Africa must own its digital and cultural future -Iyin Aboyeji at NECLive 8

Iyin Aboyeji, a leading figure from Africa’s tech ecosystem, delivered a powerful message about the continent’s digital and cultural destiny at the eight edition of the Nigerian Entertainment Conference (NECLive) in April 2021.

Speaking to an audience of creatives, entertainers, and media professionals, he described the event as a familiar space, one that bridges the often-overlooked connection between technology and entertainment.

Though rooted in the tech world, Iyin Aboyeji, who co-founded Andela and Flutterwave, emphasised that his passion for the entertainment industry comes from recognising its immense cultural and economic importance to Africa. The continent’s creative exports, music, film, fashion, and art are not just sources of pride, he argued, but also tools for global influence and redefinition.

For decades, Africa has been viewed largely as a source of extraction of talent, of resources, of stories benefiting the global north more than the people who create the value. But, he said, that narrative is shifting. The rise of digital platforms and the global appetite for African culture have created a moment of opportunity: a chance for Africans to reclaim ownership of their creativity and the systems that distribute it.

Iyin Aboyeji called this a new kind of revolution, one in which Africans, for the first time, could be the primary beneficiaries of their own innovation and culture. Rather than relying on external platforms to tell African stories, he urged the audience to imagine a future built on homegrown solutions.

“Nothing really stops us from building our own YouTube, our own Facebook, our own Twitter,” he said, not as a directive but as a challenge. His point was clear: the limits that once defined Africa’s creative and digital industries no longer hold the same weight. The infrastructure, talent, and ambition now exist to create platforms that serve African interests first.

The address resonated deeply with NECLive’s broader mission, to spark collaboration between technology and entertainment and to inspire a generation of Africans to not just participate in the global creative economy, but to lead it.

NECLive returns for the 2025 edition at Landmark Events Centre, Lagos on Friday, November 28 2025. Themed Powering Africa Through Creative Enterprise, industry stakeholders will chart a course for the future. Register now at www.nec.ng