The U.S. Department of State, in collaboration with the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), hosted eight participants from Ghana, Kenya, and Nigeria in an International Visitor Leadership Programme (IVLP) to promote creative industry growth and support more robust intellectual property protection and enforcement in Africa.

Participants from Nigeria included Director General/Chief Executive Officer of the National Council for Arts & Culture, Obi Asika; Co-founder of InkBlot Productions Zulu Oyibo; and Talent & Business Manager, YBNL Nation Entertainment, Alexander Okeke.

Participants travelled to Washington, D.C. to meet with U.S. policymakers and industry associations; to Los Angeles to meet with industry leaders and professional guilds; and to Atlanta to meet with production studios and local government.
 
The IVLP visit built upon the U.S. Department of State’s efforts since the 2022 U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit to support the growth of Africa’s creative economy. 

Since the 2022 U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit, the Department has hosted four creative ecosystem roundtables in Africa in Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Kenya, and Nigeria to foster discussion on the importance of the creative industries and the support stronger intellectual property frameworks.