 The summit has set for itself the task of reimagining the Nigerian arts scene. So everything we see, every piece of art, every bit of technology, every architectural achievement, the iconic bridges and all of that, the first existed with the imagination of someone, someone with the ability to imagine. And I must say that that's for all of us who need to even create things that are minus. It's possibly what distinguishes us human beings from every other creature. And this is not a light matter at all. It was Professor Oluvide Olusoya who noted that in the past 6000 years, the chimpanzee or the gorilla has not acquired a single capacity that was not inherited. In the same time frame, man has learned to build pyramids, skyscrapers, and also to blow them up, invented the aircraft, landed on the moon, and even sent spacecraft to Mars. But what is more, fellowship that is coming together of human beings has released the sort of creative energy that has never ever been seen in any other creatures that inhabit the Earth. The creative energy to build things, the creative energy to do incredible things in various aspects of life, science, technology, medicine, name it, has been because of the collaboration, the coming together of one, two people, three people, and in some cases more. Which is why thinking together, as this opportunity affords us, is critical in shaping the future. And I must say that these are exciting times for Nigerian creatives. Your sounds, paintings, films and stories, fashion and ideas are catching on everywhere. We certainly are impressing ourselves on global imagination in ways that were unprecedented years ago or no years ago. Everyone is catching the Nigerian bomb. Even the Nigerian wedding is emerging as some form of popular culture. In the same way that the world's imagination was once caught by oriental art, the tide is rising for Nigerian creatives. So what do we do at a time like this? I think that we must reflect as this summit calls us to do. But we must also deal with the complex issues or putting in place the infrastructure for enabling the creative industry function effectively now and especially in the future. How? How do we do that? I think that a good step is working with government to develop policy to strengthen the institutions that will guarantee the prosperity of the industry. And you don't have to try too hard. The creative, the commercial, diplomatic and celebrity powers of the arts indeed compel government's attention anyway. But the creative industry must be attentive in exploiting that relationship for the best results. In the past two years, we've been engaged quite actively with the creative industry and also in the tech space. One of the key results of that is the inauguration of the technology and creativity advisory group as part of our larger industrial advisory and completeness council. So just to explain that, we have an industrial completeness council. That council really is a council of businessmen, some of the most notable businessmen in Nigeria and the most notable businesses in Nigeria. It's a meeting, a regular meeting of those businessmen and our businessmen and women of course and government ministers, heads of agencies, etc. But now we've created a subgroup and that subgroup is the technology and creativity advisory group and that group of course also brings in representatives from technology and the creative arts and all relevant government ministries, heads of government agencies as part of a fairly high level body and have the privilege of chairing that body. The focus of the advisory committee is to work on policies, rules and even legislation for both the creative and technology industries. We've had several meetings and the Society of Nigerian Artists is represented and there are several other practitioners in technology and the arts and entertainment who are members of that advisory group. Now it's important for you to be at the table and when I say you I refer to creatives and persons engaged in the creative industry in one way or the other. It's important to be at the table where policy that will concern the industry is being discussed. But there is also hard infrastructure to consider. One of the conversations I had with the Society was how to create a visual arts centre investing in museums, putting aside money for subventions to the arts and I'm personally committed to working on these issues and there are several others in the creative industry who have also joined in trying to see what can be done to create the right environment for the creative industry to thrive. And now is the time with all of the incredible advances in technology museums for example have become immersive experiences. The other day I was looking at a video of the new interactive digital art Museum recently opened in Tokyo and all of that is entirely conceivable and doable right here and just as you are coming in just seeing some of the technology-facitated works just a few minutes ago brings that hope that it is possible for us to do whatever we want to do. There's enough energy, there's enough intelligence, there's enough creativity, everything we need is right here and I'm sure that we can achieve all of it. Today the federal government is investing substantially in technology with partnered with local and international tech companies and innovators in the building of tech hubs and promoting innovation. Our aim is to completely democratize access to and support for innovation and cyber commerce and to create opportunities around there. With established hubs in collaboration with the World Bank, with the Lagos Business School, these are some of the more recent collaborations and with several state governments, several international organizations, local organizations, local entrepreneurs. One of the more innovative ones is the Climate Change Innovation Hub where we have all manner of innovations that are important to climate change. Incidentally, there are some that have to do with art and music and how art and music can contribute to climate change and innovation. In YOLA in the Northeast Humanitarian Hub, we also have a collaboration there where we're looking at how art and technology can be useful in resolving some of the problems and conflicts taking areas and that is the work of the hub in YOLA. We also have a collaboration with the Civic Hub which promotes technology and innovation and creativity in universities with the Students' Innovation Challenge in six geopolitical zones today. We have three technology hubs. One of them is the Unilag Hub, which is due to be ready by the end of November. The Bank of Industrial School, in response to that direction, has launched a 10 billion era technology and creativity and innovation firm. I believe that, like technology and entertainment, the arts require active support, especially in the development of policies and also in investments in the kinds of infrastructure that will be useful for those who want to participate in the industry or those who are even just thinking about what to do. In the coming years, I think that we must begin to think in terms of training, training more and more people, especially in areas of technology that would influence one way or the other, the arts. For example, we are training at the moment 3,000 young men and women in animation skills, 3D and 2D skills, storyboarding skills, screenwriting and scriptwriting and voice acting as part of our MPR program. The first phase of that program starts in Benin on the first of November. I think the first of November. And it really is an opportunity for very many young people who want to get involved in animation, who want to get involved in all of the science and the technologies around animation, can really get involved. And I think that it's a really good program and is one that I think will really be effective in doing something new for the creative industry. Of course, there are several other ways by which we are trying to support not just entertainment, but support industry generally, especially those who are innovative and want to do various things, some of them, as simple as the ease of doing business, some of the reforms around ease of doing business. So now, if you're better able to register businesses, there's more access to financing, registration of property, etc. In fact, now there's a promotion for those who haven't registered their companies to register your companies at half the cost until December 1st. So, if you are thinking of registering your company and you didn't have enough money, you can do so now. There's a small window till December 1st when you can pay half of what you'd have paid to register. By investing more in infrastructure, we believe that it makes life not just easier for everybody, but it just makes the business easier, especially for small businesses. Imagine what you could do if you didn't think of having to fuel or maintain generators. Think of the creative concepts that you come up with. If a functional, national rail network were in place, this is why infrastructure is critical. Right now, construction work, as you know, is going on on the railway line that will connect Lagos to Canada. The Lagos about the line should be completed by the end of this year. I will change a lot of things. Congratulations again to Dean Relay, Sonaru and her team on successfully pulling this off. Last year, she curated Nigeria's first ever showing at the Venice final. This was widely regarded as the Olympics of visual arts. And in 2016, she curated an exhibition at the State House in Appuja where she took myself as the President on a tour of some of the creative things that were being done around and about us. Today is another opportunity to celebrate the vision of young Nigerians like her and many others who strive day in, day out to advance the frontiers of what is possible in our country. And it's the sum total of their efforts that propels our nation forward. And makes us all proud to call this land home and to believe the best about it. And to be assured that it will fulfill all of its promises and all of its potentials. So it really is my very special pleasure to declare this art summit open and wish you all a very exciting time here. Thank you very much.