The 9th All Africa Music Awards Africa Music Business Summit has identified policy reform, technology adoption and stronger cross border collaboration as central pillars required to accelerate the growth of Africa’s music industry. (Vanguard Reports)
Held on Thursday, January 8, 2026, at the Eko Convention Centre in Lagos, the summit convened artistes, executives, policymakers, diplomats and international stakeholders to examine ownership, investment, copyright, infrastructure and monetisation across the continent’s music value chain.
Under the theme Connect, Build, Own: Monetising Africa’s Music Revolution, discussions shifted the focus from chart success and global visibility to long term structure, regulation and revenue retention.
In his opening remarks, AFRIMA President Mike Dada said the industry must now prioritise its commercial architecture.
“African music is not only about the songs and vibes but about building the business aspect of the industry,” Dada said.
According to Dada, the Business Summit was established to bridge the gap between creatives and decision makers.
“AFRIMA Business Summit is designed to expose African artists to business leaders within the sector on the continent,” he added.
Diplomatic voices at the summit framed African music as an emerging global force. In her keynote address, Sweden’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Anna Westerholm, said talent is not defined by economic background.
“Talent knows no bound, whether you are born into affluence or poverty,” she said.
Westerholm argued that some of the most compelling global music talent is currently emerging from Africa, particularly Nigeria.
From a continental policy perspective, the African Union Commission reiterated its focus on intellectual property and structural reform. Angela Martins, Head of the Culture Division, described music and the creative economy as engines of development and job creation.
“At the African Union Commission, we recognise music and the creative economy as powerful engines for development, job creation and social cohesion,” Martins said. “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 across the value chain.”
Infrastructure and capital mobilisation were also central to the discussions. Mark Smithson, Country Director at the Department for Business and Trade at the British Deputy High Commission in Lagos, called for stronger domestic investment before relying on foreign capital.
“African problems need to be solved by African solutions, with the support of the international community,” Smithson said.
Citing data from the African Finance Corporation, he noted that approximately $1.1 trillion in institutional capital exists across the continent through pension funds, sovereign wealth funds and insurance vehicles, which could be leveraged to support digital and physical infrastructure.
Media executive Lucy Iladoh urged stakeholders to develop growth models grounded in local realities rather than replicating foreign systems.
“Nollywood grew because of the locals. They found a formula that fits the Nigerian context,” she said.
Iladoh also proposed the development of a unified African streaming platform capable of prioritising African content and improving artist remuneration, while emphasising that governments should focus on enabling structures rather than direct financial handouts.
Technology featured prominently throughout the summit, particularly artificial intelligence. Congolese artist Innos’B described AI as an emerging tool for both creativity and audience engagement.
“Technology is helping us a lot in terms of creativity,” he said, referencing a recent project where a music video was fully created using AI without a physical shoot.
“To me, AI is the next big thing. It is not something we should run from. It is something we should use,” he added.
Cross linguistic collaboration was also highlighted as a strategic gap. Ivorian artist Didi B called for deeper integration between Anglophone and Francophone markets.
“To be heard all over the world, we must first be united in Africa,” he said.
Stakeholders also stressed the importance of harmonised copyright systems across African territories to ensure cross border protection and fair remuneration.
At the state level, the Lagos Government reaffirmed its commitment to the sector. Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture Toke Benson-Awoyinka said the state invested N8.4 billion in creative industries in 2025 and described Lagos as a leading cultural hub on the continent.
Industry figures including ID Cabasa and Olisa Adibua closed discussions by encouraging artists to treat music as a long term profession, invest in education and originality, and build sustainable careers within an evolving global marketplace.
The summit positioned policy alignment, capital mobilisation, technological integration and continental collaboration as structural priorities for Africa’s next phase of music industry growth.
