Tiwa Savage has established the Tiwa Savage Music Foundation, a new nonprofit initiative focused on expanding music education access for emerging African professionals through education, mentorship, and access to global industry opportunities.
The foundation’s flagship project is a partnership with Berklee College of Music, Tiwa’s alma mater, to deliver the Berklee in Nigeria: Tiwa Savage Intensive Music Program in Lagos from April 23 to 26, 2026.
The four-day program will bring Berklee faculty to Nigeria for the first time, offering fully funded training to 100 selected participants .
Berklee in Nigeria program covers live performance, songwriting, music production, and music business, with sessions running daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Participants will receive hands-on instruction in music production, sound engineering, harmony, ear training, music publishing, copyright, and entertainment law .
The curriculum emphasizes the interconnection between creative and commercial aspects of the industry. Organizers state the program is designed to meet participants at their current level while expanding their creative range and industry knowledge .
The program concludes with live ensemble performances blending contemporary global styles with West African musical traditions, followed by a closing ceremony featuring scholarship presentations .
Outstanding participants may receive scholarships for further study at Berklee in Boston or through its online courses .
Tiwa, who attended Berklee in the mid-2000s on scholarship, said the initiative reflects her desire to create access for young African creatives.
“Almost 20 years ago, I walked the halls of Berklee College of Music as a student,” she said in a statement. “This school shaped my voice, my confidence, my purpose. It showed me that my Nigerian roots weren’t something to hide. It was my power”.
In an interview with CNN, Tiwa emphasized that talent alone is insufficient without structured support. “Talent is everywhere, but access is not,” she said.
She noted that tuition at leading international music schools can range between $40,000 and $60,000 annually, excluding living costs, placing formal music education out of reach for many talented young Africans.
The foundation extends beyond supporting performers to include producers, composers, sound engineers, music executives, and other behind-the-scenes professionals.
“An industry cannot thrive on artists alone,” Tiwa stated. “Behind every global sound is an ecosystem of producers, engineers, entertainment lawyers, publishers, innovators, composers, the person who scores the music to your favourite movie, or the person who uses music as a tool for healing.
These are the architects of structure, ownership, and longevity. If we do not intentionally develop them, we weaken the very house we are trying to grow”.
Applications opened February 24, 2026, and close March 20, 2026 . The program is open to musicians, producers, songwriters, and other creatives across Africa through a selective admissions process.
Tuition is free for accepted participants, though attendees must cover their own travel and accommodation costs in Lagos.
She outlined an ambitious long-term vision for the foundation. “In 10 years time, I want the Tiwa Savage Music Foundation to be a global pipeline and bridge that connects African talent to global opportunities, a recognized institution that consistently develops talents from Nigeria and across Africa,” she said in a video shared via Instagram.
“I don’t just want to launch artists, I want to build leaders, producers, executives, and owners who would shape the future of the industry.
Our alumni will become film composers, label executives, and also mentors who will come back and reinvest in the next generation”.
Tiwa Savage foundatation aims to eventually establish a permanent music school in Nigeria. Industry observers have praised the initiative as potentially transformative for Afrobeats and the wider African music ecosystem at a time when Sub-Saharan Africa recorded music revenues surpassed $110 million in 2024.
