Power and internet services emerge as the biggest daily obstacles for Nigerian creatives — Report
Power outages and poor internet services are the single most disruptive daily obstacles facing Nigeria’s creative professionals. These obstacles rank above funding delays, regulatory red tape, and even intellectual property theft, according to The State of Nigeria’s Creative Economy 2026, produced in partnership with Frontyard Group, an innovation and investment engine powering Africa’s creative frontier.
Some 377 creatives across sectors, including music, fashion, gaming, and communications, were asked to rank seven routine obstacles to growth. Respondents placed unreliable electricity and broadband services at number one.
The finding carries particular weight given the sector’s economic trajectory. Nigeria’s creative industry remains among the country’s fastest-growing sectors, with motion pictures and music production recording 8.86% growth in the first quarter of 2026. The report affirms that this momentum is being achieved despite, rather than because of, the country’s infrastructure.
Ahead of NECLive 2025, Ayeni Adekunle, the conference convener, said, “We’re witnessing an unprecedented moment where our creative talents are gaining global recognition and commercial success. However, we must now focus on building the infrastructure, appropriate policies, and business frameworks that will ensure this momentum translates into sustainable economic power.”
The report recommends that Nigeria treat power and connectivity as creative-economy infrastructure, with backup power a non-negotiable in creative hubs and priority grid access for creative districts. Until that foundation exists, every other creative-economy programme builds on sand.
Read the full report on the NECLive website
