The UK-Nigeria Tech Hub has introduced a new Creative Fund aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s film, fashion, and music industries by boosting local production capacity.
Backed by the UK Government, the initiative seeks to address persistent gaps in technical skills, infrastructure, and access to modern production tools within Nigeria’s creative sector.
The fund aligns with the objectives of the UK-Nigeria Economic Transformation and Investment Partnership (ETIP) Creatives Working Group, launched in 2025, and builds on commitments made during President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s state visit to the United Kingdom in March 2026.
Speaking at the launch, Director of the Tech Hub, Oyinkansola Akintola-Bello, described the initiative as a transition from policy dialogue to concrete action.
She noted that although Nigeria’s creative sector already makes significant contributions to the economy, more targeted investment is required to enable local creatives to deliver high-quality outputs without relying on foreign technical services.
The fund, supported under the UK’s Digital Access Programme and implemented by Tech4Dev, draws on insights from a 2024 study of Nigeria’s creative ecosystem. The report indicates that the sector employs approximately 4.2 million people and contributes about $3 billion annually to the country’s GDP, despite facing structural limitations.
These challenges include limited access to formal financing, reliance on self-taught skills, and the outsourcing of high-value technical processes abroad.
Under the scheme, projects across film, fashion, and music with strong potential for scalability, job creation, and local impact will be supported. The fund will also bridge technical gaps by financing access to specialists such as visual effects artists, sound engineers, and post-production professionals, alongside digital tools including content delivery systems and AI-driven production technologies.
Country Manager for Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa at Tech4Dev, Abraham Akpan, said the initiative places a strong emphasis on inclusion, targeting women-led and youth-driven ventures, as well as underrepresented groups within the creative economy.
He added that the programme is designed to ensure that Nigeria’s creative growth is anchored on sustainable local talent and infrastructure.
Applications for the Creative Fund are currently open on a rolling basis, with eligibility extended to creative companies, studios, production houses, fashion enterprises, and music labels that demonstrate clear technical needs and a commitment to co-investment.
The initiative is expected to deepen Nigeria’s creative value chain and position the country as a leading hub for high-quality, locally produced creative content.
