A new cultural marketplace initiative, SekiZheemKulture Marketplace, is targeting a $5 billion cultural economy built around the Niger Delta’s heritage, festivals, theatre, traditional crafts and creative enterprises, with plans to connect 500,000 culturepreneurs to wider markets.

The initiative aims to bring together cultural practitioners across 50 tribes and a network of 500 festivals, while showcasing five million wetland heritage commodities. Its organisers said the figures represent the programme’s targets and long-term revenue ambition, not revenue already generated or investment secured.

The programme also proposes a 50-day cultural activation between November and January, designed to connect festivals, theatre productions, exhibitions and heritage experiences with commercial opportunities across the Niger Delta’s nine states.

Chief Executive Officer of SekiZheemKulture Marketplace, Yibo Koko, in a statement said the initiative was designed to ensure that the people who preserve and promote the region’s cultural heritage could benefit economically from their work.

“Our culture carries knowledge, creativity and enterprise potential. Through SekiZheemKulture Marketplace, we want the energy of our festivals and theatre to create lasting opportunities for the people behind them,” Koko said.

The marketplace will showcase cultural products such as textiles, fashion, beadwork, carvings, food products and collectibles, connecting artisans and producers with local, diaspora and international customers.

The organisers hope to help participants improve product presentation, branding, pricing and digital marketing to build sustainable businesses beyond individual festivals.

The initiative is structured around nine priorities: sustainability, cultural diplomacy, creative entrepreneurship, heritage commodities, talent development, creative industry finance, the festival economy, the theatre economy and job creation.

Its proposed Talent Factory will provide pathways for emerging creatives in performance, writing, directing, design, craft, costume, stage production and technical services. Mentorship, workshops and practical production experience are expected to help participants develop skills and access employment or enterprise opportunities.

Financing is another component of the programme, which seeks to connect cultural enterprises with potential grants, sponsorships, working capital, investment and buyer partnerships.

Chief Executive Officer of Culture Money Afrika and Managing Partner of SekiZheemKulture Marketplace, Victor Agih, said achieving the $5 billion ambition would require stronger connections between creative talent, heritage products, buyers and finance.

“A five-billion-dollar cultural marketplace vision requires practical pathways from creativity to commerce,” Agih said, adding that business support and market access would be essential to building enterprises that could survive beyond cultural celebrations.

The proposed network of 500 festivals is expected to create economic opportunities for performers, vendors, event organisers, transport providers, accommodation businesses, caterers and tourism operators. The organisers also intend to encourage local business participation and develop customer relationships that continue throughout the year.

Theatre will feature prominently through the ZHEEM Kulture Theatre Festival, which will showcase Niger Delta stories through drama, music, dance and other forms of cultural expression. The programme will explore opportunities in acting, writing, directing, choreography, costume design, lighting, sound, ticketing and touring to support practitioners across the theatre value chain.

The wider vision also connects with WATCHAFest, the Pan-African Blue Heritage, Arts, Tourism and Culture Festival, and the ODUMM Africa Heritage Festival, which celebrates Okrika’s aquatic heritage and the Golden Jubilee of the Drums of Okrika. The organisers expect these connections to strengthen heritage tourism, cultural diplomacy and environmental awareness.

Sustainability measures under the programme include responsible sourcing of materials, reducing waste from marketplace and festival activities, preserving wetlands and waterways, and passing traditional skills between generations. Cultural custodians and communities are expected to guide how traditions are represented and which aspects of heritage can appropriately be commercialised.

Job creation is a central objective, with the initiative targeting opportunities for young people and women in craft production, performance, digital services, event management, hospitality, tourism and retail. Its organisers say they intend to distinguish between participating culturepreneurs and newly created jobs, while tracking whether opportunities continue beyond the proposed activation period.

SekiZheemKulture Marketplace has invited cultural custodians, artisans, performers, festival organisers, creative businesses, tourism operators, investors and development partners to express interest in the initiative.

The organisers said further details on programme dates, participation arrangements and marketplace access would be announced through official channels, while the delivery of the $5 billion ambition will depend on effective partnerships, market access, financing and sustainable business dentrepreneurs