Nigeria’s Creative Economy: Experts Explore Models to Drive Social Impact and Investment

Leading experts and industry stakeholders convened in Lagos to explore practical strategies for harnessing Nigeria’s rapidly growing creative economy. The event, hosted by Eden Venture Group in partnership with the World Bank, marked the Nigerian pilot edition of Entertaining Change: Next-Generation Media Partnerships for Social Impact and Innovation. The global initiative, which also includes sessions in New York, Los Angeles, and Abuja, focused on how creative industries can fuel social and economic development.

Discussions centered on innovative approaches such as AI-driven behavior change tools, creative data utilization, and investment frameworks designed to unlock social and economic value. By combining technology, storytelling, and strategic capital, participants explored ways to strengthen education outcomes, shift social norms, and accelerate inclusive growth across Nigeria’s creative sector.

The convening brought together top voices from government, private investment, global development institutions, and creative industries. Notable participants included Victor Orozco-Olvera, Senior Economist at the World Bank; Fifehan Osikanlu, Founder/CEO of Eden Venture Group; and Johanna Blakely, Managing Director at the Norman Lear Center, USC. The sessions highlighted the role of innovation and collaboration in building a resilient and globally competitive creative ecosystem.

In a parallel engagement, Eden Venture Group, alongside MTV Staying Alive Foundation and MBO Capital, hosted the Investing in Creative Futures roundtable. This session spotlighted visionary leaders and innovators, particularly women driving media, entertainment, and technology, emphasizing their central role in shaping emerging markets and cultural influence across Nigeria.

“By aligning innovation, storytelling, and investment, we can build an ecosystem that drives inclusive growth and global competitiveness for Africa’s creative economy,” said Osikanlu. Echoing this, Orozco-Olvera added, “When research meets creativity, powerful tools emerge to improve development outcomes at scale.” Strategic partners supporting the global initiative include the Gates Foundation, USC Annenberg, Women in Film (Los Angeles), the University of Pennsylvania, and BellaNaija.

source: Business day