• Thursday, November 21, 2024
businessday logo

BusinessDay

Africa Creative Market 2024 Elevates African Creativity and Talent on the Global Stage

Africa Creative Market

L-R: Ifeoma Fafunwa, Social Impact Theatre Maker & Founder of iOpenEye; Bolanle Austen-Peters, Founder of BAP Productions & Terra Kulture; Dr Yetty Ogunnubi, Founder of YD Company; Folu Storms, Lawyer & Creative Entrepreneur; Colette Otusheso, CEO of Accelerate Group; Dr Inya Lawal, Founder of Africa Creative Market; Susie Iliyan, International TV Personality; Joke Silva, President, Forum for Women in Film and TV Nigeria; and Ego Boyo, Managing Director, Temple Productions, at the just concluded Africa Creative Market 2024.

Lagos, Nigeria – October 10, 2024 – The 2024 edition of the Africa Creative Market (ACM), held in partnership with Ascend Studios Foundation, U.S. Consulate General, American Business Council, Venture Garden Group, and Paramount Africa, brought together some of the continent’s brightest creative talents and industry leaders from September 17 to 20 at the Landmark Event Center in Lagos.

With the support of esteemed brands such as Toyota by CFAO, Leadwood Furniture, YD Company, Les Terange, Tafe Organics, Uber, The Luxury Network Nigeria, Seinde Signature, C&C Luxury, The Balvenie, Regal Deluxe, Chivas Regal, and more, ACM 2024 offered a dynamic platform for exploring the intersection of creativity, culture, technology, and entrepreneurship across Africa’s diverse creative industries.

L-R: Oma Areh, Convener, Nigeria/South Africa Co-production cocktail and Producer, Wildpepper Studios; Mildred Okwo, Director, La Femme Anjola; Chioma Akamelu; Arese Ugwu, Author & Producer; Mmeli Khumalo, Curator and Creative Director; Yolanda Okereke, Fashion Engineer, The RANI Company; Ayanda Carter, Founder, The Iroko Group; Abuchi Peter Ugwu, Chocolate City Group; Lusanda Chauke, Convener, Black Roots Media at the Nigeria/South Africa Co-production cocktail at Africa Creative Market 2024

Over four days, ACM 2024 sparked conversations and collaboration across art, film, music, fashion, gaming, and technology, providing attendees with unique insights and opportunities to engage with industry visionaries. Multiple sessions were hosted across the venue’s various halls, featuring a diverse range of workshops, panel discussions, and exhibitions. Key events included the Business of Entertainment Conference, Women in Film & TV Africa Conference, Sports Entertainment & Creative Technology Summit, and FashionEVO, among others.

L-R: Prof. Bobby Moroe, Consular General, Consulate of South Africa, Lagos, Nigeria; Dr. Inya Lawal, Founder, Africa Creative Market; Paul Opara John, CEO/MD, CloudStride Technologies; Dr. Yetty Ogunnubi, Founder of FashionEVO & YD; Mykel Parish, Founder, Nollywood Travel Film Festival & Pan-African Film Development Foundation; Tarebi Alebiosu, Founder of Qshop Tech; and Lucky Idike Jr., Investor AfroFlavour Entertainment UK, at the just concluded Africa Creative Market 2024.

Dr. Inya Lawal, Convener of the Africa Creative Market, remarked, “ACM 2024 has reaffirmed our mission to empower African creatives and foster sustainable growth in the continent’s creative economy. As we conclude this year’s event, we are reminded of Africa’s immense creative potential and the importance of nurturing talent, promoting cultural exchange, and driving innovation.”

Key highlights of the event included:

  • Fashion Day, featuring a conference, runway show, and awards ceremony curated by FashionEVO, which celebrated African designers and fashion innovators. Renowned designers like Joseph Ejiro, Gbenga Artsmith, and Kola Kuddus showcased their collections, blending traditional African aesthetics with contemporary design.
  • The Nigeria/South Africa Co-Production Cocktail, which brought together industry leaders from both countries to discuss collaborative opportunities in film and entertainment, hosted by Wildpepper Studios and Black Roots.
  • The launch of the inaugural Global Creative Legal Summit (GCLS), a forum that brought together legal experts and creatives to explore the role of law in shaping the creative economy.
  • The Creative Investment Forum, organized by the American Business Council, provided insights into investment opportunities in Africa’s creative industries, addressing the legal and regulatory challenges faced by stakeholders.

In a celebration of African music and dance, the event closed with a high-energy Music Day, headlined by performances from artists such as Oxlade and Nasboi, with dance competitions powered by Redbull and a standout performance by Kaffy.

L-R: Bada Akintunde-Johnson, Country Manager, Paramount Africa; Olukorede Ikazoboh, Managing Director, SSA, Virgin Music Group; Foza Doza, Founder, Zaeda Oracle Limited; DJ Woske, DJ & Music Producer; Ilooise Omonhinmin, Media Personality & TV Presenter; and Yubby Nduonofit, Creative Lead, The Hindsight Podcast, at the just concluded Africa Creative Market 2024.

Dr Bada Akintunde Johnson, Co-Founder of ACM, also remarked “ACM 2024 yet again underscored the importance of converging the critical stakeholders across the creative sector and enabling conversations around unique and shared pain points as well as aligning on solutions and pathways forward, implementation of action points and ensuring accountability becomes easier in the aftermath of such robust engagements.”

ACM 2024 successfully positioned Africa’s creative industries on the global map, fostering collaboration, innovation, and investment opportunities. As the curtain falls on this year’s edition, ACM remains committed to driving growth and elevating Africa’s creative economy.

For more information, visit: www.africacreativemarketglobal.com

Join BusinessDay whatsapp Channel, to stay up to date

Open In Whatsapp