TAFTA Trains 150 Female Creators to Build Sustainable

Oluchi Chibuzor

The Terra Academy for the Arts (TAFTA) has equipped about 150 female digital creators with practical skills, tools and industry connections to help them build sustainable careers in Nigeria’s rapidly expanding creative economy.

The creators participated in the maiden edition of Creator HQ, a three-day immersive programme held in Lagos, from September 28th  to 30th, 2026, according to a statement.

Built around the three pillars of “Create, Protect and Scale,” the programme focused on equipping participants with skills in content creation, storytelling, personal branding, intellectual property protection, monetisation, global income opportunities, brand partnerships, audience development and the business of content creation.

The initiative, according to TAFTA, was part of its broader commitment to strengthening Africa’s creative economy by ensuring that emerging creatives acquire not only artistic and technical skills but also the business knowledge required to turn their talents into sustainable livelihoods.

The programme was supported by the Mastercard Foundation and other partners, whose contributions helped provide participants with learning opportunities, resources and practical experiences.

Unlike a conventional training programme, Creator HQ combined workshops and classroom sessions with group exercises, creator challenges, question-and-answer sessions and networking opportunities involving professionals from the creative, legal, business and digital sectors.

A major highlight was the opportunity for participants to apply lessons from the programme through practical creator challenges and hands-on activities.

Outstanding participants were rewarded with content creation tools and creator kits to enable them to continue developing their work after the programme.

The initiative also extended beyond the three-day event, as all 150 participants will receive press passes to the Lagos International Theatre Festival (LITF) scheduled for November 14 and 15 at the MUSON Centre, Lagos.

The festival is expected to bring together theatre, culture and creative expression, providing the creators with an opportunity to document the event and engage with a wider creative ecosystem.

Speaking on the initiative, Founder of TAFTA, Bolanle Austen-Peters, said talent and online visibility were no longer sufficient for creators seeking sustainable careers.

“Creators today have extraordinary opportunities to build audiences, businesses and careers through digital platforms, but talent and visibility alone are not enough.

“They also need to understand how to protect their work, create sustainable income and build structures around what they do.

“Creator HQ was designed to bring those elements together and give these young women practical knowledge, access and tools that can help them take greater ownership of their creative careers,” she said.

Austen-Peters said empowering women was critical to ensuring broader participation in the continent’s growing creative economy.

“There is tremendous talent across Africa, particularly among young women who are already creating, influencing culture and building communities online.

“Our responsibility is to help ensure that they also have the knowledge, confidence and opportunities required to turn that creativity into something sustainable,” she added.

Also speaking, Academy Lead at TAFTA, Joseph Umoibom, said the programme was designed to address the gap between creative talent and the business knowledge required to build lasting careers.

“One of the things we wanted participants to understand through Creator HQ is that being a creator goes far beyond posting content.

“There is a business behind creativity. There are questions around intellectual property, monetisation, audience development, partnerships, contracts and long-term sustainability that every serious creator needs to understand,” Umoibom said.

He said the interaction with participants demonstrated the value of combining knowledge with practical experience.

“Over the three days, we saw participants ask questions, test ideas, collaborate and begin to think differently about their work.

“Giving some of them practical creator tools was also important because we wanted the impact of the programme to continue beyond the venue.

“The goal is for them to leave Creator HQ better prepared to create, protect the value of what they produce and scale their careers,” he said.

The maiden edition of Creator HQ comes against the backdrop of growing opportunities for digital creators to build audiences and generate income through social media platforms, digital content, brand partnerships and other creative ventures.

TAFTA said the programme was designed to help participants better understand those opportunities while developing the structures needed to navigate the commercial and legal dimensions of the creator economy.

The academy said the central message of the programme remained “Create. Protect. Scale.”, reflecting its objective of helping female creators move from simply producing content to building structured and sustainable creative careers.

Awesome T Bass Releases ‘The Repertoire’

Tosin Clegg

Lisa Ezekiel Temitope, professionally known as Awesome T Bass, has released a seven-track album titled The Repertoire.

The new release offers listeners an opportunity to revisit songs they may have heard years ago and which hold special memories. The familiar sounds are presented in a way that can evoke those memories and lift listeners’ moods once again.

The tracks on the project are previously released singles by the music minister and professional bass player, which have been remixed and remastered to give fans a fresh listening experience through more refined production.

The Repertoire comes in response to repeated requests from fans who have continued to express their admiration for the songs. In response to those requests, Awesome T Bass decided to bring the tracks together in one collection.

Taking these requests into consideration, he has curated the songs to reflect his musical journey, which has been shaped by grace and a deepening faith.

Known for his versatility across contemporary music, Awesome T Bass has built a musical identity through his experience as a singer, instrumentalist and producer. His professional background as a bass player also influences his approach to music, bringing distinctive depth to his songwriting, arrangements and performances.

The project features Kayode, Before Grace Found Me, Fijabi, Holy Echoes, Bukata, Kahiele, and Rhythm and Roots, encapsulated in a 20-minute musical experience.

The album offers both longtime fans and new listeners an opportunity to explore his previous catalogue while appreciating the creativity and musical expression behind the songs.

With The Repertoire, the music minister reaffirms his commitment to his audience while revisiting a body of work that has remained relevant to his supporters. The album also highlights the value of preserving previously released music and making memorable songs accessible to a new generation of listeners.