on the country’s creative economy, warning that persistent power outages and soaring fuel costs are costing the sector trillions of naira annually in lost productivity, increased operating expenses, and missed economic opportunities.
Speaking amid worsening power supply and rising energy costs, Aluko called on Federal and State Governments to urgently introduce targeted incentives and intervention programmes to support creative industry entrepreneurs who depend heavily on electricity to operate.
“What we are witnessing is not just an inconvenience. It is a systemic economic loss. The creative industry is bleeding value daily, and when you aggregate these losses across the value chain, we are looking at trillions of naira slipping out of the economy,” Aluko stated.
Nigeria’s electricity challenges have long constrained economic growth, with businesses forced to rely on expensive self-generation. With recent increases in petrol and diesel prices, the cost of powering studios, production equipment, editing suites, and event infrastructure has surged dramatically.
The creative sector, comprising musicians, filmmakers, dancers, choreographers, skit makers, content creators, photographers, videographers, producers, sound engineers, and event performers, is particularly exposed. Every stage of their work, from production to post-production and distribution, is energy-intensive.
For many creative entrepreneurs, power costs now consume a significant share of their income. Recording studios run on generators for hours daily. Content creators must power cameras, lighting, and editing systems. Event producers face rising costs for sound, staging, and lighting. The result is reduced margins, fewer productions, and, in some cases, complete shutdown of operations.
“A single production cycle, from recording to editing to distribution, can now cost multiples of what it did a few years ago, largely due to energy costs. Multiply that across thousands of creators nationwide, and the economic impact becomes staggering,” Aluko noted.
The warning comes at a time when Nigeria’s creative economy continues to play a vital role in job creation, youth engagement, and non-oil economic growth. The sector has positioned Nigeria as a global cultural powerhouse, particularly in music, film, and digital content.
However, stakeholders say the current power crisis threatens to reverse these gains.Aluko emphasized that without urgent intervention, Nigeria risks undermining one of its most promising economic sectors.
“This is an industry that creates jobs at scale, drives innovation, and exports Nigerian culture to the world. Yet it is being weakened by something as fundamental as electricity. That is not sustainable.”
To address the challenge, he called on governments to implement practical and targeted measures, including energy subsidies or tax reliefs for creative enterprises, access to affordable renewable energy solutions, such as solar-powered studios and creative hubs, dedicated funding and grants to offset rising production costs, development of creative clusters with stable power infrastructure.
He also urged policymakers to formally recognize the creative industry as a strategic economic sector requiring tailored support, particularly given its heavy reliance on power and digital infrastructure.
Industry observers note that many creatives are already adjusting, scaling down projects, increasing service fees, or relocating operations, moves that could ultimately affect Nigeria’s competitiveness in the global creative market.
As the power crisis persists, Aluko’s call highlights a growing consensus: without deliberate policy intervention, the cost of energy will continue to erode the value generated by Nigeria’s creative economy, potentially running into trillions of naira in lost output and opportunities.
