Following a two-year hiatus, Communiqué has brought back its signature networking series, Communiqué IRL (Communiqué in Real Life), as part of its efforts to strengthen Africa’s creative economy.

The live event, held at the British Council in Ikoyi, Lagos, on Friday, brought together key players from across Africa’s creative sector, including filmmakers, actors, producers, directors, influencers, and other industry professionals.

Supported by partners such as Filmmakers Mart, Rollpay, British Council, and WiiCreate, this edition of Communiqué IRL sought to bridge the gap between online conversations and real-world connections, fostering partnerships, discussions, and collaborations in an effort to deepen engagement within the continent’s creative economy.

A major highlight of the event was a fireside chat featuring Chris Odeh, CEO and Senior Producer at Sozo Films, in conversation with David Adeleke, Founder of Communiqué. Their discussion focused on Nollywood’s evolving relationship with streaming platforms and how these services are shaping storytelling, distribution, and revenue models. It also touched on ways to strengthen Nigeria’s cinema culture and attract private investment into the film industry, both crucial factors in ensuring sustainable growth.

During the discussion, Odeh talked about the importance of refining and packaging African content before distribution, comparing it to Nigeria’s oil industry.

“We’re used to this in Nigeria. We are used to taking crude from the ground, shipping it abroad for them to refine it, and sending it back to us, for us to buy. But in the creative world, you cannot do that. You mine and refine before you send it out because the value is in the refined product not in the crude. You can’t just think of a story and send it out,” Odeh explained.

He added, “We need to make our content original so it can travel. Let’s stop seeing marketing to the diaspora as ‘exporting content.”

Odeh also noted the need for collaboration over competition in Nollywood, urging creatives to contribute to different parts of the industry’s value chain rather than focusing solely on independent productions.
He also challenged Nigerian filmmakers to rethink how they assess a film’s worth, not just in terms of the cost of making the film but in the overall impact and to explore sponsorships beyond financial backing.

Reflecting on the event, Adeleke noted that “this edition of Communiqué IRL proved that people crave high-quality conversations and networking. Our fireside chat explored the dynamics between Nollywood and streaming platforms, the successes, the challenges, and the opportunities ahead. Nigeria’s creative economy is gradually developing, and we are excited about the role that our platform is playing in this process.”