U.S. Consulate Supports Africa Creative Market, Strengthens Collaboration with Nigeria’s Creative Industry

Funke Olaode

For the third consecutive year, the U.S. Consulate General in Lagos supported the Africa Creative Market to further strengthen the creative industry collaboration between the United States and Nigeria. Founded by Dr. Inya Lawal, an alumna of the Fortune-U.S. Department of State Global Women’s Mentoring Partnership program, the Africa Creative Market brings together stakeholders from the African and international creative industries to exchange ideas and explore innovations to spur the growth of Africa’s creative economy.

This year, two U.S. creative industry leaders –– Steffan Horowitz, from the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts and Director of the U.S. Department of State’s Africa Creative TV (ACTV) exchange program; and Dedren Snead, CEO of Atlanta-based transmedia company SUBSUME Studios –– participated in the weeklong conference with support from the U.S. Consulate General Lagos.

During the conference, U.S. Consulate Public Affairs Officer Julie McKay joined Horowitz and Nigerian alumni of the Africa Creative TV exchange program to discuss opportunities for bridging the gap between African creatives and global audiences, offering valuable insights for emerging filmmakers, producers, and content creators. Similarly, Snead led a workshop focused on entrepreneurship, innovation, and the power of digital platforms in amplifying African stories globally. He shared perspectives on the use of animation and gaming to create immersive cultural experiences that elevate African narratives internationally.

Additionally, the African Creative Market hosted the AWE 2.0 Initiative that brought together 150 alumnae of the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs for a three-day immersive program aimed at advancing their digital skills to scale their businesses. Snead engaged with the AWE alumnae underscoring the U.S. government’s commitment to promoting women-led businesses and equipping female entrepreneurs with the skills needed to succeed in the rapidly evolving digital economy.

U.S. Consul General Will Stevens noted that the participation of U.S. industry leaders at the Africa Creative Market reflects the growing creative industry collaboration between the United States and Nigeria that is bringing the two countries closer together in music, film, fashion, gaming, arts, tech, professional and educational exchanges.

“The United States recognizes the tremendous potential of the creative industries in driving growth, fostering prosperity, and creating economic opportunities,” Consul General Stevens said. “At the U.S. Mission, we continue to engage with Nigeria’s creative industry leaders and innovators to discuss building a sustainable ecosystem, unlocking access to new markets, and advancing opportunities for two-way trade and investment in the creative sector.”

U.S. Consulate Public Affairs Officer Julie McKay highlighted the significance of the Africa Creative Market, describing it as a unique opportunity for emerging Nigerian creatives to connect with their U.S. counterparts and explore collaborations and sustainable business models in the global creative marketplace.

“Every year, the U.S. Mission sends emerging leaders in Nigeria’s creative industry on a variety of U.S. government sponsored exchange programs,” McKay said. “We remain committed to supporting programs and initiatives that promote artistic expression, encourage cultural exchange, and strengthen the capacity of Nigerian artists and professionals in the creative industry.”

The United States has a long history of supporting Nigerian creative talents. Recently, the U.S. Department of State introduced three new exchange programs for Nigeria’s creative industry. They include Africa Creative TV (ACTV) initiative for writers and producers in the film and TV industries; the American Music Mentorship Program, which is in partnership with the Recording Academy (Grammys); and the Community College Initiative, a one-year program that will take participants through the script to the screen process.