Table of Contents
From left to right: Qing Madi, Tiwa Savage, Waje, Yemi Alade, Teni, and Sasha P during their panel discussion titled “The Price of Being Her” at Entertainment Week Africa 2025. Photo credit: Livespot360
Entertainment Week Africa 2025: A Groundbreaking Celebration of African Creativity
The first-ever Entertainment Week Africa (EWA) convened a dynamic mix of creators, industry executives, investors, policymakers, and cultural leaders for an immersive six-day festival. Hosted across multiple prestigious venues in Lagos-including Livespot Entertarium, Eko Hotel, EbonyLife Place, and Alliance Française-the event firmly established Lagos as an emerging global hub for innovation within the creative economy. Below is an overview of the landmark festival’s highlights and impact:
Festival Reach and Participation
- Over 28,600 attendees representing more than 8 countries and spanning 50+ industries participated in EWA 2025.
- The festival operated across five key venues: Livespot Entertarium, Eko Hotel, EbonyLife Place, Alliance Française, and Heritage Place.
- Featuring 150+ expert speakers, the program included 61 sessions, 93 film screenings, 20 live music showcases, 9 fashion presentations, and a robust tech startup Deal Room with 9 companies.
- Digital engagement soared with over 5 million online interactions and a staggering 800 million+ impressions across continents including Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America.
- Notable attendees included Minister of Trade and Investment Jumoke Oduwole, British Deputy High Commissioner Johnny Baxter, Kwara State’s First Lady Olufolake Abdulrazaq, and celebrated artists such as Tiwa Savage, Don Jazzy, Yemi Alade, Waje, and Sasha P.
Global and Pan-African Creative Exchange
Spanning November 18th to 23rd, the festival attracted a diverse audience from Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal, Kenya, the UK, and beyond. Attendees hailed from a wide array of sectors including entertainment, advertising, technology, media, marketing, filmmaking, business consulting, event management, design, and public relations. This cross-industry convergence fostered unprecedented networking and collaboration opportunities.
Theme: “Close the Gap” – Bridging Talent, Capital, and Policy
The 2025 edition’s theme, “Close the Gap,” served as both a rallying call and strategic framework to unite creative talent, financial resources, policy frameworks, and platform access within a cohesive ecosystem. Livespot360 Managing Director Tiwa Medubi emphasized this vision during her closing remarks:
“Our goal this year was clear: to bring together talent, capital, policy, and platforms-not just in theory, but in actionable practice.”
“Throughout every lab, panel, showcase, screening, and performance, it became evident that the divide between potential and achievement is narrowing because dedicated individuals are driving real progress.”
Distinguished Guests and Diplomatic Significance
The festival’s opening night featured prominent figures such as British Deputy High Commissioner Johnny Baxter, Kwara State’s First Lady Olufolake Abdulrazaq, Lagos Commissioner for Tourism, Arts & Culture Toke Benson Awoyinka, and Minister of Trade & Investment Jumoke Oduwole. Johnny Baxter highlighted the event’s role in strengthening international ties:
“Entertainment Week Africa is a celebration of partnership and advancement. By Closing The Gap, we’re not merely building bridges; we’re constructing highways for the free flow of ideas, talent, and investments between Nigeria and the UK.”
Comprehensive Programming: Panels, Workshops, and Screenings
EWA 2025 delivered an extensive lineup including over 35 panel discussions, 22 workshops, 20 masterclasses, and 93 film screenings. Topics ranged from distribution strategies and creative entrepreneurship to emerging technologies, youth culture, and cross-border mobility. Attendees engaged with specialized zones such as the Creators Hub, Creative Job Fair, Gen Z Republic, and the EWA Creative Marketplace. Film highlights featured acclaimed titles like Chronicles of Afrobeat, The Herd, Dust to Dream, and Mama Nike & Magazine Dreams, complemented by sought-after director Q&A sessions.
Story Lab: Nurturing Emerging Writers
A focused four-day Story Lab workshop, led by industry veterans Lani Aisida, Nicole Asinugo, and Dami Elebe, was supported by streaming giants Netflix, Amazon Prime, NdaniTV, and Africa Magic. From 15 shortlisted candidates, 8 participants developed 6 polished story concepts and pitch-ready loglines, equipping them for success in the competitive content creation landscape.
