The 9th All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA) Africa Music Business Summit (AMBS) has identified policy reform, technology adoption, and stronger collaboration as essential pillars for deepening the growth of Africa’s music industry.
Held on Thursday, January 8, 2026, at the Eko Convention Centre in Lagos, the summit brought together industry leaders, artists, policymakers, diplomats, and global stakeholders to discuss ownership, investment, distribution, copyright, and the future of African music on the world stage.
Under the theme ‘Connect, Build, Own: Monetising Africa’s Music Revolution’, discussions moved beyond performances and popularity to focus on structuring, protecting, and monetizing African music more effectively.
In his welcome address, AFRIMA President Mike Dada emphasized that sustainable growth requires greater attention to the business side of music. “African music is not only about the songs and vibes but about building the business aspect of the industry,” Dada said. He explained that the AFRIMA Business Summit was created to connect creatives with decision-makers and expose African artists to business leaders across the continent.
Swedish Ambassador to Nigeria Anna Westerholm delivered the keynote address, praising Africa’s rapid music development and encouraging young creatives to believe in themselves regardless of background. “The most exciting music talents globally are not in America, Sweden or the UK but in Africa, especially in Nigeria,” Westerholm said. She shared how Sweden built a strong music industry from the 1990s and expressed Sweden’s readiness to partner with African creatives on monetization and global promotion.
Angela Martins, Head of Culture Division at the African Union Commission, described music and the creative economy as powerful drivers of development, unity, and job creation. “We remain firmly committed to supporting policies and frameworks that strengthen intellectual property rights, ensure fair remuneration for creators, and allow industry professionals to own, control and monetise their creative outputs,” Martins said.
On investment, Mark Smithson from the British Deputy High Commission in Lagos stressed that Africa must look inward first. “African problems need to be solved by African solutions, with the support of the international community,” he said, noting that Africa has approximately 1.1 trillion dollars of institutional capital available through pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, and insurance funds.
Media professional Lucy Iladoh argued that African growth models must reflect African realities. “Nollywood grew because of the locals. They found a formula that fits the Nigerian context,” she said, advocating for a unified African streaming platform that caters to African content and compensates artists fairly.
Congolese music star Innos’B highlighted technology’s role, particularly artificial intelligence. “I was part of a project where the entire music video was done with AI. Nobody went to shoot the video, yet the connection with the audience was massive,” he explained, calling AI “the next big thing” for the industry.
Ivorian artist Didi B called for stronger unity between Anglophone and Francophone artists. “To be heard all over the world, we must first be united in Africa,” he said, noting limited collaboration across language barriers.
Lagos State Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture Toke Benson-Awoyinka reaffirmed the government’s commitment to the creative sector, revealing that Lagos invested 8.4 billion naira in creative industries in 2025.
Industry stakeholders agreed that harmonized copyright systems across African borders are necessary to protect creatives and ensure fair earnings, while producers ID Cabasa and Olisa Adibua urged artists to treat music as a career and embrace continuous learning.
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