The UK-Nigeria Technology Hub has launched a new grant initiative, the Creative Fund, aimed at addressing critical technical capacity gaps across Nigeria’s film, fashion, and music industries.
The first-phase fund is designed to strengthen local digital production capabilities, drive the adoption of modern creative technologies, and promote the responsible use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) within Nigeria’s creative value chain. The initiative also seeks to ensure that high-potential projects can access the tools, talent, and infrastructure required to produce and scale their work locally.
Announced on Tuesday, the Creative Fund aligns with the priorities of the UK-Nigeria Economic Transformation and Investment Partnership (ETIP) Creative Working Group, which was launched in March 2025. It also delivers on commitments made during President Bola Tinubu’s State visit to the United Kingdom in March 2026, signalling a shift from policy discussions to implementation-focused interventions within the creative sector.
The programme is funded under the UK Government’s Digital Access Programme through the UK-Nigeria Tech Hub and is being implemented by Tech4Dev. It draws on findings from the 2024 State of the Creative Innovation Ecosystem in Nigeria report, which surveyed over 1,700 stakeholders and conducted fieldwork across seven states.
According to the study, Nigeria’s creative economy employs approximately 4.2 million people and contributes an estimated $3 billion annually to Gross Domestic Product (GDP). However, the sector continues to face structural challenges, including limited access to formal financing, a largely self-taught workforce, and the outsourcing of high-value technical services outside the country. The report indicates that more than 80 per cent of practitioners are self-trained, while fewer than 10 per cent have access to structured funding.
Director of the UK-Nigeria Tech Hub, Oyinkansola Akintola-Bello, said the initiative reflects a joint commitment by both governments to unlock the sector’s economic potential.
“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 Creative 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.”
The fund will support projects across film, fashion, and music, with a focus on initiatives that demonstrate strong potential for impact, scalability, and job creation. It will subsidise access to specialised technical expertise such as VFX artists, sound engineers, post-production editors, and design professionals, as well as critical digital tools including digital asset management systems, content delivery platforms, Digital Rights Management solutions, and AI-driven production technologies.
The initiative is positioned as a targeted intervention to retain value within Nigeria’s creative ecosystem by enabling high-quality production to be executed locally rather than outsourced.
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