U.S. Consulate boosts Nigeria’s industry through Africa creative market

For the third consecutive year, the U.S. Consulate General in Lagos has supported the Africa Creative Market, reinforcing the growing collaboration between the United States and Nigeria in the creative industry.

Founded by Dr. Inya Lawal, an alumna of the Fortune-U.S. Department of State Global Women’s Mentoring Partnership program, the Africa Creative Market brings together stakeholders from African and international creative industries to exchange ideas and explore innovations to accelerate the growth of Africa’s creative economy.

This was disclosed in a press statement issued by the U.S. Consulate General in Lagos on Sunday.

This year’s event saw the participation of two prominent U.S. creative industry leaders — Steffan Horowitz, from the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts and Director of the U.S. Department of State’s Africa Creative TV (ACTV) exchange program, and Dedren Snead, CEO of Atlanta-based transmedia company SUBSUME Studios — with support from the U.S. Consulate General Lagos.

During the conference, U.S. Consulate Public Affairs Officer Julie McKay, alongside Horowitz and Nigerian alumni of the Africa Creative TV exchange program, discussed opportunities for bridging the gap between African creatives and global audiences.

Their insights were invaluable for emerging filmmakers, producers, and content creators.

Snead led a workshop focused on entrepreneurship, innovation, and the role of digital platforms in amplifying African stories globally.

He also shared perspectives on using animation and gaming to create immersive cultural experiences that elevate African narratives internationally.

In addition, the Africa Creative Market hosted the AWE 2.0 Initiative, which gathered 150 alumnae of the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs for a three-day immersive program aimed at advancing their digital skills to scale their businesses. Snead interacted with the alumnae, emphasising the U.S. government’s commitment to promoting women-led businesses and equipping female entrepreneurs with the skills necessary for success in the rapidly evolving digital economy.

The U.S. Consul General, Will Stevens, praised the growing collaboration between the U.S. and Nigeria’s creative industries, stating, “The United States recognizes the tremendous potential of the creative industries in driving growth, fostering prosperity, and creating economic opportunities.

“At the U.S. Mission, we continue to engage with Nigeria’s creative industry leaders and innovators to discuss building a sustainable ecosystem, unlocking access to new markets, and advancing opportunities for two-way trade and investment in the creative sector.”

Stevens further emphasised that the participation of U.S. industry leaders at the Africa Creative Market underscores the strengthening ties between the two countries in areas such as music, film, fashion, gaming, arts, technology, and professional and educational exchanges.

U.S. Consulate Public Affairs Officer Julie McKay highlighted the importance of the Africa Creative Market, stating, “The Africa Creative Market is a unique opportunity for emerging Nigerian creatives to connect with their U.S. counterparts and explore collaborations and sustainable business models in the global creative marketplace.”

She added, “Every year, the U.S. Mission sends emerging leaders in Nigeria’s creative industry on a variety of U.S. government-sponsored exchange programs. We remain committed to supporting programs and initiatives that promote artistic expression, encourage cultural exchange, and strengthen the capacity of Nigerian artists and professionals in the creative industry.”

The United States has a longstanding history of supporting Nigerian creative talents. Recently, the U.S. Department of State introduced three new exchange programs for Nigeria’s creative industry. These include the Africa Creative TV initiative for writers and producers in the film and TV industries, the American Music Mentorship Program in partnership with the Recording Academy (Grammys), and the Community College Initiative, a one-year program that takes participants through the script-to-screen process.