Nigeria’s Creative Industry Set for Major Boost as FG, Chocolate City Sign Game-Changing MoU
Nigeria’s creative industry is set for a major boost as The Federal Ministry of Arts, Culture, Tourism, and Creative Economy and Chocolate City Group recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to develop key infrastructure towards repositioning the creative industry.
🚀 Key Highlights
- FG and Chocolate City ink strategic 3-year MoU to develop Nigeria’s creative economy
- Focus areas: live event infrastructure, talent development, global content distribution, and IP protection
- MoU aligns with Nigeria Destination 2030 and aims to increase GDP, job creation, and global influence
- Estimated $2 billion generated annually by Nigeria’s music industry alone
Why This Matters
In a landmark move to transform Nigeria’s creative landscape, the Federal Government and Chocolate City Group have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at unlocking the full potential of Nigeria’s cultural and entertainment economy.
The three-year pact, signed in Abuja by Minister of Arts, Culture, and Creative Economy Hannatu Musa Musawa and Chocolate City Co-founder Audu Maikori, marks a significant milestone in the Nigeria Destination 2030 initiative—an ambitious national strategy to make Nigeria a global powerhouse in arts, culture, tourism, and creative industries.
What the FG–Chocolate City MoU Covers
Under this public-private partnership, both parties will collaborate through a Joint Working Committee to execute high-impact projects focused on:
- Building small-scale live performance venues across Nigeria
- Identifying and nurturing emerging creative talents
- Establishing global distribution networks for Nigerian content
- Strengthening intellectual property rights and frameworks
- Scaling creative entrepreneurship and job creation
This synergy aims to position Nigeria as Africa’s leading innovation and entertainment hub, while ensuring that creators benefit directly from their work.
💬 What They’re Saying
🎙️ “The creative economy is one of Nigeria’s most powerful untapped growth engines,” — Hannatu Musa Musawa
The Minister noted that the deal reflects the government’s commitment to diversifying the economy through culture and creativity. She emphasized the goal of using this partnership to drive GDP growth, attract foreign investment, and empower youth.
“This partnership with Chocolate City exemplifies our commitment to harnessing the power of public-private collaboration to build sustainable creative ecosystems.”
🎵 “Afrobeats is Nigeria’s cultural superpower,” — Audu Maikori
Chocolate City’s co-founder underscored the timing and significance of the deal, noting that Afrobeats generates global goodwill and billions in revenue, yet still lacks institutional support and infrastructure.
“This partnership gives us a unique opportunity to fix structural challenges in distribution, rights management, and venue development.”
💡 “This is more than entertainment. It’s nation-building,” — Paul Okeugo
The Vice Chairman of Chocolate City highlighted the economic multiplier effect—from job creation for sound engineers to revenue for hospitality businesses.
“We’re not just building stages; we’re building industries.”
📈 The Bigger Picture: Economic and Global Impact
- Nigeria’s music industry contributes an estimated $2 billion annually, with room for exponential growth through better infrastructure and IP protection
- The creative sector is poised to become a major GDP contributor, supporting Nigeria’s goals for inclusive growth, youth employment, and foreign exchange earnings
- The partnership complements Nigeria Destination 2030, which aims to position Nigeria as a top cultural and investment destination globally
🧠 What Comes Next
The Joint Working Committee will announce priority projects in the coming months, including pilot performance venues, talent development bootcamps, and international distribution deals for Nigerian content creators.
All initiatives will align with the Ministry’s strategy of “Creative Economy for Prosperity”, and Chocolate City’s vision of building a sustainable entertainment ecosystem rooted in African creativity.
📌 About Chocolate City Group
Founded in 2005, Chocolate City is one of Africa’s leading entertainment companies, with a legacy of discovering and nurturing talents such as Femi Kuti, Ice Prince, Young Jonn, and Blaqbonez. Today, the group spans music production, creative infrastructure, publishing, and consulting.
