Nigeria’s creative sector has been identified as a critical vehicle for advancing inclusive economic development, education outcomes and social transformation through strategic partnerships and innovative financing.
Eden Venture Group, in collaboration with the World Bank, has concluded the Nigerian pilot edition of ‘Entertaining Change: Next-Generation Media Partnerships for Social Impact and Innovation’, bringing together key players from government, private investment, development institutions and the creative industries.
The sessions, held in Lagos and Abuja, explored how storytelling, technology and strategic capital deployment can be harnessed to strengthen Nigeria’s fast-growing creative economy while delivering measurable social impact.
Participants examined practical models for creative data utilisation, artificial intelligence-driven behaviour change tools, and investment frameworks designed to unlock both social and economic value from the country’s entertainment and media sectors.
The convening forms part of a global series across New York, Los Angeles, Abuja and Lagos, focusing on scalable approaches to leveraging creative industries for development outcomes.
Eden Venture Group has also partnered with MTV Staying Alive Foundation and MBO Capital to host an Investing in Creative Futures roundtable with private investors and creative-sector executives.
The roundtable spotlighted visionary leaders and innovators, with particular emphasis on women driving cultural influence and shaping emerging markets in media, entertainment and technology.
Speaking on the initiative, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Eden Venture Group, Fifehan Osikanlu, said aligning innovation, storytelling and investment could build an ecosystem that drives inclusive growth and global competitiveness for Africa’s creative economy.
Senior Economist at the World Bank, Victor Orozco-Olvera, noted that when research meets creativity, powerful tools emerge to improve development outcomes at scale.
The Entertaining Change Nigeria sessions are part of a broader global alliance linking artificial intelligence, data, and creative storytelling to advance education, shift harmful social norms, and promote inclusive growth.
Strategic partners across the global initiative include the Gates Foundation, USC Annenberg, Women in Film (Los Angeles), the University of Pennsylvania, Fable Advisory, BGR Consulting, Audacity Assets and SBB Media and BellaNaija.
