The British Council is seeking to strengthen access to finance, markets, networks and policy support for Nigeria’s creative practitioners, as part of efforts to help more creatives turn their talent into sustainable livelihoods.

Head of Arts and Culture at British Council Nigeria, Harry Kesiena, said the challenge in the creative sector was not a lack of talent but the limited access to the structures and opportunities needed to develop and commercialise that talent.

Kesiena’s experience in the sector began in fashion. In 2012, following the death of his father, he went to the textile market in Aba to earn money to support himself and his siblings.

He said the experience exposed him to the depth of talent among Nigerian makers and designers, as well as the difficulties many faced in accessing finance, markets and networks.

Kesiena subsequently worked as a fashion designer and teacher before moving into programmes aimed at creating opportunities around creative practitioners.

At Design X Foundation, he mapped museums, art hubs and design studios across 14 Nigerian cities to understand the creative infrastructure available and identify gaps.

At Export Community Enterprise, he helped grow an exporter community from zero to 200 members and secured a partnership with Zenith Bank for international market access. He also worked on the DIVE Fashion Programme, helping African entrepreneurs take their products into new markets in the United States.

His work later extended to initiatives focused on traditional weaving, fashion waste, intellectual property, creative financing and collaboration between African and international creatives.

At the British Council, where he joined as Programme Manager for Arts and Culture, Kesiena worked across film, music and fashion, building relationships between creatives, funders, policymakers, cultural institutions and international networks.

He later became Head of Arts and Culture, where the work has included programmes aimed at strengthening the wider creative ecosystem.

Creative Economy Week Nigeria is one of the initiatives under that work. The programme began in Lagos in 2023 and expanded in 2025 to Lagos, Abuja, Kano, Port Harcourt and Enugu, with London also forming part of the programme.

The 2025 edition ran for 11 days and featured nearly 70 activities under the theme, “Building Futures Through Creativity.”

Kesiena said the intention was to go beyond supporting individual creatives and address some of the structures around their work.

“We’re not just supporting filmmakers or designers,” he said. “We’re backing them with research, skills, financing models, and policy dialogue so their work sits inside a complete, sustainable value chain.”

Among the British Council initiatives are Creative DNA Nigeria, which works with fashion creatives and business partners; Music Connects Africa, which helps musicians understand their rights and connect with commercial opportunities; and Film Lab Africa, which connects filmmakers to development, production and international opportunities.

The organisation’s InsightsOut Africa initiative also examines the funding landscape and the needs of creative hubs in Nigeria and identifies areas where interventions could have the greatest impact.

A 2024 British Council report estimated that Africa’s creative economy contributes more than $58 billion annually, while highlighting gaps in financing and policy.

Kesiena has also worked to expand opportunities beyond Nigeria’s established creative centres, including in northern Nigeria.

One example is writer Idi Nasiru, who was selected as one of two global winners from more than 800 entries across 87 countries in a BBC competition. His story is now being developed into a BBC production.

Kesiena said the example showed the importance of creating pathways through which talent from different parts of Nigeria could gain access to wider opportunities.

Looking ahead, the UK-Nigeria Season of Culture 2028 is expected to bring together musicians, designers, filmmakers, writers, researchers and artists from both countries.

According to him, the emphasis is on ensuring that relationships created through such programmes continue to generate opportunities beyond the programmes themselves.

He describes his role as being a “pipe” — helping opportunities move between creatives, institutions, funders and international networks.

His work at the British Council continues to centre on building those connections and strengthening the pathways through which Nigerian creative talent can access the resources and markets needed to grow.