Olori Atuwatse III Calls for African Ownership in Creative Economy

Olori Atuwatse III, the wife of the Olu of Warri, challenged African leaders, investors, and business executives to prioritize ownership, investment, and economic benefits in the continent's creative industry. Speaking at the Elevate Africa Convening 2026 in Accra, Ghana, she lamented that Africa earns only about $1 from every $100 generated through global trade in creative goods.

She emphasized the need for African creators and their communities to derive tangible economic benefits from their work, rather than merely celebrating cultural influence. Olori Atuwatse III identified Afrobeats, Nollywood, and African fashion as examples of the continent's cultural influence but questioned the economic returns for African creators.

She called for strategies similar to those used by the United States and South Korea to transform cultural products into economic assets. Furthermore, she urged governments and investors to develop platforms that enable African creatives to own and profit from their work, ensuring future generations inherit both cultural traditions and the necessary business structures for prosperity.