9th AFRIMA: Policy Shift, Technology, Collaboration Identified for Deepening Music Growth at AMBS

The 9th All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA) Africa Music Business Summit (AMBS) has identified policy reform, technology adoption and stronger collaboration as major pillars needed to deepen the growth of Africa’s music industry.

The summit, held on Thursday, January 8, 2026, at the Eko Convention Centre, Lagos, brought together industry leaders, artistes, policymakers, diplomats and global stakeholders to discuss ownership, investment, distribution, copyright and the future of African music on the global stage.

With the theme ‘Connect, Build, Own: Monetising Africa’s Music Revolution’, the conversations went beyond performances and popularity, focusing instead on how African music can be better structured, protected and monetised.

Speaking in his welcome address, President of AFRIMA, Mr. Mike Dada, said the African music industry must now pay more attention to the business side if it wants to grow sustainably.

“African music is not only about the songs and vibes but about building the business aspect of the industry,” Dada said.

He added that the AFRIMA Business Summit was created to bridge the gap between creatives and decision-makers.

“AFRIMA Business Summit is designed to expose African artistes to business leaders within the sector on the continent,” he stated.

In her keynote address, the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Sweden to Nigeria, Ms. Anna Westerholm, praised the rapid development of African music and urged young creatives to believe in their abilities regardless of background.

“Talent knows no bound, whether you are born into affluence or poverty,” she said.

According to her, Africa is now home to some of the most exciting talents in the world.

“The most exciting music talents globally are not in America, Sweden or the UK but in Africa, especially in Nigeria,” Westerholm said.

She explained how Sweden built a strong music industry from the 1990s and has become one of the world’s leading exporters of music, adding that African countries can also leverage music for economic development. She also reaffirmed Sweden’s readiness to partner with African creatives in monetisation and global promotion.

Speaking for the African Union Commission, the Head of Culture Division, Ms. Angela Martins, described music and the creative economy as key drivers of development, unity and job creation across Africa.

She said, “At the African Union Commission, we recognise music and the creative economy as powerful engines for development, job creation and social cohesion. We will continue to prioritise culture as both an economic asset and a tool for African identity, unity and global influence. We remain firmly committed to supporting policies and frameworks that strengthen intellectual property rights, ensure fair remuneration for creators, and allow industry professionals to own, control and monetise their creative outputs across the value chain.”

On investment and infrastructure, Mr. Mark Smithson, Country Director, Department for Business and Trade at the British Deputy High Commission, Lagos, said Africa must first look inward for solutions and funding.

“African problems need to be solved by African solutions, with the support of the international community,” he said.

Quoting a report by the African Finance Corporation, Smithson noted that Africa has huge capital potential.

“There is about 1.1 trillion Dollars of institutional capital on the continent that can be leveraged through pension funds, sovereign wealth funds and insurance funds to support digital and physical infrastructure,” he explained.

He stressed that strong domestic investment will attract more international confidence and partnerships.

The role of media and local structures also featured prominently. Media professional Lucy Iladoh said African growth models must reflect African realities.

“Nollywood grew because of the locals. They found a formula that fits the Nigerian context,” she said.

She warned against copying foreign systems without adaptation.

“We cannot reinvent the wheel, but we cannot copy and paste,” Iladoh noted.

She also advocated for a unified African streaming platform.

“It is possible to have an African streaming platform that caters for African content and pays artists well,” she said, adding that government’s role is to create structures that enable creatives to earn, not to hand out money.

Technology, especially artificial intelligence, was another major focus. Congolese music star, Innos’B, shared his experience with AI in music creation and promotion.

“Technology is helping us a lot in terms of creativity,” he said.

“I was part of a project where the entire music video was done with AI. Nobody went to shoot the video, yet the connection with the audience was massive,” Innos’B explained.

He added, “To me, AI is the next big thing. It is not something we should run from. It is something we should use, and it is getting better in how we communicate with the public.”

On collaboration across Africa, Ivorian artiste, Didi B, called for stronger unity between Anglophone and Francophone artistes.

“To be heard all over the world, we must first be united in Africa,” he said.

He noted that there is still limited collaboration across language lines and urged African artistes to work together more intentionally.

Discussions on copyright and regulation also highlighted the need for cooperation among African governments. Industry stakeholders agreed that harmonised copyright systems are necessary to protect creatives and ensure fair earnings across borders.

The Lagos State Government also restated its support for the creative sector. The Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mrs. Toke Benson-Awoyinka, described Lagos as Africa’s cultural capital and said the state invested N8.4 billion in creative industries in 2025.

She said the government is committed to creating an enabling environment for collaboration, training and global competitiveness.

Other industry voices, including producers ID Cabasa and Olisa Adibua, urged artistes to treat music as a career, embrace learning and originality, and not fear failure.