Naija Graphic Designers (NGD) a technology-driven community of practice for creative professionals founded 2008, over the weekend in Lagos at The Zone in Gbagada launched the inaugural NGDX Creative conference in Lagos.
The event witnessed almost two thousand creative professionals engaged both online and physically at the venue with business leaders and other stakeholders, including delegates from the British Council and co-create hub on the exciting possibilities offered by NGD in deepening the creative design industry, through collaboration, shared experience and technology adoption.
The theme of the event ‘Finding X’ was chosen to catalyse every creatives’ ethos to reimagine their craft, reposition their brand, and riseabove barriers hindering their emergence as the creative entrepreneur they desire to be.
The event placed creatives in the midst of their peers, mentors, and market leaders and vice versa with an objective to establish and sustain a collaborative creative ecosystem.
The event saw creative leaders of industry sharing their experiences starting with Ojoma Ochai giving the keynote speech with the title ‘Creativity will unlock Africa’s innovation and growth potential’. Other special creative leaders like Oladimeji Ajegbile, Bolalnle Banwo Osadolo, Chuma Anagbado, Neo Okon, Richmond Chika Emebo (Reggz), Ganiyu Razak (Danfo Pentifier), Rex Posters, Olalekan Lexain Akinyele and a host of many others made the event colourful, topped with with breakout rooms for practical masterclasses and live design challenges.
Speaking at the event, Juliet Godwin, Partner and Principal Administrator of NGD noted; “We are excited at the immense opportunities ahead of Nigerian creative designers. I amazed at the rich pool of raw talents in this country and the prospect of working with different stakeholders in formalizing and deepening this highly fragmented industry for the benefit of all. Through effective collaboration, we are building a compelling globally competitive local content and we are excited at the prospect of our platform in empowering youths, creating jobs, enhancing income levels and stimulating the growth of Africa’s largest economy.”
One of the founders of NGD Daniel Emeka noted; “It was a great learning and networking experience for me, meeting veterans in the industry over a flat structure that allows cross breeding of fresh ideas and creative thinking is a memory I would have for a long time. It afforded me the opportunity to meet raw talents that I can partner to grow my firm whilst also networking with clients and prospects. More importantly, the opportunity for shared experience and knowledge exchange was second to none. More than ever, I am fired upon the global opportunities for creative design and the capacity of Nigerian boutiques in exploring this blue ocean that NGD is recreating for mutual prosperity.”
Speaking on behalf of the British Council was Gbemisola Salako who also shared the mission of the council highlighting its commitment to development of the creative sector in Nigeria. Co Founder of NGD Laolu Obende added saying: “I have always appreciated the huge opportunities in the creative design industry in Nigeria and only needs the right catalyst to extract the latent and futuristic prospects. It’s a privilege to see NGD is the catalyst we have all longed for and I am excited that the potentials are far beyond even my imaginations. As I see here today, talents can be harnessed for social and economic development of Nigeria even beyond the domestication of creative and branding services by SMEs and large corporates, there is a huge opportunity for talent and service exports in the creative design industry, and I am optimistic NGD would effectively harness these potentials for the mutual benefit of creative professionals, corporate and institutional clients and of course national development.
