UK-Nigeria tech hub launches creative fund to boost local production capacity
The UK-Nigeria Tech Hub has launched its Creative Fund, a first-phase grants initiative aimed at addressing critical technical capacity gaps across Nigeria’s film, fashion and music industries. In a statement
The UK-Nigeria Tech Hub has launched its Creative Fund, a first-phase grants initiative aimed at addressing critical technical capacity gaps across Nigeria’s film, fashion and music industries.
In a statement issued by Ndidiamaka Eze, the fund is designed to strengthen local digital production capacity, promote the adoption of modern creative technologies, and encourage the responsible use of artificial intelligence to enhance Nigeria’s creative value chain.
The initiative aligns with the priorities of the UK-Nigeria Economic Transformation and Investment Partnership, launched in March 2025, and supports commitments made during President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s state visit to the United Kingdom in March 2026.
Funded under the UK Government’s Digital Access Programme and implemented by Tech4Dev, the Creative Fund responds to findings from the 2024 State of the Creative Innovation Ecosystem in Nigeria study.
The report, based on over 1,700 survey responses and fieldwork across seven states, estimates that Nigeria’s creative economy employs about 4.2 million people and contributes approximately $3 billion annually to GDP. However, it highlights structural challenges, including limited formal training, restricted access to financing, and the outsourcing of high-value technical work.
Director of the UK-Nigeria Tech Hub, Oyinkansola Akintola-Bello, described the fund as a practical intervention to bridge gaps in skills, infrastructure and access to advanced tools.
“The Creative Fund is a targeted response to critical constraints within the sector, enabling Nigerian creatives to produce and scale high-quality work locally,” he said.
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The fund will support high-potential projects across film, fashion and music, focusing on initiatives with strong prospects for impact, scalability and job creation. It will subsidise access to specialised talent such as VFX artists, sound engineers, post-production editors, and design professionals, as well as essential digital tools, including asset management systems, content delivery platforms, digital rights management solutions, and AI-driven production technologies.
Country Manager for Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa at Tech4Dev, Abraham Akpan, said the initiative is structured to expand access to skills, tools and finance, particularly for women-led and youth-driven ventures.
He noted that the fund integrates inclusion into its framework while strengthening the intersection of technology, culture and entrepreneurship within Nigeria’s digital economy.
The fund is open to creative companies, studios, production houses, fashion enterprises and music labels with clearly defined technical needs. Applications will be assessed based on project quality, potential for local and global impact, and the applicant’s commitment to co-investment.
Applications are currently open and will be reviewed on a rolling basis throughout the programme period. Application link: Thecreativefund.ncegii.org.
