The Africa Music Business Summit, a key event of the 9th edition of All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA), will hold on Thursday, January 8, 2026 at Eko Convention Centre, Eko Hotels and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos. Time: 8am to 5pm (WAT).
The summit, which will take place at the, is expected to bring together artistes, music executives, investors, policymakers and media professionals who would discuss how Africa can grow, protect and profit from its expanding music industry.
With the theme: ‘Connect, Build, Own: Monetising Africa’s Music Revolution’, the summit will focus on turning creativity into long-term economic value. At the event, discussion will centre on ownership, infrastructure, media, financing and building a strong music value chain across Africa. While admission is free, registration on www.afrima.org is mandatory.
Anchored by award-winning broadcaster and CNN African Voices Changemakers’ host, Larry Madowo and TV host/actor Mojibade Sosanya, the summit will be moderated by Landry Gnamba from Cote d’Ivoire, Nde Ndifonka from Cameroon and Victoria Nkong from Nigeria. Swedish Ambassador to Nigeria, Ms Anna Westerholm, will deliver the keynote address.
Several respected voices in music, media, law and policy will also speak at the summit. They include CEO of Universal Music South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa, Sipho Dlamini; Morocco’s Karima Damir of Universal Music, MENA region; Ghanaian Francis Doku; Morocco’s music publisher/rights advisor, Mustapha Ettouil; Georg Heritlitz from Sweden; Storm Records’ Olisa Adibua, and Bizzle Oshikoya from Nigeria. Others are producer ID Cabassa; Congolese’s Innoss B; Tanzanian star, Juma Jux; Ghanaian star, Stonebwoy; and Didi B from Cote d’Ivoire.
One of the early sessions will focus on building creative economy infrastructure for revenue. Panelists will examine the policies, systems and platforms needed to turn musical talent into a steady income. A major panel under this session will address owning the creative narrative and monetisation strategies, with practical guidance on rights protection, branding and revenue generation.
Another session titled ‘Recipe for Global Stardom’ will explore what it takes for African artistes to succeed internationally. Topics will include talent development, global positioning, touring, music distribution and building sustainable careers beyond short-term success.
The role of media will also be examined during a session titled ‘Global Media and Music: The Missing Link for Africa’. This discussion will focus on how strong storytelling; exposure and international media partnerships can help African music reach new markets.
Financing the industry will take the spotlight during a special fireside chat on funding the African music ecosystem. This session will feature honest conversations about investment models, access to finance, and how artists, labels and creative entrepreneurs can attract funding to scale their businesses.
Speaking ahead of the summit, Mike Strano, co-producer/director of AFRIMA, said the Africa Music Business Summit has become a critical platform for shaping the future of African music.
“African music is one of the continent’s strongest cultural exports today, but talent alone is not enough. The Africa Music Business Summit is designed to help African creatives and industry players understand ownership, structure and sustainability, so they can fully benefit from the value they create,” he noted.