Africa’s growing creative industry needs improved access to financing, stronger copyright protection and better infrastructure to convert its expanding talent base into sustainable businesses, jobs and economic value, Adesoji Adesugba, founder and chairman of the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s Business Entrepreneurship, Skills and Technology (BEST) Centre, has said.

Adesugba made the call at the Africa Creators Conference (ACC 2.0), held at the Abuja International Trade and Convention Centre on Friday, in Abuja, where he outlined measures governments, financial institutions and industry stakeholders should adopt to strengthen the continent’s creative economy.

He said that although Africa has a large pool of creative talent, the industry continues to face structural constraints that prevent creators from fully benefiting from the commercial value of their work.

“Africa is not short of creativity. Africa is short of share. Let the editing, the animation, the mastering, the licensing and the data hosting happen here, so that the value-added stays here,” Adesugba said

He argued that the continent must move beyond producing creative content to building businesses and systems that allow creators to earn fairly from their intellectual property.

A major challenge, he said, is the limited access to finance faced by creative businesses, particularly because conventional lenders often struggle to recognise intellectual property as an asset that can support borrowing.

He urged banks, development finance institutions and capital market operators to develop financing models that accept creative assets, including music catalogues, film libraries, design portfolios and verified royalty streams, as collateral.

According to him, recognizing intellectual property as a bankable asset would help creators raise capital, expand production and invest in distribution without depending solely on personal funds or conventional forms of collateral.

Adesugba also called for the establishment of dedicated creative economic zones and hubs in Abuja, Lagos, Kano, Enugu, Port Harcourt and other major centres.

He said such hubs should provide reliable electricity, fibre-optic connectivity, production studios, post-production facilities and rendering infrastructure, supported by a competitive fiscal environment to attract investment and encourage creative businesses to scale.

On intellectual property, he stressed the need for stronger copyright enforcement, particularly against digital piracy, which continues to undermine creators’ earnings.

He also called for greater transparency among collective management organizations to ensure that royalties generated from broadcasting, streaming services and public performances reach the artists and other rights holders entitled to them.

Adesugba said the growing use of artificial intelligence in content creation also required clear safeguards to protect creators’ consent, ownership and right to compensation when their works, voices and likenesses are used.

While encouraging creative professionals to embrace emerging technologies, he said they must also understand how to protect their rights as the industry evolves.

He further identified professional and business management skills as critical to the growth of the sector, urging creators to improve their knowledge of contracts, taxation, branding and financial management.

“Talent is natural; professionalism is learned,” he said, stressing that creative ability must be supported by the business skills required to build sustainable enterprises.

To strengthen the commercial capacity of the industry, Adesugba proposed partnerships involving conference organisers, AfriLabs, UNESCO and relevant government ministries through the ACCI BEST Centre. Such collaboration, he said, could provide business clinics, mentorship and market linkages for emerging creators.

He also urged universities to connect research and teaching more closely with commercial opportunities in the creative sector.

On the regional market, he called for stronger African distribution networks, more efficient cross-border payment systems and co-production agreements to enable creators to reach wider audiences and benefit from opportunities under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

He encouraged creators to formalise their businesses, register their intellectual property, maintain proper financial records and join professional associations and chambers of commerce to improve their access to markets and business support.

Adesugba said Africa must ensure that the economic benefits generated by its creative output are shared more fairly with the people producing the content.

“Our task now is to make sure that Africa is also paid, fully and fairly, for what the world enjoys,” he said.