Lagos State Government has reiterated its commitment to strengthening the entertainment, creative economy, and hospitality sectors, announcing plans to deepen investment in talent development, infrastructure, and industry partnerships, further positioning the state as Africa’s leading creative hub.
This assurance was given on Thursday, January 9, 2026, at the African Music Business Summit held at Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, as part of activities marking the 9th edition of the All Africa Music Awards, AFRIMA.
The summit brought together key stakeholders from the African and global music industry, policymakers, institutions, and creatives to discuss strategies for strengthening Africa’s music business ecosystem and expanding its global competitiveness.
Speaking on behalf of the Lagos State Government and representing Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mrs. Toke Benson-Awoyinka, outlined the state’s policy direction and increasing financial commitment to the creative economy.
According to her, Lagos State spent ₦8.4 billion in the last financial year to support the creative sector through concerts, capacity-building programmes, training initiatives, and production support across music, film, and related industries.
She disclosed that government funding for the sector has grown significantly, rising from ₦3.8 billion before 2023 to ₦18 billion, with projections approaching ₦40 billion, reflecting the sector’s expanding economic relevance.
Mrs. Benson-Awoyinka also announced the forthcoming Lagos Talent Hunt initiative, designed to discover, nurture, and empower emerging artists across the state. She revealed that government-owned theatres would be repurposed into cinemas and music studios, enabling young creatives to access professional recording and production facilities at no cost.
Reaffirming the government’s commitment to collaboration and transparency, the Commissioner said Lagos operates an open-door policy, encouraging creatives to submit proposals, partner with the Ministry, and actively participate in policy development for the industry.
She noted that the state has supported more than 140 creative projects and organisations, hosted large-scale free public events attended by over 100,000 residents, and continues to deploy the creative economy as a tool for youth empowerment, social inclusion, and economic growth.
In her vote of thanks, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mrs. Bopo Oyekan-Ismaila, commended the leadership of the Commissioner and reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to producing globally competitive creative talent from Lagos.
She urged practitioners in the creative sector to engage the Ministry through its official platforms and take advantage of opportunities created through public investment.
“We want to create more Burna Boys and more Davidos—global icons trained with taxpayers’ money and celebrated on the world stage,” she said.
Mrs. Oyekan-Ismaila also encouraged creatives to follow official Lagos State tourism and creative economy platforms to stay informed about funding windows, programmes, and emerging opportunities.