Shettima Calls for Early Investment in African Creative Businesses
Vice President Kashim Shettima has urged investors and financial institutions to back African creative businesses early, saying they could become major global companies and create jobs across the continent.
He made the appeal on Thursday at the opening of Creative Africa Nexus Weekend 2026 in Lagos, which brought together government officials, investors and creative industry professionals.
“The next great global creative companies will come from Africa. Back them early, and back them here,” Shettima told investors. He also encouraged creators to turn international recognition into commercial opportunities, including distribution deals, investment agreements and business partnerships.
“Do not leave Lagos with memories alone; leave with a signed term sheet, a distribution deal, a buyer’s handshake. The world is ready to pay for what you make,” he said.
Shettima described creativity as a trade sector, not simply entertainment. He said the Federal Government was working to strengthen intellectual property protection, widen access to finance and support creative trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area. He also urged African governments to remove barriers to regional business, particularly those affecting payments and cross-border transactions.
He commended the African Export-Import Bank for committing $540 million and said Africa’s young population could help meet growing global demand for creative and digital skills. He called on governments to turn that advantage into lasting economic growth.
Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment Jumoke Oduwole said the government was working to unlock more than $600 million in financing for digital and creative businesses through the Investment in Digital and Creative Enterprises programme.
Oduwole said Nigeria approved its first national intellectual property policy and strategy in November 2025, then launched a creative sector investment playbook at the World Economic Forum in January 2026. She pointed to institutional investment in Nigerian music as an example of how financing could also support film, fashion, literature, gaming and other creative fields.
Registration for this year’s event was capped at 17,000, up from 6,000 at the previous edition, she said.
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu described the creative economy as a growing source of jobs for young people and export earnings. He said the state had invested in theatres, cultural facilities, fashion events and arts programmes.
“Your talent is not just a hobby any longer. It is indeed an export,” Sanwo-Olu said, urging creators to register and protect their work, set fair prices and ensure overseas demand translates into income.
He said Lagos could become a major marketplace for creative goods under the AfCFTA, with the city set to host the Intra-African Trade Fair in 2027.
