Blueprint for Africa: EWA 2025 Unites Talent, Capital, and Policy to Close the Creativity Gap

Daftar Isi

A Cultural Celebration of Creativity and Collaboration

The inaugural edition of Entertainment Week Africa (EWA) marked a significant milestone in the continent’s creative landscape. This six-day festival brought together a diverse array of creators, executives, investors, policymakers, and industry leaders, transforming Lagos into a vibrant hub for cultural exchange and innovation. The event featured an impressive lineup of artists such as Tiwa Savage, Teni, Don Jazzy, Yemi Alade, Waje, and Sasha P, showcasing the richness of African talent.

Deola Art Alade, the founder of EWA, emphasized that the festival was inspired by the dynamic energy of Lagos, which she described as an economic, intellectual, and artistic powerhouse. “Our ambition is for EWA to become a critical part of this city's cultural and economic identity,” she said. The event successfully positioned Lagos as a rising global center for creative-economy innovation, with activities spread across notable venues like the Livespot Entertarium, Eko Hotel, EbonyLife Place, Alliance Française, and Heritage Place.

Themed ‘Close the Gap,’ the festival aimed to foster pan-African creative mobility and global cultural exchange. It served as both a challenge and a blueprint, uniting talent, capital, policy, and platforms within a single ecosystem. The opening night welcomed dignitaries such as Jumoke Oduwole, Minister of Trade and Investment; Johnny Baxter, British Deputy High Commissioner; and Olufolake Abdulrazaq, First Lady of Kwara State, highlighting the event's diplomatic and economic significance.

Johnny Baxter, British Deputy High Commissioner, remarked on the festival's role in building bridges between Nigeria and the UK. “By closing the gap, we are creating highways for ideas, talent, and investments to flow freely,” he stated. Over the six days, the event attracted 28,683 passholders from more than eight countries, representing over 50 different industries.

A landmark gender-equity conversation featuring Yemi Alade, Waje, Qing Madi, Teni, Sasha P, and Tiwa Savage highlighted the underrepresentation of women in the music industry. Music executive Don Jazzy noted, “We’re too masculine… It affects the numbers, the airplay, the clubs.” The discussion underscored the need for greater balance and representation.

The top four countries at the festival, besides Nigeria, were Ghana, Senegal, Kenya, and the UK. Passes were purchased by 51 different industries, with entertainment being the most represented. Sectors such as creators, advertising, music, technology, media, marketing, and filmmaking were well-represented, alongside business consulting, events, design, and public relations.

EWA 2025 featured over 35 panels, 22 workshops, 20 masterclasses, and 93 film screenings, addressing themes like distribution pipelines, creative entrepreneurship, emerging technology, youth culture, and cross-border mobility. Creators and young professionals moved fluidly through the event, engaging with the Creators Hub, Creative Job Fair, Gen Z Republic, and the EWA Creative Marketplace.

In the film sector, highlights included the release of Chronicles of Afrobeat, The Herd by Daniel Etim-Effiong, Dust to Dream by Idris Elba, and Mama Nike and Magazine Dreams. A four-day story lab workshop for aspiring writers, facilitated by Lani Aisida, Nicole Asinugo, and Dami Elebe, resulted in six polished loglines and pitch-ready story concepts.

The Deal Room embodied the ‘Close the Gap’ theme, offering mentorship, readiness labs, and investor sessions. With 178+ entries, nine companies made it to the accelerator program, with four—Aktivate, FriendnPal, Growwr, and Sports Reels—showcasing potential for scaling. Atsur, one of the startups, recently won prize money after placing fourth at the NBA Africa Triple-Double Accelerator pitch competition.

The Hackathon extended the impact, with two days of product refinement leading to the selection of 10 teams. Three standout companies—Musetter (Music Tech), Owambe (Fashion Tech), and Alaba (Music Tech)—emerged from the sprint. Investors such as Future Africa, Askya Investment Partners, Catalyst Fund, and Consonance Invest supported these initiatives.

Fashion programming also took center stage, with 120+ entries and 10 emerging designers showcasing their work on the EWA Runway Coterie stage. Designers like Korede James, Dust of the Earth, and others presented forward-thinking interpretations of contemporary African style.

Cultural moments included the Jokes & Jollof event, where Lucky Chidiebere Obi received a ₦1 million prize and announced his upcoming tour with Basketmouth. The event was supported by sponsors such as Livespot, Rent-A-Rig, Heineken, Lagos State Tourism, Pepsi, MTN, TikTok, and many others.

Tiwa Medubi, Managing Director of Livespot360, concluded the event by emphasizing the importance of bringing talent, capital, policy, and platforms together. “The gap between potential and reality is closing because people are doing the work,” she said.

EWA is set to return next year, running from November 17–22, 2026, with expanded pan-African programming and a continued commitment to accelerating creative-industry growth across the continent.