The United Kingdom government has launched a new creative fund aimed at boosting local production capacity across Nigeria’s film, fashion, and music industries.
The initiative, unveiled by the UK-Nigeria Technology Hub, is designed to address technical capacity gaps, deepen digital production capabilities, and encourage the responsible use of artificial intelligence within Nigeria’s creative ecosystem.
The first-phase grants programme will support creative projects with strong potential for impact, scalability, and job creation, while helping reduce dependence on outsourcing technical work outside Nigeria.
The fund forms part of the priorities of the UK-Nigeria Economic Transformation and Investment Partnership (ETIP) Creatives Working Group launched in March 2025 and follows commitments made during President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s state visit to the UK in March 2026.
Funded under the UK Government’s Digital Access Programme and implemented by Tech4Dev, the initiative was informed by findings from the State of the Creative Innovation Ecosystem in Nigeria study conducted in 2024.
The study, based on more than 1,700 survey responses and fieldwork across seven states, found that Nigeria’s creative economy employs about 4.2 million people and contributes an estimated $3 billion annually to the country’s Gross Domestic Product.
However, the report also highlighted structural challenges facing the sector, including limited access to financing and technical training. According to the findings, more than 80 per cent of practitioners are self-taught, while fewer than 10 percent have access to formal financing.
Oyinkansola Akintola-Bello, director of the UK-Nigeria Tech Hub, said the initiative represents a shift from policy discussions to implementation.
“Nigeria’s creative sector already delivers real economic value, and both governments have committed under the UK-Nigeria Economic Transformation and Investment Partnership to supporting its growth,” she said.
“Through the ETIP Creatives Working Group, we are moving from ambition to action. The Creative Fund is a practical first-phase intervention that addresses critical gaps in skills, infrastructure, and access to advanced tools, enabling Nigerian creatives to produce and scale high-quality work locally.”
The fund will support projects requiring technical specialists such as visual effects artists, sound engineers, post-production editors, and design professionals.
It will also subsidise access to digital tools including digital asset management systems, content delivery platforms, digital rights management solutions, and AI-driven production technologies.
Speaking on the initiative, Abraham Akpan, Tech4Dev Country Manager for Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa, said the programme is also focused on inclusion and access.
“The creative industries are a core part of the digital economy, bringing together technology, culture and entrepreneurship,” he said.
“This Fund is about ensuring that Nigeria’s creative success is underpinned by sustainable local talent and capacity, while deliberately expanding access to tools, skills and finance for those who have been historically excluded.”
Akpan added that the programme would prioritise women-led businesses, youth-led ventures, and underrepresented groups.
Applications for the fund are currently open on a rolling basis to creative companies, studios, production houses, fashion enterprises, and music labels with clearly defined technical needs.
Organisers said projects will be assessed based on quality, local and international impact potential, and commitment to co-investment.
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