UK, Nigeria Forge New Pathways in Creative Collaboration

The British Council is proud to be involved in the State Visit of Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR to the United Kingdom.

The visit also represents a significant diplomatic opportunity to enhance cultural ties and foster growth in creative industries, which have been identified as key drivers of economic development by both nations.

During the State Visit of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, both countries announced two important developments in their cultural and creative cooperation.

These announcements underline a joint commitment to strengthening long-term partnerships, building institutional capability and supporting sustainability.

Today’s announcements mark a shift towards a more structured collaboration, with both countries recognising the need for stronger systems, improved infrastructure and enhanced professional capability to sustain Nigeria’s growing global creative economy. The shared aim is to deliver practical, long-term value through stronger partnerships and technical cooperation.

The creative economy is a powerful driver of inclusive economic growth, innovation, employment, and cultural influence.

In the UK, the creative industries are recognised as one of the country’s highest-growth sectors, supported through government funding, investment incentives, and industrial strategy to boost innovation, skills development, export growth, and international partnerships.

This includes commitment to drive regional and sectoral growth, support scaling businesses, and enhance export competitiveness across creative sub-sectors such as film, music, gaming and design.

Similarly, the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has articulated a comprehensive vision to grow its creative economy through initiatives such as the Nigeria Destination 2030 creative economy framework, skills development priorities, strategic policy reforms, and fostering public–private partnerships aimed at scaling creative business outputs and increasing global competitiveness.

The sector is recognised as a key engine for job creation and foreign exchange earnings, with explicit targets to increase the value of creative industries and strengthen infrastructure, digital integration, and international market access.

 The UK/Nigeria Bilateral Season will support the development of creative systems and partnerships by focusing on artistic collaboration, creative infrastructure, institutional capacity, skills development and exchange.

The Season will focus on strengthening creative systems and production infrastructure, including the adoption of emerging technology; supporting skills development and leadership across arts, culture and education sectors; improving access to UK and international markets through structured mobility pathways and industry engagement, and enabling UK and Nigerian creative institutions to form lasting partnerships that continue beyond the Season.

Activities will take place across both countries in 2028, following two years of partner engagement involving visiting delegations and programme incubation, unlocking resources in both countries to catalyse greater cultural collaboration.

Arts Minister Ian Murray said, ‘Culture has an amazing power to bring people together. When we work together, we open our eyes to new creative possibilities and build opportunities to grow our creative sectors.

‘With the UK being home to the largest Nigerian diaspora in Europe, we’re perfectly placed to make the most of these opportunities. So many of our brightest stars have shared heritage across Nigeria and Britain, and I look forward to these cultural bonds only growing stronger through the joint Season of Culture in 2028.’

Meanwhile the British Council and the Department for Business and Trade will partner on the new SCALE (Supporting Creative Acceleration, Leadership & Exports) Programme.

SCALE will enhance international connections and export readiness, supporting both the Nigerian and UK creative economy growth and trade.

The Award and associated fast-track training programme will draw on a decade of learning gained from the delivery of the British Council Young Creative Entrepreneur’s Programme and from DBT’s sector expertise and network of investors.

SCALE will:

·       Build bridges between Nigerian and UK industry networks, investors, buyers, mentors, exporters and institutional partners.

·       Equip high-potential Nigerian and UK creative entrepreneurs with the skills to build market-aware, export-ready creative businesses

·       Improve investment readiness and access to finance

Both the Season and SCALE align with the UK–Nigeria Enhanced Trade and Investment Partnership (ETIP) and the 2025 Memorandum of Understanding between the British Council and the Federal Ministry of Arts, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy (FMACCE).

“Seasons are a proven mechanism to drive growth through the creative industries, and to foster long-term and mutually beneficial collaboration. The UK/ NG Season will involve a range of innovative initiatives to be designed by diverse UK and Nigeria creative organisations, with activity taking place in both countries. SCALE is a transformative initiative that aims to empower the next generation of Nigerian creatives. By fostering innovation and providing vital resources, we are not only investing in individual talents but also strengthening the cultural and economic ties between the UK and Nigeria,“ said Donna McGowan, Country Director, British Council Nigeria.

Looking ahead, the British Council envisions a structured UK/Nigeria creative partnership that integrates artistic collaboration, enterprise growth, and policy engagement. By embedding inclusion, gender equity, and disability access across our initiatives, we aim to create sustainable pathways for cultural exchange and economic growth.