Nigeria’s foremost talent management agency, IManage Africa, through its subsidiary platform, Music Business Africa, recently announced its partnership with Sterling Bank to present the first-ever Music Business Academy for creatives and talents in the African entertainment industry.
Curated by CEO and founder Godwin Tom, the academy is intended to further the efforts of building a more informed and employable workforce for the African entertainment industry as it is dedicated to helping music creatives and enthusiasts.
The announcement, which is preceded by the success of the just-concluded Talent Management Online Boot camp held in July, has been described by many as a turning point for Africa’s ever-booming creative ecosystem.
The virtual training, which was spread over four weeks and witnessed a pool of individuals from different strata, reaffirmed the need for more educative platforms and avenues to explore the industry hence the emergence of the academy.
As part of their partnership for the programme, Sterling Bank will sponsor 25 individuals living in Nigeria for this maiden edition of the Music Business Academy.
Participants who wish to be selected for the sponsorship are required to visit the Music Business Africa social media pages for details.
Speaking on the recent partnership between Music Business Africa and Sterling Bank, Godwin Tom said, “When I started out in this industry, there was nowhere to learn about the business and so I, like many of my peers, had to make so many mistakes and it took me over eight years to realise I had been doing so many things wrong.
“I wanted younger guys coming to do better in less time, so I started telling them about my mistakes and teaching them. There are over 174 universities in the country and none offers music business as a course yet.
“So, I approached Sterling Bank and they saw the need and jumped in. I have done this alone for four years now, it feels good to have a partner on this journey with me.”
Having recorded successes with previous training and educational engagements across Nigeria, the academy will serve as a learning ground extending its bandwidth across Africa to ensure more inclusivity and a well-structured industry on the continental front.
Presenting an array of opportunities and exposure needed to permeate other parts of the world, the academy will provide curriculum and modules for its students that will be heralded by a faculty consisting of key entertainment players and business executives across the globe, such as Archie Davis, senior VP of marketing at RCA, Iredumare Opeyemi, head of legal and partnership for MTN Group, and Uche Briggs, brand transformation lead at Diageo.
Other faculty members include Piriye Isokrari, founder, Aristokrat Group; Wiseman Qinani Ngubo, chief operations officer, CAPASSO; Adaora Mbelu, founder, Lumination Global Network; and many more to be announced in the coming weeks.
