Nigerian govt signs MoU with Chocolate City on creative industry infrastructure

The Federal Ministry of Arts, Culture, Tourism, and Creative Economy and Chocolate City Group have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to develop key infrastructure towards repositioning Nigeria’s creative industry.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the landmark three-year partnership pact was signed on Thursday in Abuja

The MoU is geared towards developing small-scale live arenas nationwide, identifying and nurturing talent, creating global distribution channels for Nigerian content, and strengthening intellectual property frameworks.

It also intends to harness government vision and private sector expertise to develop Nigeria’s creative industries, with special focus on music, content creation, and live events infrastructure.

The partnership is expected to be implemented through a Joint Working Committee comprising representatives from both organisations, who will identify specific projects for execution.

Its expected outcomes include empowering local talent, fostering sustainable entrepreneurship, enhancing the global reach of Nigerian creative content, and developing critical infrastructure for the creative economy.

The Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa, said the initiative was part of a broader strategy to harness the economic potential of the creative sector and significantly grow the country’s GDP.

Ms Musawa, who signed on behalf of the federal government, said the alliance with Chocolate City, Nigeria’s foremost leading entertainment company, will position Nigeria as Africa’s leading hub for innovation and entertainment.

“Nigeria’s creative industries represent one of our greatest untapped economic resources, with the potential to contribute significantly to GDP growth, job creation, and foreign exchange earnings.

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“This partnership with Chocolate City exemplifies our commitment to harnessing the power of public-private collaboration to build sustainable creative ecosystems that empower Nigerian talent and showcase our cultural wealth globally,” she said.

In his remark, the Co-Founder Chairman of Chocolate City Group, Audu Maikori, described the MoU as timely, adding that it would speed up budding talents development and offer veritable platforms for creativity to thrive across the country.

According to Mr Maikori, recent industry reports indicate that Nigeria’s music industry alone generates around $2 billion annually, a sizable portion of the $26 billion global music economy.

“Afrobeats has emerged as Nigeria’s most powerful cultural ambassador, opening doors for our artists on the global stage.

“Beyond this, Afrobeats also serves as a powerful cultural export and diplomatic resource, enhancing Nigeria’s global reputation.

“This partnership will provide the institutional support and infrastructure needed to sustain this momentum and create pathways for the next generation of creative talents.

“By working with the government, we can address long-standing challenges in distribution, infrastructure, and rights protection that have limited the sector’s full potential,” he said.

Also, Paul Okeugo, co-founder and vice chairman of Chocolate City Group, said the partnership would give a clear direction to the federal government’s reforms for the creative sector.

He highlighted the economic multiplier effect of the pact on the creative economy in terms of job creation and youth empowerment.

“When we develop performance venues and creative spaces across Nigeria, we’re creating jobs not just for artists but for sound engineers, event managers, security personnel, hospitality workers, and countless others.

“This partnership allows us to scale these opportunities nationwide while ensuring Nigerian creators retain ownership of their intellectual property and benefit directly from their creative output,” he said.

NAN reports that Chocolate City Group is a leading integrated entertainment company, founded in 2005.

The company has evolved from a music label into a multifaceted entertainment powerhouse, spanning creative infrastructure, music production, artist management, content distribution, publishing, and consultancy in the creative industries.

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Chocolate City has discovered, developed, and promoted some of Africa’s most celebrated artists, including Femi Kuti, Blaqbonez, Young Jonn, and Ice Prince, helping to shape the global perception of African music.

The alliance with the federal government is taking place as Chocolate City celebrates its 20th anniversary and coincides with the Nigeria Destination 2030 initiative, designed to grow the arts, culture and creative economy.

Nigeria Destination 2030 is a comprehensive national initiative led by the federal government to position Nigeria as a premier global destination for tourism, investment, and cultural exchange by 2030.

The programme integrates policy reforms, infrastructure development, and strategic partnerships to showcase Nigeria’s rich cultural heritage, natural landscapes, and creative industries on the world stage.

(NAN)