UN partners Beeta Arts festival to support Nigeria’s creative industry

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has formed a partnership with the Beeta Arts Festival (BAF) to enhance youth employment by linking young Nigerians to job opportunities within the creative sector.

Clare Henshaw, the Head of Inclusive Growth at the UNDP Nigeria office, disclosed this information during a session at the 2025 edition of the Beeta Arts Festival held in Abuja.

Henshaw emphasized that the organization is attracted to the festival’s significant emphasis on nurturing creative talent and generating employment.

"One of the primary factors that drew us to the festival was its strong connection to the creative industry and the job opportunities it provides, especially for young individuals," she stated.

She elaborated that the UNDP, in collaboration with the European Union and the Nigerian government, is executing the Nigeria Jubilee Fellows Programme (NJFP)—a $47 million initiative aimed at equipping recent graduates with work-ready skills and facilitating their connection to employers.

Henshaw mentioned that over 14,000 young Nigerians have been placed in various organizations nationwide over the last three years, with 10 percent remaining in employment and 20 percent transitioning into entrepreneurship.

Henshaw indicated that the partnership with the Beeta Arts Festival would allow the programme to connect trained fellows with organizations in film, theatre, fashion, production, and other creative sectors represented at the festival.

She added, “Our goal is to introduce fellows to creative organisations present here today, connect them to opportunities where they can interact and find meaningful jobs. The creative sector has enormous potential, but sometimes accessing it can be difficult. This platform makes that possible,”.

She added that the UNDP hopes to develop a database of creative industry employers willing to absorb fellows upon completion of the programme cycle.

Also speaking, founder of Beeta Arts Festival, Bikiya Graham-Douglas, said she established BAF to provide the support she lacked as a young creative navigating Nigeria’s arts industry.

“When I started, there were no platforms like this to help me navigate and direct me,” she said.

She added that “I’ve seen the importance of creating platforms for young people, for emerging voices. They are the future, and the creative sector has the capacity to absorb many of them.”

She commended the UNDP for supporting the festival and emphasised the role of collective action in building the sector.

“We don’t have to wait for the government to do everything. We all have a responsibility to make our society better. Our message is simple: where you can, do something to make the lives of people around you better,” she said.