As Chocolate City celebrates two decades that have shaped Nigeria’s musical landscape, entertainment powerhouses are commemorating their anniversary through strategic partnerships to meet one of the industry’s most critical needs: infrastructure.
Last weekend, Chocolate City Group formally formed a 15-year partnership with the Plateau State government, creating a hub and radio station in Joss, a company story that began more than two decades ago.
The partnership will be signed at JOS and will develop production facilities, training programs and media infrastructure to develop creative talent in the Central Nigerian Belt.
“The plateau is dear to me. I came here to study law in 1993. Without Jos, there would be no chocolate city.” explain Tissue Maikori, Chairman of Chocolate City Group, he led the company delegation. “It’s time to give back.”
JOS Center not only represents the company’s business expansion. For Maikori and co-founder Paul Okeugo, they began their journey to organize campus events at Jos University, which is a meaningful homecoming.
National vision takes shape
What makes the infrastructure drive in Chocolate City particularly important is that the Joss partnership does not happen in isolation. It was established in April with the earlier Memorandum of Understanding signed with the Federal Ministry of Arts, Culture and Creative Economy (FMACCE).
The agreement outlines the collaboration between Chocolate City and the federal government, establishing a framework for developing creative industry infrastructure in several regions of Nigeria.
It’s Peter PerchThe CEO of Chocolate City Music explains the company’s broad vision: “Our goal is to direct creativity to productive economic activities throughout Nigeria. We start with Jos because our roots are there, but we are working with state and federal partners to address the national infrastructure gap.”
The FMACCE partnership focuses on policy development, capacity building and linking Nigeria’s creative industries to global markets, while the Plateau State Initiative provides a concrete implementation model that can be replicated elsewhere.
Infrastructure gap
These moves are at a critical moment in Nigeria’s creative sector. Although Nigerian music, film and fashion have gained international recognition, the country’s creative infrastructure has been working to keep up with explosive growth.
PwC’s Global Entertainment and Media Outlook (2024-2028) expects Nigeria’s entertainment and media market to grow from US$90 billion in 2023 to US$13.6 billion in 2028, making it one of the fastest growing areas. Industry experts believe that this number can be multiplied by a few times by enough infrastructure.
“Talent has been here all the time, but the tools, training and distribution channels are limited, especially outside of Lagos,” notes Paul OkeugoVice Chairman of Chocolate City Group. “We have seen countless artists with great potential have no access to what they need to develop their craft professionally.”
What does this mean for the industry
The implications of these partnerships go far beyond the commercial interests of Chocolate City. They show a potential shift in Nigeria’s creative economic development over the next decade.
First, these initiatives can address the extreme centralization of the music industry in Nigeria in Lagos. While commercial capital will undoubtedly remain the neurological center of the industry, developing regional hubs may more equitably distribute opportunities and reveal potentially undiscovered talent.
Second, the public-private partnership model for the creative industry is being developed to provide a template for sustainable infrastructure development. Government partners bring policy support, land and basic infrastructure, while industry players such as Chocolate City contribute expertise, networking and creative development knowledge.
“This approach solves problems that the government cannot solve and will not go just to the private sector.” Music industry insider Eze Obioha explained. “If it performs well, it could be a blueprint for Africa’s creative economic development.”
Third, these partnerships have the potential to create career paths for performing artists. The planned facilities will require technical experts, manufacturers, managers and other professionals and may expand the creative careers available in Nigeria.
Real-time construction
With streaming digital and social media followers becoming the main indicators of success in the music industry, Chocolate City’s focus on physical infrastructure represents another ambition.
These developments can significantly improve the career possibilities of young artists and creative entrepreneurs, especially those outside Lagos. The combination of studio facilities, professional training and media platforms is expected to reduce entry barriers to historically participating in Nigeria’s creative economy.
The success of this model will depend on the ongoing commitment of the parties. Nevertheless, ambition alone marks the development of Nigeria’s creative industry, which is an important moment – infrastructure development is finally beginning to match the country’s huge talent pool.
“The best journey takes you back where you started, but have the resources to make you better suited to those who follow you“Okeugo reflects. As Chocolate City enters its third decade, the concept seems to guide the next chapter.
