The UK Nigeria Technology Hub has launched its Creative Fund, a first-phase grants initiative aimed at closing critical technical capacity gaps across Nigeria’s film, fashion and music industries.
This was disclosed in a statement released on Tuesday by the UK’s Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office.
The fund is expected to strengthen Nigeria’s creative value chain by supporting local digital production capacity, encouraging the adoption of modern creative technologies and promoting the responsible use of artificial intelligence.
Following the launch, the UK government said applications are now open to creative companies, studios, production houses, fashion enterprises and music labels leading projects with clear technical needs.
What they are saying
According to the statement, the initiative aligns with the priorities of the UK-Nigeria Economic Transformation and Investment Partnership Creatives Working Group launched in March 2025, while also delivering on commitments made during President Bola Tinubu’s state visit to the United Kingdom in March 2026.
The programme is designed to ensure that high-potential creative projects can access the technical talent, tools and resources needed to produce, scale and complete their work within Nigeria.
The Creative Fund is financed by the UK Nigeria Tech Hub under the UK Government’s Digital Access Programme and implemented by Tech4Dev.
Commenting on the initiative, Director of the UK Nigeria Tech Hub, Oyinkansola Akintola Bello, said the fund represents a practical intervention to address these gaps.
- “Nigeria’s creative sector already delivers real economic value, and both governments have committed under the UK Nigeria Economic Transformation and Investment Partnership to supporting its growth,” she said.
- “Through the ETIP Creatives Working Group, we are moving from ambition to action. The Creative Fund is a practical first phase intervention that addresses critical gaps in skills, infrastructure and access to advanced tools, enabling Nigerian creatives to produce and scale high quality work locally,” she added.
The fund will support projects across film, fashion and music, focusing on initiatives with strong potential for impact, scalability and job creation.
It will also support access to digital tools and resources, including digital asset management systems, content delivery tools, digital rights management solutions and AI-driven production technologies.
Country Manager for Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa at Tech4Dev, Abraham Akpan, said the programme will help deepen inclusion across the creative ecosystem.
- “The creative industries are a core part of the digital economy, bringing together technology, culture and entrepreneurship,” he said.
- “This fund is about ensuring that Nigeria’s creative success is underpinned by sustainable local talent and capacity, while deliberately expanding access to tools, skills and finance for those who have been historically excluded,” he added.
More insights
The initiative responds to findings from the 2024 State of the Creative Innovation Ecosystem in Nigeria study, which drew on more than 1,700 survey responses and fieldwork across seven states.
The report found that Nigeria’s creative economy employs about 4.2 million people and contributes roughly $3 billion annually to the country’s gross domestic product.
However, the sector continues to face structural challenges. The study showed that more than 80% of practitioners are self-taught, fewer than 10% have access to formal financing, while high-value technical work is frequently outsourced abroad.
What you should know
The UK‑Nigeria Tech Hub, part of the UK Government’s Digital Access Programme, delivers the FCDO’s Digital Development Strategy by supporting inclusive, responsible, and sustainable digital transformation in Nigeria’s tech and creative sectors.
Technology for Social Change and Development Initiative (Tech4Dev), on its part, is a nonprofit social enterprise advancing inclusive digital skills and access to decent work across Africa, with a focus on bridging the digital divide and enabling sustainable economic opportunity.
