African and Caribbean ministers responsible for cultural and creative industries have called for regulatory frameworks to protect creators, cultural assets and intellectual property as artificial intelligence reshapes the creative economy.
The ministers, at a roundtable held during CANEX Weekend 2026 in Lagos on November 5, urged governments and stakeholders to develop policies and infrastructure that would enable African creators to participate fully in the digital economy and benefit from the opportunities offered by artificial intelligence.
In a communiqué issued at the end of the meeting, the ministers acknowledged that AI could create new opportunities for creators and entrepreneurs across Africa’s cultural and creative industries but warned that questions around ownership, cultural representation and economic equity needed to be addressed.
They called for measures that would ensure African creators are adequately represented and protected in the development and application of AI systems, while enabling the continent’s creative businesses to benefit from emerging digital technologies.
The ministers also urged African countries to strengthen intra-African and Africa-Caribbean trade to expand markets, improve creative industry value chains and deepen regional integration.
Read also: Nancy Isime makes executive producer debut with Loving Itohan
They called for tailored funding and investment mechanisms suited to the needs of cultural and creative businesses, alongside stronger political cooperation, networking and cultural exchanges to support the sector’s growth.
The communiqué further urged member states to sign, ratify and domesticate the statute of the African Audiovisual and Cinema Commission and the Charter for African Cultural Renaissance, describing the instruments as important for creating an enabling environment, protecting intellectual property and accelerating cross-border trade and job creation.
The ministers also called for improved data collection and research to support evidence-based policymaking in the creative economy.
They committed to working with the African Union Commission and Afreximbank to implement the recommendations, establish mechanisms for monitoring progress and convene regular platforms to share experiences and strengthen cooperation.
In his closing remarks, Abdulkarim Ozi Ibrahim, permanent secretary of the Federal Ministry of Arts, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, said the success of the roundtable would depend on translating its recommendations into practical policies, programmes, partnerships and investments.
He said Africa needed to move from dialogue to action and build a connected creative economy in which young people could access opportunities, cultural assets generate economic value and creative businesses reach regional and global markets.
Read also: Kano moves to add 3,000 acres of irrigated farmland through dam projects
Ibrahim stressed that no country could unlock the full potential of its creative economy in isolation, calling for stronger cross-border collaboration, easier movement of creative goods, services and talent, intellectual property protection and investment in creative infrastructure.
Hope Moses-Ashike is an Associate Editor, Banking and Finance, with more than a decade of experience reporting on Nigeria’s financial system and broader economy. She closely tracks market movements, monetary policy decisions, company disclosures, regulatory actions, economic indicators, and global developments, and interprets what they mean for businesses, investors, policymakers, and households. Her reporting helps readers understand complex issues such as inflation trends, foreign exchange market dynamics, interest rate decisions, bank performance, and investment risks. She also covers major international events and periodically travels to Washington, D.C., to report on the World Bank/IMF Spring and Annual Meetings. Her dedication to financial journalism has earned her multiple recognitions and invitations to high-level professional development programmes. She is an alumna of the International Visitors Leadership Programme (IVLP) in the United States and holds an Advanced Financial Journalism Certificate from the Press Association Training in London, UK. Her other notable achievements include completing the Lagos Business School CMC Programme, the Bloomberg Media Africa Initiative Programme, and a Master Class in Journalism at Rhodes University in South Africa.
