Michael Ugwu, the pioneering CEO of African digital distributor and label services company Freeme Digital, has concluded his tenure on the Board of Directors of Merlin, the world’s leading independent music licensing network.
Appointed in 2019 as the first Nigerian to hold the position, Ugwu served two terms, advocating fiercely for the inclusion and equitable treatment of African music rights in the global digital ecosystem.
His exit marks the end of a significant chapter forAfrican representation at the highest levels of the industry’s infrastructure.
In an exclusive reflection, Ugwu shared his journey, his driving philosophy, and the clarity that now guides his next move: a shift from collective advocacy to building individual and institutional sovereignty for African creators.
Serving On Merlin Board Taught Me Real Impact Isn’t About Visibility, It’s About Building Foundations Others Can Stand On. We Made Global Access Possible For Independent African Labels, And That Will Always Be Part Of My Legacy.
Michael Ugwu, CEO – Freeme Digital
Ugwu’s journey to the Merlin board is rooted in a foundational lesson learned the hard way.
Before Freeme Digital, he ran IROKing, a pioneering Nigerian streaming platform. The model, common at the time, involved signing artists to exclusive deals, locking their content to a single, local platform.
For two terms, from 2019 to 2025, he served as the sole African voice on the Merlin board, a role that carried significant weight.
He acknowledges the honor of representing the continent while recognizing the complexity of being a single voice for its diverse markets.
He has expressed hope for more granular regional representation in the future but emphasizes the critical importance of having Nigeria’s influential market represented in such a pivotal global forum.
The scale of Merlin’s operation, and thus the scope of his influence, is a key part of his legacy.
He has highlighted that many Afrobeats hits reach the world through Merlin’s vast network of member distributors, often without the artists themselves being aware of the connection.
During his tenure, Merlin facilitated the distribution of well over four billion pounds to independent labels worldwide, a testament to the organization’s substantial economic impact.
Ugwu describes the privilege of platforming alternative sounds as central to his philosophy.
This commitment to broadening the narrative of African music consistently informed his advocacy work on the Merlin board, where he pushed for global systems to better accommodate the continent’s unique market dynamics.
Michael Ugwu’s departure represents a paradigm shift in strategy from negotiating for equity within existing structures to establishing autonomous structures of ownership and control.
