The future of Nigeria’s music industry depends on treating intellectual property as infrastructure, not just content, Kolawole Fashola, Vice President, Business Affairs & Operations & Tech, The Temple Company— AMMP Alumnus, told industry leaders at the Lagos Music Industry Workshop in Lagos.

The three-day regional workshop, themed *‘IP for Growth in Africa’, was convened by the U.S. Consulate General Lagos in collaboration with the U.S. Mission in Geneva, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), WIPO, the Nigerian Council for Arts and Culture, the Music Economy Development Initiative (MEDI), and alumni of the U.S. Government-sponsored American Music Mentorship Program (AMMP).

The closing session, “Sustaining the Lagos Creative Economy — Pathways Forward,” brought together emerging professionals to discuss how Nigeria can drive its music industry toward the $1 billion milestone through stronger support structures, partnerships, and policies.

Speaking alongside fellow AMMP alumni Olubukola Akomolafe (Bukky) of Flytime Promotions and Osikhena Dirisu (Osi Suave) of Gamma Records / Beat 99.9FM*, with moderation by Mayowa Idowu of Culture Custodian, Fashola focused on the commercial systems needed to make Nigerian IP globally competitive.

“At The Temple Company, we look at the IP can live beyond one song, one film or project. Can we expand the lifeline through licensing? Touring? Formats, partnerships and other revenue streams,” Fashola said.

He emphasized that creativity alone is not enough. The industry needs the structures that allow ideas to scale.

“The objective is how we can turn creative output into long term creative assets,” he noted. “These structures make IP easier to protect, monetise, invest in and scale internationally.”

Fashola highlighted the role of production and business infrastructure in that process, referencing his work with Ogidi.

“Ogidi provides the production infrastructure to help turn strong ideas into globally competitive products,” he said.

“Temple and Ogidi are part of that wider approach: combining creativity with the infrastructure and commercial systems needed to build sustainable businesses.”

According to the US Consul General, Brandon Hudspeth, who spoke at the closing ceremony, the growing global reach of Afrobeats has created significant opportunities for collaboration between American and Nigerian music businesses.

“The United States sees Nigeria’s music industry not only as a powerful cultural force, but as a significant trade and investment opportunity. As Afrobeats reaches more listeners around the world, we will continue to see more American music companies work with more Nigerian artists, labels, publishers, platforms, and other creative businesses,” he said.

The central policy message, he said, is about investor readiness. “If Nigerian IP wants global capital, it must be structured in a way that global capital can understand and trust,” Fashola stated.

Hudspeth noted that American companies, including Universal Music Group, EMPIRE, Sony and Warner Music Group, as well as digital platforms such as YouTube, Meta and Apple Music, had contributed to taking Nigerian music to global audiences while generating revenue, attracting investment and creating jobs across the creative value chain.

He stressed that stronger IP protection was critical to giving American music companies the confidence to enter partnerships, finance projects, develop new markets and make long-term investments in Nigeria.

“For Nigeria, strong IP protection gives U.S. investors greater confidence, gives creators greater control over their work, and creates the conditions for businesses on both sides of the Atlantic to invest, partner, and grow,” he added.

The workshop gathered approximately 50 participants including policymakers, entertainment and IP lawyers, musicians, producers, managers, students, and academics. The program aimed to strengthen the local music industry’s capacity for innovation and entrepreneurship through intellectual property protection, showcase U.S.-style IP best practices as the “Platinum Standard” for economic prosperity, and foster cross-border partnerships.

Key focus areas during the closing session included continued collaboration beyond the workshop, partnership pathways with U.S. companies, platforms and distributors, and specific policy asks from emerging professionals to government and international partners.

Africa’s creative industry is at a steep growth point, and Lagos’ music industry remains a vibrant contributor to Nigeria’s economy and cultural identity. However, organizers noted that many artists and professionals still face challenges around business development, IP management, digital distribution, and international market access.

The Lagos Music Industry Workshop sought to address those gaps by positioning strong IP protections and enforcement as a catalyst for growth.