The 9th All African Music Awards (AFRIMA) African Music Business Summit (AMBS) has identified policy reform, technology adoption and enhanced collaboration as key pillars needed to deepen the growth of Africa’s music industry.
The summit, held at the Eko Convention Center in Lagos on Thursday, January 8, 2026, brought together industry leaders, artists, policy makers, diplomats and global stakeholders to discuss ownership, investment, distribution, copyright and the future of African music on the world stage.
With the theme “Connect, Build and Own: Monetizing Africa’s Musical Revolution,” the conversation moved beyond performance and popularity to focus on how African music can be better built, protected and monetized.
In his welcome address, AFRIMA Chairman Mike Dada said if Africa’s music industry wants to grow sustainably, it needs to pay more attention to the business side.
“African music is not just about the songs and the atmosphere, but also about building the business side of the industry,” Dada said.
He added that the AFRIMA Business Summit was established to bridge the gap between creatives and decision makers.
“The AFRIMA Business Summit aims to introduce African artists to industry business leaders on the continent,” he said.
In her keynote address, Anna Westerholm, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Sweden to Nigeria, praised the rapid development of African music and urged young creators to believe in their abilities, regardless of their background.
“Whether you were born into a rich or poor family, your talent knows no limits,” she said.
According to her, Africa is currently home to some of the world’s most exciting talent.
“The most exciting musical talent in the world is not in America, Sweden or the UK, but in Africa, especially Nigeria,” Westerholm said.
She explained how Sweden has built a strong music industry since the 1990s and has become one of the world’s leading music exporters, adding that African countries can also use music for economic development. She also reaffirmed Sweden’s readiness to partner with African creatives in monetization and global promotion.
On behalf of the African Union Commission, Head of Culture, Ms Angela Martins, said music and the creative economy are key drivers of development, unity and job creation across Africa.
“At the African Union Commission, we recognize that music and the creative economy are powerful drivers of development, job creation and social cohesion. We continue to prioritize culture as both an economic asset and a tool for African identity, unity and global influence. We remain committed to supporting policies and frameworks that strengthen intellectual property rights, ensure fair compensation for creators, and enable industry professionals to own, control, and monetize their creative output across the value chain.”
On investment and infrastructure, Mark Smithson, Country Director for Commerce and Trade at the British Deputy High Commission in Lagos, said Africa first needs to look domestically for solutions and funding.
“Africa’s problems need to be solved with African solutions, with the support of the international community,” he said.
Citing a report by the African Finance Corporation, Smithson said Africa has huge capital potential.
“The continent has approximately $1.1 trillion of institutional capital that can be leveraged to support digital and physical infrastructure through pension funds, sovereign wealth funds and insurance funds,” he explained.
He stressed that strong domestic investment will attract further international trust and partnerships.
The role of media and regional structures also featured prominently. Media expert Lucy Illado said Africa’s growth model needed to reflect Africa’s realities.
“Nollywood grew because of the locals. They found a formula that suited the Nigerian situation,” she said.
She warned against copying foreign systems without adapting.
“You can’t reinvent the wheel, but you can’t copy and paste,” Illado said.
She also advocated for a unified streaming platform for Africa.
“It is possible to have an African streaming platform that accommodates African content and pays artists well,” she said, adding that the role of governments is not to hand out money, but to create a system where creators can earn.
Technology, especially artificial intelligence, was also a big 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 produced with AI. No one went to shoot the video, but the connection with the audience was huge,” Innos’B explained.
He added, “For me, AI is the next big thing. AI is not something we should run away from. AI is something we should take advantage of, and the way we communicate with the public is improving.”
Regarding collaborations across Africa, Ivorian artist Didi B called for greater solidarity between English and Francophone artists.
“If we are to be heard around the world, we must first unite in Africa,” he said.
He noted that collaboration across language barriers remains limited and urged African artists to collaborate more intentionally.
Discussions on copyright and regulation also emphasized the need for cooperation among African governments. Industry participants agreed that a harmonized copyright system is needed to protect creatives and ensure fair returns across borders.
The Lagos State Government also reiterated its support for the creative sector. The Secretary for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Toku Benson Awoyinka, described Lagos as the cultural capital of Africa and said the state had invested NOK 8.4 billion in the creative industry in 2025.
He said the government is committed to creating an enabling environment for cooperation, training and global competitiveness.
Other industry voices, including producers ID Kabasa and Olisa Adibua, urged artistes to treat music as a career, embrace learning and originality, and not be afraid to fail.
