Moments from Creative Industry Group (CIG) and Folio Media Group’s (FMG) Press Conference held at LandMark Towers

To augment the group’s effort in promoting youth development and creative excellence in Nigeria, The Creative Industry Group (CIG) has signed a five-year partnership agreement with Folio Media Group (FMG), Parent Company of the Creative Africa Xchange (CAX), in partnership with Landmark Africa. Folio Media Group is CNN’s representatives in Africa and the parent company of Folio Communications, a digital pop & culture, innovation, content creation and distribution company, owners of Daily Time and Miss Nigeria beauty pageant and has substantial multimedia and technological assets with touch points globally. In the press conference recently held to announce the marriage of the two organizations, Amb. Felix Duke indicated that one of the catch points that made effortless the partnership is CIG’s solid National structure and the fact that all the sectors within the creative industry are aptly represented in the organization. In his words “We have just achieved another feat as our noble group has signed a five year partnership agreement with Folio Media Group which is a good development in the right direction. The partnership came in at a perfect time as our group prepares for the first ever Creative Industry Festival tagged “CIFEST 2022” which is scheduled to hold in the first quarter of the coming year. The CIG president hinted that the festival was postponed from November 2021 to accommodate a wider range of participation from practitioners whilst giving Folio Media ample time to do that which they know how to do best. The CIG president hinted that ten African countries would be part of this event, which promises to promote culture and tourism in Nigeria. Duke made it known to the press that the Creative Industry Group (CIG) is a professional and not-for-profit organization with memberships from all the sectors within the creative industry space spanning through the hospitality sector, entertainment, fashion, visual arts and indeed all creative practitioners in Nigeria. The Group has over time continually birthed projects to improve the welfare and livelihood of its members as well as Nigerians willing to benefit from same. This has come through its numerous free trainings, workshops, seminars, symposia and awards. It has also created platforms that enable the cushioning of eventualities through Insurance/Health programs, Shelter for all creatives through its Housing Estates and its closed user group mobile service for members. MD/CEO Folio Media Group, Mr Fidelis Anosike in his address to the press stated that the leading industry for job creation remains the creative and culture industry, we find thousands of people making a living from this industry and yet we play second or even third fiddle when it comes to policies that affect the industry. This is largely due to the many fragments in the industry which has drawn a not bank-able label around us and hence placed us way below the circle of policy makers. Nigeria remains the hub of creativity in Africa, our movies, our music, our fashion and even cuisine can be found in almost every part of the world but when it comes to the crux we aren’t adequately recognized due to this factor.
Hence our search to partner with critical stakeholders and the CIG fits in totality because it has the grass root structure and a functioning system in place that cuts across all sectors which aligns with our core values with which we can create the force needed to bring about the much needed shift. Creative Africa Exchange (CAX) is not just an even but a community focused in uniting African creatives from different sectors to explore business opportunities. Its core is on music, film and fashion. CAX is Africa’s first continental event dedicated to promoting exchange within the creative and cultural industry. Mr. Fidelis goes on to say, “CAX was created to consolidate the creative and cultural industry of Africa and drive its mainstream it into a continental global economic structure from its current fragmented state. CAX as a catalyst will enable the different strata of the industry to align tor the proper economic development of the protagonists, our people, and to tell the African story the African way. We will make the creative and cultural industry of Africa bank-able”. The journey started from the Intra Africa trade fair ATF, Cairo 2018, CAX forum, CAX weekend and Rwanda 2020. We have also activated CAX Nigeria in partnership with the Landmark Africa Lagos ecosystem, one of the foremost leisure and lifestyle destinations in West Africa with over 4m footfalls annually. Nigeria is at the forefront of Africa’s creative renaissance with the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement and Secretariat (AFCTA) taking off. CAX desires established and credible partnerships in each country to deepen its objective. Our partnership with the Creative Industry Group (CIG) marks the beginning of anchoring objectives with a multifaceted group having a deep understanding of the subject matter, working together to bring creative and cultural industry to where it should be as the most consequential sector in the biggest economy of the continent. We will drive and institutionalize several expressions starting with the creative industry festival 2022 powered by Creative Industry Power Ltd (CIP). Present at the press conference alongside the CIG president Amb. Felix Duke and the CEO Folio Media Mr. Fidelis Anosike were, CIG Executives, Director of Strategy Chief Emeka Ossai, Vice Chairman Advisory Committee Pupa Oritz Wiliki, Director of Cosmetology Sector Lady Capriz Duke, Director of Comedy Koffi tha guru, Director of DJ Sector DJ Humility, Director of Fashion Sector Princess Cynthia, Director Catering Sector Janet Asuquo and Director of Marketing Toyosi Ololade as well as other CIG members including Folio Group’s Director for corporate planning Mercy Umoren. Also present were representatives from PWAN Max Group, sponsors of CIFEST 2022.