MTV Base leads solutions-based conversations at African Creative Market ‘Music Day’

Bringing together innovative minds across Africa, the African Creative Market teamed up with Paramount Africa's MTV Base to spark dynamic discussions and interactive sessions on 'Music Day.' This event united creative individuals from across the continent to explore ways of enhancing their capacities and honing skills in their respective creative realms. With an eye toward fostering resilient business models, securing trade financing opportunities, boosting creative exports, and leveraging data-driven insights within the creative industry, the event featured immersive workshops centered around four key pillars: film, music, dance, and fashion.

The workshop-centered program, designed to captivate and inform, was orchestrated by prominent figures in the industry. These included Bada Akintunde-Johnson, Country Manager for Paramount Africa in Nigeria and Co-Founder of ACM; Ernest Audu, Head of Global Business at The Bridgelight (New York); Yemisi Falaye, Entertainment Lawyer; and Marc Byers, Strategic Advisor at AMP Global Technologies, among other distinguished experts. Speaking during an interview, Country Manager for Paramount Africa in Nigeria and Co-Founder of the ACM, Bada Akintunde-Johnson, added that ACM seeks to bolster the foundations of Africa’ s creative ecosystem for profitability, sustainability, and adequate global recognition.

“Going by the level of feedback we have gotten, we have been able to identify that people find value in what we have done this year. It is heart-lifting and also encouraging for us to want to do more in the future. For us, the future of the African Creative Market is glorious and bright. ACM is a property that does not confuse you in terms of its value. African Creatives need capacity building, the right network, and access to funding, and these are the core pillars of the African Creative Market.” Offering insights into the upcoming endeavors of ACM, Bada highlighted the organization's unwavering commitment to uncovering pragmatic solutions within the African creative landscape.

He emphasized that while the realm of African creativity boasts immense potential and talent, a coherent framework is lacking. Elaborating further, Johnson remarked, said, “The future looks very glorious as we like to say, first off, it’s a property that doesn’t confuse you in terms of what the value is.” “A lot of leaders in the film spaces, and music spaces have identified small business ventures they would like to back. For instance, the two guys who won the film pitch on Tuesday now have mentors in Europe and America. One of the top guys in BAFTA British Film and Television Academy expressed an interest in working with these young talents and helping them develop their screenplay and that essentially is one of the core reasons why ACM has come to be. ACM is focused on finding practical solutions to some of these problems.