Deal Room and Hackathon: Accelerating Startups
The Deal Room embodied the festival’s mission to “Close The Gap” by providing mentorship, readiness labs, and investor engagement over four days. Out of 178+ applications, 9 startups advanced to the accelerator program. Noteworthy companies such as Aktivate, FriendnPal, Growwr, and Sports Reels demonstrated readiness to scale and attracted investor interest. Many founders experienced pitching to investors for the first time, marking a significant milestone.
Simultaneously, a two-day Hackathon challenged 10 teams to rapidly develop and refine innovative products. Standout ventures included Musetter (Music Technology), Owambe (Fashion Technology), and Alaba (Music Technology). Key investors supporting these initiatives were Future Africa, Askya Investment Partners, Catalyst Fund, and Consonance Invest.
Championing Gender Equity in Music
A pivotal panel featuring Yemi Alade, Waje, Qing Madi, Teni, Sasha P, and Tiwa Savage addressed the persistent gender disparities in the music industry. They highlighted the stark reality that only one female artist features among the top 100 Nigerian songs on Apple Music. Music mogul Don Jazzy remarked:
“The industry leans heavily masculine, which impacts airplay, club rotations, and overall visibility. We must strive to balance the scales.”
Fashion Forward: Showcasing African Designers
Fashion was a vibrant component of EWA, with over 120 submissions and 10 emerging designers presenting on the EWA Runway Coterie stage. Designers such as Korede James, Dust of the Earth, Nex by Necca, Josh Amor, PK Crochet, Estaz, David Black, Bernard Samuel, and Sevon Dejana unveiled innovative interpretations of contemporary African style, blending tradition with modern aesthetics.
Cultural Festivities and Highlights
The festival also celebrated cultural moments like Jokes & Jollof, where Lucky Chidiebere Obi, winner of Big Spoon 2025, was awarded a ₦1 million prize and announced his upcoming tour with renowned comedian Basketmouth.
Partners and Sponsors Powering EWA 2025
EWA 2025 was made possible through the generous support of sponsors, venue hosts, industry collaborators, content providers, music market partners, and media outlets. Key contributors included Livespot, Rent-A-Rig, Heineken, Lagos State Tourism, Pepsi, MTN, TikTok, British High Commission, High Commission of Canada, US Embassy, Essenza, Multichoice, and venue partners such as Eko Hotel, EbonyLife Place, Alliance Française, and Livespot Entertarium.
Industry partners featured Blu Pictures, Netflix, Amazon Prime, NdaniTV, Africa Magic, Choc City, ONErpm, Vuga Music, Alec, and Mad Solutions. Content market collaborators included Blue Pictures Entertainment, Circuits Global Solutions, Africa Magic, Showmax, MTN, Wonder Media Kind, MBO Capital, and Regal Stone Capital. Music market partners were Xchange, Empire, ONErpm, Virgin Music, WeTalkSound, and Chocolate City. Media partners encompassed Rollingstone Africa, TechCabal, Marie Claire, WeTalkSound, Business Insider Africa, News Central TV, Culture Custodian, Business Day, BellaNaija, Olori Supergirl, Nollywire, Amplify Africa, Trace, and CoolFM.
Founder of Entertainment Week Africa, Deola Art Alade, reflected on the festival’s future: “Our vision is for Entertainment Week Africa to become an indispensable part of Lagos’s economic, intellectual, and artistic landscape. We are thrilled with the progress made in this inaugural edition.”
Looking Ahead: EWA 2026
The festival is set to return from November 17th to 22nd, 2026, under the theme “Closing the Gap.” The upcoming edition promises expanded pan-African programming and a sustained focus on accelerating growth within the continent’s creative industries.
Registration is currently open via the official EWA website.
Music executive Don Jazzy attending a film premiere at EWA 2025
Co-Conveners Dare and Deola Art Alade
Don Jazzy, Tiwa Savage, Deola Art Alade, and Adesope Olajide at EWA 2025
Yemi Alade, Tiwa Savage, Teni, Qing Madi, Waje, and Sasha P at EWA 2025
BellaNaija proudly serves as a media partner for Entertainment Week Africa.
