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Tag: Nigeria’s creative industry

  • Nigeria’s creative industry gets first live tracker to drive investment

    Nigeria’s creative industry gets first live tracker to drive investment

    For decades, Nigeria’s creative economy thrived on raw talent but lacked the infrastructure, coordination and reliable data to measure its true worth. Now, with the launch of a new digital tool, the Creative Industry Ecosystem Value Chain Illustrative Tracker, industry experts believe a turning point has arrived.

    Developed under the Nigeria Creative Economy Innovation and Growth Project (NCEGII) in partnership with the UK–Nigeria Tech Hub and Tech4Dev, the tracker maps how value is created and distributed across four industries: music, film, fashion and content creation.

    Alongside the tracker, a 150-page report titled ‘State of Creative Innovation Ecosystem in Nigeria Report 2025’ was also released to provide insights and opportunities for growth and global expansion.

    “The creative economy currently employs over 1.2 million young people in Nigeria, making it the second-largest employer of labour after agriculture. We recognised the importance of understanding the available data but discovered that there wasn’t much out there,” said Oladiwura Oladepo, co-founder and executive director of Tech4Dev.

    She explained that the tracker and report fill a critical data gap, mapping challenges, opportunities and recommendations based on input from over 1,700 respondents.

    “To truly grasp the skills potential within the industry, we initiated a research project aimed at uncovering opportunities and identifying the challenges facing the creative economy. The goal was to generate data that creatives, government and investors can use to better understand the industry, inform decision-making and know where to channel resources for greater impact.

    “We are also launching a first-of-its-kind live tracker, which will evolve as new data becomes available. Anyone can access this platform to gain insights into the creative economy. The initiative was funded by the UK-Nigeria Tech Hub and the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) with support from state-level creative economy ministries and associations,” Oladepo said.

    Michael John, senior partner at Avaara Partners and former Country Manager of Tech4Dev, described the tool as a first-of-its-kind approach to mapping Nigeria’s creative economy from a value chain standpoint.

    According to him, the platform will build investor confidence and spotlight gaps for potential co-investments.

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    “A lot of research had been done in the past, but none has actually taken the standpoint of the value chain, which means understanding how value is created, from creation/conceptualisation to production, to distribution, getting it into the hands of consumers and exhibition,” John said.

    Adding that, “Understanding how an ecosystem works to create value is what builds confidence. It sheds light on opportunities, risks, and the true potential of any investment. Nobody invests in what they don’t understand, at least not seasoned investors.

    “If I knew what to check, I would feel more secure and confident knowing that I’ve done the necessary due diligence before committing capital. At a macro level, if I know there is an infrastructure gap, can I co-invest with institutions like the Bank of Industry or the CBN? Can I enter a PPP agreement to build a creative hub, for instance and define a clear model for how to recoup my investment over three to five years from the creators using that space?” he said.

    Industry leaders, including Michael Odionga of the Music Publishers Association of Nigeria, called for collaboration by industry stakeholders and players.

    “Let us not work in silos anymore. This initiative is a chance for us all to come together and grow. Let everybody be on board so that we can actually get something out of this,” he urged.

    For Oyinkansola Akintola-Bello, Director of the UK–Nigeria Tech Hub, highlighted the global reach of the initiative, “The tracker will boost growth, innovation and jobs, while linking Nigeria’s creative industries to a broader digital economy ecosystem in partner countries like Kenya, South Africa, Indonesia, and Brazil,” she said.

    “The tracker identifies gaps and opportunities for growth, investment, and innovation which will enable policymakers to develop targeted interventions, investors to identify areas for growth, and industry stakeholders to capitalise on emerging opportunities.”

  • ‘Nigeria’s creative industry untapped’

    ‘Nigeria’s creative industry untapped’

    As the Federal Government strives to position creative industry and particularly focus on the fashion sub-sector, the sector generally remained largely untapped, according to a player in the sector.

    According to reports, in Africa, fashion and textile industry is the second largest industry, with a worth of $31 billion, and Nigeria accounts for around 15 per cent of this huge economy.

    The fashion industry in Nigeria is not just about clothing; it’s a significant driver of the country’s creative economy contributing to job creation, economic growth, and the preservation of cultural heritage.

    Founder and Creative Director of Blaze Seam Fashion, Omidiora Titilayo Alice, said the industry remained largely untapped.

    “There are lots of opportunities in the industry; we are just scratching the surface.

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    Famous fashion designers are trooping in to different countries in Africa daily to seek for new ideas and styles; one only needs to get into it with full confidence,” the Ibadan-based entrepreneur said.

    This could mean – as a next step – expanding her business, and providing high-quality clothing across Nigeria and beyond.

    Alice who said her passion for fashion remained unshaken, said her mission is to help people especially fashion enthusiasts to express their individuality and confidence through intentional styling and timeless designs.

    The designer who has successfully carved a niche herself in the fashion industry said she aim to tailor her brand to specifically suit and compliment Nigerians, while remaining stylish yet comfortable, functional and affordable.

    She recalled that before venturing into the fashion world, she had a stint in modeling while she was a student of University of Ibadan. According to her, Blaze Seam was born out of a passion she had nurtured while studying and modeling

     She said: “The brand idea came up when i was modeling for fashion brands and then began crafting pieces during school breaks. The rest is now history. My aim is to shift away from Western-centric fashion styles and norms, I want to put a Pan Nigeria/African clothing needs with versatile fabrics and fits, where it will be acceptable and accommodated globally.”

    She said: “Sometimes last year, we decided to think outside the box by shifting from the industry style of focusing only on branding for a particular gender. At the moment, my brand is gradually gaining huge followership among the male folks because of our unique style of making vintage shirts and the rest.”

    Born to a family of five children where she’s the only female child, the fashionpreneur who has won several awards believe the fashion industry is the place to be due to the economic growth and development activities taking place.

    “Blaze Seam has its headquarters in Ibadan and we have showcased our brand in several runways and fashion shows in the country including the famous Ibadan Ankara Fiesta. The Brand is expected to participate in the forthcoming Swiss/Nigeria beauty and Fashion exhibition where we aim  to expand our clientele outside southwest part of Nigeria to other part of Nigeria and beyond,” she said.