Entertainment of Wednesday, 11 March 2026

Source: www.thenationonlineng.net

Tiwa Savage launches music foundation to empower emerging African artists

Tiwa Savage launches music foundation Tiwa Savage launches music foundation

Afrobeats singer Tiwa Savage has launched the Tiwa Savage Music Foundation, a groundbreaking initiative aimed at discovering and training emerging African music talent.

Unveiled on March 9, 2026, at The Delborough Lagos, the foundation will focus on building skills in various areas of the music ecosystem, including film scoring, music publishing, music therapy, production, and sound engineering.

“This is everything to do with music, film scoring, music publishing, music therapy, production, sound engineering,” the award-winning singer said.

The foundation’s inaugural program, in partnership with Berklee College of Music, will select 100 African creatives for a four-day intensive training program in Lagos from April 23 to 26, 2026.

Participants will receive hands-on training in songwriting, live performance, music production, and the business side of the industry, completely free of charge.

Savage emphasised that the foundation seeks to bridge the gap between raw talent and access to professional training and global opportunities.

“We don’t lack talents in Nigeria, we have so much talents. What I want to do is to be able to create access so that people that have the talent can find the right infrastructure, education and can also be a bridge and pipeline to the rest of the world,” Savage said.

The foundation also aims to provide mentorship, training resources, and long-term career pathways for young African creatives.

“We are going to be picking a 100 talents, and we are paying for this foundation, they don’t have to pay anything. The 100 that gets chosen will get world class education in four days and we will pick a few of them that we will actually sponsor the full scholarship to go to Berklee and accommodation,” she said.

Encouraging aspiring creatives to apply, she added, “My advice is to use this opportunity…opportunity favours the prepared. This is the first of many years; even if you don’t get it this year you will have the chance to prepare for next year.”

Savage stressed the importance of partnerships in sustaining the foundation’s work, highlighting the need for collaboration to support the creative industry.

“I don’t think you can ever have enough foundations. We are all trying to make Nigeria and the world a better place. Every foundation needs funds and we need funds; we are also trying to partner.”

The launch event attracted a star-studded crowd, including media mogul Mo Abudu, talent manager Bose Ogulu, TV personality Toke Makinwa, and musicians Darey Art Alade and Johnny Drille.

Other notable attendees included entrepreneur Shade Okoya, business executive Florence Ita-Giwa, and cleric Bolaji Idowu.

Prominent business and political leaders, such as Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Olasupo Olusi of Bank of Industry, Adaora Umeoji of Zenith Bank, and Festus Osifo of the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, also showed their support.