Chocolate City, Swedish Embassy Explore Creative, Digital Partnerships

Omolabake Fasogbon

Chocolate City Group has hosted the Ambassador of Sweden to Nigeria, Anna Westerholm, as part of efforts to deepen creative, cultural and digital collaboration between Sweden and Nigeria. 

The meeting held at Chocolate City Group’s Lagos office, and brought together senior representatives of the Swedish Embassy and executives of Chocolate City to explore partnership opportunities spanning talent development, digital optimisation, touring infrastructure and cross border creative exchange.

Ambassador Westerholm was accompanied by members of her delegation, including Fredrik Åhsberg, Jasmine Osueke, Johanna Beckman and Georg Herlitz. 

They were received by Chocolate City Group’s Chief Executive Officer, Abuchi Peter Ugwu; Executive Vice-President, Chocolate City Music, Aibee Abidoye; and other members of the management team.

Discussions focused on the evolving global music ecosystem and how strategic collaboration between Nordic and African creative industries could unlock new commercial and cultural value.

Both sides examined opportunities for linking Nigerian artists, producers and songwriters with Sweden’s well established music innovation ecosystem, while also strengthening digital infrastructure and revenue optimisation across platforms.

Nigeria’s emergence as a global music powerhouse and Sweden’s reputation as a leading centre for music innovation were identified as complementary strengths that could support mutually beneficial partnerships.

Speaking at the meeting, Ambassador Westerholm said Sweden was keen to engage more deeply with Africa’s creative industries, noting that music and digital creativity offered strong platforms for sustainable collaboration. 

“Sweden has a long history of music innovation, and we see immense value in collaborating with Africa’s vibrant creative industries. Engagements like this reinforce the potential for knowledge exchange, sustainable partnerships and shared growth that benefit creators on both sides,” she stated. 

Chocolate City executives highlighted the importance of democratizing access to music education and creative tools, while adopting modern talent development models that support cross cultural collaboration and global competitiveness.

Commenting on the engagement, Ms. Aibee Abidoye said Sweden’s interest in Nigeria’s music ecosystem reflects the growing global relevance of African creative output.

“Sweden has a well established global reputation as a hub for pop music and hitmakers, and its interest in Chocolate City and African music more broadly presents strong potential for impactful collaborations. Beyond creative exchange, these discussions can contribute meaningfully to improving local creative infrastructure and expanding global opportunities for African talent, “she said. 

The meeting also explored live experiences and touring as key areas for collaboration, with participants noting that structured partnerships could help improve touring infrastructure and unlock new markets for artists in both regions.

The proposed areas of cooperation align with Chocolate City Group’s broader expansion strategy, including plans to launch a dedicated creative hub in Jos and a Founders Fund later in the year.

Both initiatives are aimed at supporting emerging talent, strengthening creative entrepreneurship and building sustainable pipelines within Nigeria’s creative economy.