Entertainment Week Africa (EWA) hosted the second edition of EWA Creative Connect in London on Thursday, March 19, convening leading investors, platforms, operators, and cultural leaders shaping the global creative and entertainment economy. The gathering was convened by Darey and Deola Art Alade, Co-Founders of Livespot360 and Entertainment Week Africa.
The evening took place on the heels of a historic Nigeria-UK state visit, the first in 37 years, during which President Bola Tinubu was hosted by His Majesty King Charles III at Windsor Castle. EWA Creative Connect London served as a powerful cultural counterpart to that diplomatic moment, placing Nigeria’s creative economy at the centre of a relationship being redefined between two nations.
The evening brought together an exceptional assembly of leaders across culture, business, and investment, including the Honourable Jumoke Oduwole, Minister of Trade.
Also in attendance were Her Excellency Olufolake Abdulrazaq, First Lady of Kwara State; Samori Gambrah, Global Marketing Director at Diageo; Ridwan Olalere, Founder of LemFi; Agnieszka Moody, Head of International Relations at the British Film Institute; Bukola Akinsete, Account Manager at Adobe; Nathan Adabadze, Investment Director at Media Finance Capital; Peter Alfred-Adekeye, Founder and CEO of Boom; Tobi Adeniyi, Managing Director of Unilever Nigeria; Anita Borishade, Founder and CEO of First Portfolio; Riki Bleau, Founder of Since 93, among others.
Founded to celebrate, connect, and accelerate Africa’s creative and entertainment economy on the global stage, Entertainment Week Africa operates at the intersection of culture, commerce, and global influence. EWA Creative Connect is the natural evolution of that mission: a dedicated space for senior-level dialogue, cross-border relationships, and the strategic partnerships that will define the next chapter of the global creative economy.
The series made its debut during Grammy weekend in Los Angeles earlier this year. The London edition marks the second instalment, cementing EWA Creative Connect’s place on the global cultural calendar.
Giving a remark at the gathering, Deola Art Alade, Co-Founder of Livespot360 and Entertainment Week Africa, said,
We are at a moment where the relationship between Africa and the world is being redefined culturally. It was a strategic decision to bring EWA Creative Connect to London the same week President Tinubu was hosted by His Majesty King Charles III at Windsor Castle. Culture has always been ahead of diplomacy, and EWA Creative Connect exists to make sure the right people are in the room when that conversation happens.
Deola Art Alade, Co-Founder of Livespot360 and EWA
Darey Art Alade, Co-Founder of Livespot360 and Entertainment Week Africa, said, “The creative economy is one of the most powerful forces in the world right now, but talent alone is not enough. You need investment, relationships, and access. EWA Creative Connect exists to close that gap. London was a statement of intent, and we are just getting started.”
Images: Seye Kehinde
