A colourful display of African cultural attire is the last thing one expects to see at an international tech conference set in the heart of Dubai. Donned in regal traditional outfits, Nigerian creatives—actor Timini Egbuson, DJ SL, and celebrity stylist Swanky Jerry—took the stage at GITEX Dubai on October 14  to speak on the future of Africa’s creative economy.

Africa’s creator economy is experiencing unprecedented growth, fueled by the popularity of Afrobeat, and multi-million dollar venture capital investments in globally acclaimed film projects like The Black Book.  Africa’s global export of creative goods is projected to hit $200 billion in 2030.

Yet, the three Nigerian creatives say the global attention the country’s creative economy is getting is only the tip of the iceberg. 

“There are countless undiscovered and undeveloped talent across Africa. I believe this untapped potential represents a significant opportunity for growth in the African music industry,” DJ SL said.  

There is increased optimism for the potential of the creative industry particularly for the next generation of creatives. The success of current players has made more parents who would otherwise not consider creative jobs low-status compared to sectors like tech, and banking are now taking creative aspirations more.

The speakers shared that they are heavily invested in capacity building in their country and combating stereotypes hindering foreign participation in the sector.  Egbuson and Jerry noted that they take to online platforms to train up-and-coming creatives in movies and fashion, respectively.

Another key takeaway from the panel is that the Nigerian government needs to invest more in the creative economy. The government has launched several initiatives to fund and encourage revenue generation from the creative economy. In October, it approved a creator economy monetisation fund to provide financing for young creatives. However, Egbuson thinks more can be done.

“While the government is making efforts, its focus on other priorities limits its bandwidth, Egbuson said. “However, Nigerians are taking matters into their own hands and becoming less reliant on government support. The world is a global village so anyone can take advantage of the opportunity to invest in Africa.”