With a commitment to spotlight the vibrant creative industry in Nigeria, Technology for Social Change and Development Initiative (Tech4Dev), has launched a report and tracker aimed at mapping the country’s burgeoning creative ecosystem.
The launch, in collaboration with UK-Nigeria Tech Hub, part of the Digital Access Programme funded by the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, was held at the Radisson Hotel, Ikeja GRA, Lagos. The initiative underscores both organisations’ commitment to fostering growth, innovation, and collaboration within the sector.
The 150-page document on the economic value and growth potential of Nigeria’s creative industry, and tagged ‘State of Creative Innovation Ecosystem in Nigeria Report 2025’, presented key insights and opportunities for the growth and global scaling of Nigeria’s creative economy, including the film industry, music industry, fashion industry, and content creation industry. The Report also covered the value chain for the four key sectors, while observing the different components from creation to consumption.
Speaking at the event, Founder/President of Tech4Dev, Joel Ogunsola, said, “We are super excited about the support we’ve received over the last year from the Foreign Commonwealth Development Office and as well as the support we’ve gotten from the States, from Lagos to Kwara to Plateau. Super excited, we think that this is only just the beginning of the work we will do.
“Based on feedback and some of the suggestions that we have received, look out and watch out for some next steps in terms of what we are going to be doing around this. Ultimately, I say a very big thank you to the team, Michael and the rest of the team that also worked extensively on this.
“Super excited about what this will lead to in terms of starting a journey of really tracking where we are, what the gaps are, and how far we still need to go and ultimately what the future state will look like.”
Co-founder and Executive Director of Tech4Dev, Oladiwura Oladepo, underscored the economic importance of the project. She explained that the creative economy is the second-largest employer of labour in Nigeria, stressing the need for adequate data to grasp the industry’s full potential.
“Know how they can, it will help to also inform decision making, know where to channel resources and what areas that more money and more resources should be put into to enable the industry to be better. The data-gathering process, which included interviews and consultative sessions, collected a robust sample size of over 1,700 participants,” she said.
Also speaking at the event, the Senior Partner of Avaara Partners, Michael John, an integral part of the project, said the creative economy tracker is an open-source platform, allowing anyone to access and utilise the data for policy-making, investment, or industry development.
The former Country Manager of Tech4Dev explained that the launch marks the close-out of the Nigeria Creative Growth and Innovation Initiative. He disclosed that the research study shed light on the evolving landscape of Nigeria’s creative industry, revealing both opportunities and challenges.
In his words, “A lot of research has 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.
“Afrobeats, across the world, is one of the top five music genres consumed. We wanted to understand what it was like for the average creator. Where do you get the skill from? How do you come up with the idea? How easy is it for you to turn this thing into an actual product? And even after you have turned it into a product, are you able to distribute it? How do you collect money? What kind of technology do you use? What is missing? Do you need staff? And if you need staff, are you getting skilled staff?” he queried.
On her part, the Director of the UK–Nigeria Tech Hub, Oyinkansola Akintola-Bello, disclosed that the tracker will provide valuable data on the creative economy, enabling informed decision-making for policymakers, investors, and industry stakeholders.
“It covers seven states across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, offering insights into the creative industry’s performance in each region,” she said.
Akintola-Bello also assured that the tracker will drive growth, innovation, and employment in Nigeria’s creative sector, noting that the initiative is part of a broader effort to support the digital economy in Nigeria and other partner countries, including Kenya, South Africa, Indonesia, and Brazil.
