Gazmadu Education has reaffirmed the strategic importance of empowering African creatives with market-ready skills as a pathway to accelerating economic development, following the successful hosting of the Art Business and Creative (ABC) Conference 3.0 in Lagos.
The four-day event held in partnership with Fujifilm brought together more than 3,000 creatives from across Africa and the diaspora, including hundreds of virtual participants, emphasising the rising demand for capacity-building platforms within the continent’s creative economy. With the theme Beyond Borders: Connecting African Creativity to the Global Stage, the conference blended networking, masterclasses, policy engagement, and industry-led training to close critical skill gaps.
The programme featured welcome cocktails on November 24, the main conference on November 25, and two days of intensive masterclasses from November 26–27, designed to expose young and established creatives to global industry standards, new technologies, and the business fundamentals required to scale their craft.
Speaking at the event, Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, Ayo Adeagbo, signalled the administration’s commitment to enabling growth in the sector. He reinforced that talent alone is not enough; creators need structured support, financing, and proactive government engagement to thrive.
“Our major goal is to provide an enabling environment. Nigeria is blessed with superb creatives, but the major constraint remains finance and trade. This is why the Federal Executive Council approved the Creative Government Fund to give creatives access to grants and loans. We are partnering the private sector, and we want creatives to know they have a voice in government,” he said.
Convener of ABC Conference and CEO of Gazmadu Ltd., Yagazi Eguare, emphasised that the conference exists to fill a long-standing knowledge and skills gap that limits the economic potential of African creators. “The ABC Conference was created to empower and equip creatives to level their skillsets and build successful businesses. Creativity is no longer just passion. It is a business. And for African creatives to operate as global entities, we must focus on mindset, structure, and systems.”
She noted that the creative economy is expanding rapidly, especially with the rise of AI and digital storytelling, but warned that without intentional upskilling, creators’ risk being left behind. The conference therefore prioritised skills transfer across generations and disciplines from photography and filmmaking to brand storytelling and business leadership.
Fujifilm’s representative, Richard Lackey, positioned the company’s involvement as a long-term investment in human capital: “This is about building community and empowering people to grow their art and business. We want to see creatives energised to reach their goals.”
Keynote speaker Tolani Ali, a documentary photographer whose career spans work with governors, the African Development Bank and the World Bank, shared how authenticity and excellence can open international opportunities even from modest beginnings.
She traced her rise from documenting the late Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi for six years, to working with former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, AfDB President Akinwunmi Adesina, and eventually the senior leadership of the World Bank, noting that consistent, purpose-driven creativity can take talent from Ibadan to Washington D.C.
Ali emphasised that while many creatives are self-made, government support has played a pivotal role in expanding opportunities. She referenced national honours awarded to photographers like herself and Bayo Omoboriowo, and highlighted the foundational work of industry icons such as T.Y. Bello and Kelechi Amadi-Obi, whose legacies elevated the sector and opened doors for younger women photographers.
Photographer and creative entrepreneur, Emmanuel Oyeleke, highlighted the need for creators to elevate their craft beyond a “subsistence endeavour” and adopt scalable business models. For CEO of Big Age Studios, Henri Ojimadu, he flagged affordability as a barrier to entry, urging government to expand grants and resources that can help young creatives acquire tools and launch viable enterprises.
Beyond the immediate learning outcomes, Eguare stressed the long-term impact: “When you build people, you build society. One idea from this conference can create jobs, shape narratives, and influence national reputation. The impact is not just today it’s five, ten, fifteen years from now.”
