This was shared at an industry event themed “Co-creating Financial Solutions for Nigeria’s Tourism, Arts and Creative Economy” hosted by Starling Bank at the Sheraton Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos. The event convened stakeholders from the financial sector, tourism, the arts and the wider creative ecosystem to consider how customized financial infrastructure can unlock growth across these sectors.
Speaking at the event, D’Banj emphasized that the CREAM platform is built on real-world experience in the creative industries and has spent the past decade addressing the structural gaps that limit creators’ growth, monetization, and retention of their work.
“The CREAM platform was created by practitioners, for practitioners. One of the realities we have seen repeatedly is that while talent is abundant, access to structured finance remains a major gap in the creative industries,” he said.
A key milestone in the partnership between the CREAM Platform and Starling Bank is the rollout of CREAM Pay, a financial solution designed to give creators structured access to banking and payment services. This wallet, which comes with a co-branded debit card from CREAM and Sterling Bank, allows creators to receive and manage income from multiple sources.
Through the platform, creators can seamlessly receive revenue from global streaming platforms such as YouTube, Spotify, Apple Music, MTN Caller Ring Back Tunes, and Full Content Downloads, Africa’s first truly direct-to-fan digital music purchasing service, including Apple music and Amazon music.
According to D’Banj, Sterling – CREAM Pay represents an important step in bridging creativity and finance. “This solution provides creators with access, structure, dignity and control over revenue, and importantly, recognizes their intellectual property as a real asset,” he said.
“This addresses the long-standing reality that creatives create value and own valuable intellectual property, yet remain excluded from the financial systems that support growth and sustainability.”
He also said that the CREAM platform is in ongoing discussions with Starling Bank regarding sustainability in the creative economy. These discussions will explore how green energy and sustainable financing models can support creators in the long term through cleaner mobility options and renewable power solutions.
A key highlight of the event was the launch of the CREAM platform decarbonization initiative for the creative industries, developed in collaboration with Starling Bank. This initiative enables creators to own electric vehicles and solar energy with convenient payment plans through a valid application process on the CREAM platform, enabling cleaner mobility and green operating models for creatives.
The impact of this initiative was highlighted by the recognition of Nigerian entertainer and one of the first winners of the CREAM platform, Olufemi Oladapo Oke-Oko, popularly known as Slimcase, as the first beneficiary. Slimcase, widely known for his musical collaboration with Tiwa Savage on the street anthem ‘Diet’, was presented with an electric vehicle valued at over $50,000, marking a tangible step towards reducing carbon emissions within the creative ecosystem and demonstrating how sustainability can actually be integrated into creative livelihoods.
In response, Slimcase thanked Starling Bank and Deavange for turning the sustainability conversation into real action, noting that access to cleaner mobility solutions and structured finance support is essential for creatives driving real work. At the event, she was also announced as an ambassador for the CREAM platform, reflecting the platform’s commitment to working with culturally relevant creators who embody its values and remain closely connected to the realities of the industry.
With Starling Bank on board as a financial partner, the CREAM platform continues to strengthen its infrastructure to support creators across music, arts, film and digital content, while positioning the platform for its next phase of growth in Nigeria and across Africa.
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CREAM (Creative Reality, Entertainment, Arts & Music) is a creator-centric ecosystem founded by Dapo “D’Banj” Oyebanjo to discover, empower, and monetize creative talent across Africa. The platform, which has been operating for over 10 years, provides creators with access to monetization channels, financial infrastructure and industry opportunities via the web and USSD.
