How Emmanuel Alade is creating platforms for young African creatives

The African entrepreneurial space is growing at a fast pace. Almost every day new businesses sprout up. The demands of the new age no doubt have given a platform for immense possibilities in view of creativity and business ideas.

While businesses are multiplying by the second, very few are shaking up the industry and niche in which they operate. One of such business organisations is Creatrix Empire, founded and chaired by Emmanuel Alade, the Nigerian-UK based architect.

Born on 28 December 1991 in one of the traditional heartlands of Nigeria (Erijiyian-Ekiti), Alade’s intrigue as a child with the transfiguration of a bare land mass to gigantic building structures led him to the study of Architecture.

He has often mentioned in several interviews that he grew up enthralled by the spectacle of “periodic structural transformations and perceptive changes of places, towns, cities and countries”.

He is a graduate of the University of Portsmouth and Oxford Brookes University where he obtained his Bachelor and Masters degree in Architecture respectively.

His passion for further knowledge expansion saw him attend the Architectural Association School of Architecture, London. This was where he obtained his professional practice certificate (RIBA Part 3).

Due to his strong sense of responsibility, he was named the best role model student at St. Michael & All Angels Church of England Academy where he did his sixth form.

He has been linked with international names and projects including and not limited to UBS, Google, Solinas Serra Arquitectos, Spain; London Drywall Limited, Liverpool Street, London; B+R Architects, Chapman Taylor, SNHA Architects, HKR Architects, among others.

A good record of his projects are Eblana project in Dublin, Abbey Street Project in Dublin, Anthony & Roderick project in London, Mothercare project in London, Hounslow West Project in London.

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Over the years, he has continued to develop and equip great minds beyond his professional calling as a certified Nigerian-British architect. His business outfit, Creatrix Empire, stands as the mother company of two of the biggest brands to reckon with in the African entertainment scene, Afrobeatsglobal and Uncut Xtra.

According to him, his vision for both companies stemmed from a burning passion to impact lives. Rather than just confine himself to the professional space of his calling as the typical architect, particularly with the immense success he recorded from delivering major building projects, Emmanuel Alade sought a need to effect real change in an industry that was hitherto gunning for global relevance.

This saw the emergence of Afrobeatsglobal which heralded the global rich’ and reach of the mother sound (afrobeats). As it is, some of the biggest songs in the world are from afrobeats artistes such as Wizkid’s “Essence” featuring Tems, CKay’s “Love Nwantiti”, including the TikTok sensation, “Alcohol” by Joeboy who way before his rise to stardom had made it on Emmanuel Alade’s Afrobeatsglobal platform that has continued to give a voice and stage to talented creatives.

This is coupled with giving back to a society that is ravaged by few opportunities through avenues such as the Uncut Xtra Album that was birthed in 2018 under its mother company, Creatrix Empire with a mission and vision to promote upcoming Nigerian artistes at no charge.

The platform has also mentored fast-rising artists in preparation for the Nigerian music industry and beyond. Overtime, hundreds of artists have benefitted from the Uncut Xtra platform.

Another platform curated by the Ekiti-born businessman, Voice of Afrobeats has continued to help and support talented creatives in a bid to give them a platform to prioritise, promote, and showcase their craft.

Both Afrobeatsglobal and Uncut Xtra are testimonies that if you build your business on grounds of a burning passion to change and impact lives, the rest is history for the success of such a brand. This is as Emmanuel Alade continues to be a renowned leading luminary in the architectural, electronic media and entertainment industry continentally and globally.