The African creative and entertainment industry has come a long way in the last decade. Concerts are outsold, and Nigerian entertainers and Africa are winning global awards.
Speaking at NECLive9, Tee-Y Mix, one of Nigeria’s top music producers, while acknowledging the industry’s growth, pointed out the need to institutionalise the entertainment and creative industry.
Speaking on a panel session titled Global opportunities for African entertainment alongside Sam Onyemelukwe and Osi Suave, the music producer said there is need to formalise the industry.
“Afrobeat movement is happening now. I’m hoping that we will be able to sustain it. But what happens when the movement moves away from Afrobeat?”
The music producer pointed out that in the past, the most sought after music was reggae. It moved away from that.
“At some point, it was reggae. At one point, it was Latin music. Now it’s Afrobeat. What we will do when that circle rolls by, and the attention is not on us again? What we have put in place determines the growth and suitability of the industry.”
He insisted that Nigeria’s entertainment industry is way bigger than one or two persons being popular on the world stage.
“We need to support our own structure. The Nigerian creative and entertainment industry is bigger than one or two persons being popular beyond Nigeria. The industry is way bigger than that.”
Highlighting the role Nigerian entertainment industry in building its own structure, he maintained that the industry should tell its own story, celebrate itself more and then take the movement to the world stage.
“For instance, we need to get to that stage where CNN will be able to give us a time slot for the Headies.”
NECLive is an annual gathering of African entertainment and creative industry experts were to convey to share ideas and ponder how to grow the African entertainment industry.
