At the Africa CEO Forum 2025 (#ACF2025), renowned Nigerian Afrobeats superstar Davido made a passionate call for African governments to invest in entertainment infrastructure, stressing that the continent’s creative industry is more than culture, it’s a powerful engine of growth, innovation, and identity. Speaking before a distinguished audience of business leaders, policymakers, and change makers, the global music icon emphasized that Africa’s creative industries are not just cultural expressions, they are dynamic engines of growth, innovation, and identity.
Davido opened his remarks by reflecting on the stereotypes he faced during his early years abroad. “Schooling in the U.S., I remember people asking me, ‘Do you guys use airports?’ I told them, any car you have in America, we also have it in Nigeria,” he said. “The creative industry has taken the narrative of being African to another level. I’ve always been pro-Africa, even before I started making music.”
The award-winning artist, who began his music career in Nigeria said his journey reflects the power and global appeal of African creativity. “I could have stayed in America, but I moved back to Nigeria to do music. I started in Nigeria, and that music took me back to America, now I’m selling out arenas and breaking records. But to me, the goal is not validation from the U.S. or the UK. We should be making it here in Africa.”
Davido addressed a glaring issue: the lack of adequate performance infrastructure across the continent. “I’ve never done a stadium show in Nigeria, not because I can’t, but because the facilities aren’t there. The music has grown to the level where we want to deliver performances on par with what we give in the UK or Europe. But we can’t do that without the right infrastructure.”
He mentioned that countries like Rwanda and Senegal have started investing in creative spaces but stressed that widespread, continental support is long overdue. “Live performance is my favorite part of being a musician. Apart from being in the studio, I love being on stage. But I haven’t toured Africa properly in five to six years because we just don’t have the setups we need. That shouldn’t be the case.”
Beyond performances, Davido highlighted the challenges that artists face when trying to produce high-quality content. “We shouldn’t have to travel to use world-class studios or shoot music videos that look like Miami. We can build that here. I’ve built multiple studios in Lagos that my artists use. I’ve been investing in the creative industry for years, not just in music, but I’m about to go into film too.”
He revealed that his record label functioned almost like a charity for eight years, supporting young artists with little expectation of returns. “I didn’t collect money from my artists for eight years. I just wanted them to be able to create because I know how expensive it is. Right now, Afrobeats is at a level where we’re investing so much just to keep the culture looking good. But we can’t do it alone. The government needs to help us more with funding, not just for me, but especially for upcoming artists. “God has blessed me, and I can try for myself. But there are thousands of talented young people out there who don’t have the means. They need support. They need infrastructure. They need systems.”
With entertainment accounting for millions of jobs across the continent spanning music, film, fashion, tech, and digital content, Davido’s remarks amplified the urgency of investing in the creative economy as a driver of job creation, innovation and youth empowering.
