Nigeria's creative industry needs institutions, not just talent, says Loom Rooms CEO

Nigeria's creative sector has captured the world's attention, with Afrobeats and Nollywood becoming major cultural exports. However, the success stories often mask the significant challenges faced by artists within an imperfect system. Shola Bamidele, CEO of Loom Rooms, highlights that global acclaim was achieved not due to a perfect creative ecosystem, but because Nigerians excelled at overcoming obstacles.

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Afrobeats and Nollywood didn’t conquer the world because Nigeria built the perfect creative system. They conquered the world because Nigerians became remarkably good at succeeding despite an imperfect one.

Bamidele points out that while sold-out concerts and international awards are visible, the preceding years of uncertainty and struggle are often unseen. Artists frequently contend with issues like unreliable power supply, stretched budgets, and a lack of legal understanding. He believes Nigeria possesses abundant talent but lacks the systemic support to allow it to flourish consistently. Many creatives spend valuable time addressing basic problems instead of developing their skills.

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What we’ve lacked is a system that consistently allows talent to flourish. Too many brilliant people spend more time solving everyday problems than developing their craft.

A positive trend Bamidele observes is the increasing number of women in leadership roles across music, film, fashion, and media. This rise in female directors, producers, and company builders is expanding creative possibilities. Looking ahead, the focus should shift from proving Nigerian talent to building an industry where success is driven by opportunity, professionalism, and robust institutions that transform great ideas into lasting businesses.

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The next chapter shouldn’t be about proving that Nigerians are talented. The world already knows that. It should be about building an industry where success depends less on extraordinary resilience and more on opportunity, professionalism and institutions that help great ideas become lasting businesses.

Bamidele's work with Loom Rooms has revealed that much of the talent in Nigeria is consumed by fighting non-existent problems. He defines creative infrastructure broadly, encompassing access to affordable workspaces, reliable internet, legal aid, funding, mentorship, and professional networks. These elements are crucial for enabling creatives to build sustainable careers. He notes instances of musicians unaware of music publishing rights and filmmakers with compelling scripts but lacking industry connections, underscoring the critical need for systemic support.

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The biggest surprise for me wasn’t discovering how talented Nigerians are, but how much of that talent is spent fighting problems that shouldn’t exist.