The Lagos Music Industry Workshop, convened by the U.S. Consulate General Lagos, recently brought together industry leaders to discuss the future of Nigeria's music industry. Kolawole Fashola, Vice President, Business Affairs, Operations & Tech at The Temple Company, emphasized that treating intellectual property as infrastructure, not just content, is crucial for the industry's growth. The workshop, themed 'IP for Growth in Africa', aimed to explore ways to drive Nigeria's music industry toward the $1 billion milestone. Fashola's remarks highlighted the need for stronger support structures, partnerships, and policies to achieve this goal.
The three-day regional workshop, held in collaboration with the U.S. Mission in Geneva, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), WIPO, the Nigerian Council for Arts and Culture, and the Music Economy Development Initiative (MEDI), brought together emerging professionals to discuss the commercial systems needed to make Nigerian intellectual property globally competitive. Fashola, alongside fellow American Music Mentorship Program (AMMP) alumni Olubukola Akomolafe and Osikhena Dirisu, focused on the role of production and business infrastructure in building sustainable businesses. Their discussions centered on expanding the lifeline of creative output through licensing, touring, and formats.
Fashola explained that The Temple Company aims to turn creative output into long-term creative assets by exploring revenue streams beyond a single song or project. He cited the company's work with Ogidi, which provides production infrastructure to help turn strong ideas into globally competitive products. This approach combines creativity with the infrastructure and commercial systems needed to build sustainable businesses. By doing so, intellectual property becomes easier to protect, monetize, invest in, and scale internationally.
The closing session, tagged ‘Sustaining the Lagos Creative Economy — Pathways Forward’, brought together industry leaders to discuss the growing global reach of Afrobeats and its opportunities for collaboration between American and Nigerian music businesses. US Consul General, Brandon Hudspeth, noted that the United States sees Nigeria's music industry as a significant trade and investment opportunity. He emphasized that as Afrobeats reaches more listeners worldwide, American music companies will increasingly work with Nigerian artists, labels, publishers, platforms, and other creative businesses.
Hudspeth's remarks underscored the importance of partnerships and collaborations in driving the growth of Nigeria's music industry. He highlighted the potential for American music companies to work with Nigerian counterparts, creating new opportunities for investment and trade. This collaboration is expected to contribute to the growth of Nigeria's music industry, which aims to reach the $1 billion milestone.
The workshop provided a platform for industry leaders to share their insights and expertise on building a sustainable music industry in Nigeria. Fashola, Akomolafe, and Dirisu emphasized the need for stronger support structures, partnerships, and policies to drive the industry's growth. Their discussions highlighted the importance of intellectual property protection, commercial systems, and production infrastructure in making Nigerian music globally competitive.
The Lagos Music Industry Workshop concluded with a call to action for industry stakeholders to work together to build a sustainable music industry in Nigeria. The workshop's outcome is expected to contribute to the growth of Nigeria's music sector, which has significant potential for trade and investment. Key stakeholders, including government agencies, industry leaders, and creative businesses, are expected to collaborate to drive the industry's growth and achieve the $1 billion milestone.
Key points
- Industry leaders emphasize the need for stronger support structures, partnerships, and policies to drive Nigeria's music industry growth.
- The U.S. Consulate General Lagos and partners convened the Lagos Music Industry Workshop to explore ways to drive Nigeria's music industry toward the $1 billion milestone.
- Kolawole Fashola and fellow industry leaders highlighted the importance of treating intellectual property as infrastructure, not just content, to make Nigerian music globally competitive.
