On May 14th Warner Music Africa’s (WMA) distinguished management team, Alfonso Perez-Soto, President of Emerging Markets, Warner Music; Laverne Thomas, Operations Lead, WMA; Temi Adeniji, Managing Director, WMA, and Yoel Kenan, CEO, Africori, embarked on a pivotal journey to Nigeria’s capital, Abuja. The team engaged in meetings with key government officials to establish crucial relationships and to bolster WMA’s mission of empowering Nigeria’s vibrant creative sector ahead of opening a fully owned office in Lagos.
During the team’s visit, the delegation had the honor of meeting two senior ministers and the Special Advisor to the President of Nigeria:
- Honourable Ayodele Olawande, Minister of State For Youth Development: Minister Olawande is a seasoned community development expert and youth leader, who provides insights into youth empowerment initiatives and holds a crucial role in the creative sector for national development.
- Minister Hannatu Musawa, Minister of Art, Culture, and the Creative Economy: Minister Musawa is a prominent Nigerian lawyer and politician, who shares her vision for leveraging art, culture, and creativity to drive economic growth and social development in Nigeria.
- Adeagbo (Oluwadunsin) Ayomide, Special Advisor to the President on Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy: Ayomide promotes the rich cultural heritage of Nigeria, encourages innovation, boosts cultural vibrancy, and utilises the creative industry for national growth and global recognition by providing assistance to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, while working closely with the Minister of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy.
These meetings underscored WMA’s longstanding commitment to Nigeria, dating back to 2017. WMA reaffirmed its dedication to empowering local businesses across the continent, as demonstrated through its investments in Ziiki Media, Chocolate City and Africori. In addition, the Warner Music Group / Blavatnik Family Foundation Social Justice Fund (WMG/BFF SJF) has contributed more than US$450,000 to Nigeria’s creative sector via its Repertoire and Core Funds. For example, it contributed US $400,000 to West African Vocational Education (WAVE) from 2021 – 2023 and US $50,000 in 2023 to The Sarz Academy which nurtures emerging talent in music production.
Temi Adeniji and Alfonso Perez-Soto’s leadership has been instrumental in driving the success of Warner Music’s global artists in Africa and their local repertoire across the globe. They have played a pivotal role in signing and promoting CKay, whose viral single “Love Nwantiti” has achieved extraordinary success, recently being certified 8x platinum in the US.
Additionally, WMA recently signed 26-year-old Nigerian singer-songwriter Joeboy, who has amassed an impressive two billion streams over the past five years. As part of the deal, Joeboy has created Young Legend, his own record label dedicated to providing a platform for the next generation of stars. This exciting venture will see the label partnering with Warner Music Africa for global distribution of its artists’ music.
Looking ahead, WMA outlined its plans to establish a creative hub in Lagos, which will enable Warner Music Group to provide more of its A&R, Operations and Marketing expertise to Nigeria’s creative ecosystem.
As WMA continues to deepen its engagement in Nigeria, the company remains steadfast in its mission to amplify the voices of African artists and creators on the global stage, while fostering innovation and inclusivity within the region’s dynamic creative landscape.
