Ahead of the ninth All Africa Music Awards in Lagos, industry leaders will gather for the Africa Music Business Summit. The event will bring together artistes, executives, investors, policymakers and media professionals to discuss how Africa can grow, protect and profit from its booming music industry.
According to the organisers, the summit will hold on Thursday, January 8, 2026, at the Eko Convention Centre in Lagos. This year’s theme, Connect, Build, Own Monetising Africa’s Music Revolution, focuses on turning creativity into long term economic value.
Discussions will centre on ownership, infrastructure, media, financing and building a strong music value chain across the continent. Sessions will explore how African talents can keep control of their work while earning sustainable income from it.
The summit will be hosted by CNN African Voices Changemakers presenter Larry Madowo, alongside Mojibade Sosanya. Panel discussions will be moderated by experienced professionals including Landry Gnamba from Cote d’Ivoire, Nde Ndifonka from Cameroon and Nigeria’s Victoria Nkong, while the Swedish Ambassador to Nigeria, Anna Westerholm, will deliver the keynote address.
Several top voices in music, media, law and policy are expected as speakers. Confirmed names include Universal Music South Africa and Sub Saharan Africa CEO Sipho Dlamini, Morocco’s Karima Damir of Universal Music MENA, Francis Doku, Mustapha Ettouil, Georg Heritlitz, Olisa Adibua, Bizzle Oshikoya, ID Cabassa, Innoss B, Juma Jux, Stonebwoy and Didi B, among others.
One of the early sessions will focus on building creative economy infrastructure for revenue. Panelists will look at policies, systems and platforms needed to convert musical talent into steady income, including rights protection, branding and monetisation strategies.
Another key session, Recipe for Global Stardom, will examine what it takes for African artists to succeed internationally. Topics will include talent development, global positioning, touring, music distribution and how to build careers that last beyond short term hits.
Speaking ahead of the summit, AFRIMA Co Producer and Director Mike Strano said the Africa Music Business Summit has become a vital platform for shaping the future of African music. He noted that African music is now one of the continent’s strongest cultural exports, and the summit is designed to help creatives understand ownership, structure and sustainability so they can fully benefit from the value they create.
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