TAFTA Trains 150 Female Creators to Build Sustainable Careers

The Terra Academy for the Arts (TAFTA) has equipped 150 female digital creators with practical skills, tools, and industry connections to build sustainable creative careers through the maiden edition of its Creator HQ programme, a three-day immersive training held from September 28 to 30, 2026, at the Landmark Centre in Lagos.

The programme, supported by the Mastercard Foundation and other partners, was built around the theme "Create, Protect and Scale" and focused on content creation, storytelling, personal branding, intellectual property, digital protection, monetisation, brand partnerships, and audience development. Participants engaged in workshops, practical exercises, creator challenges, industry conversations, and networking sessions with professionals from the creative, legal, business, and digital sectors. Outstanding participants were rewarded with content creation tools and creator kits, providing them with practical resources to support the next stage of their creative journeys.

Speaking on the initiative, TAFTA founder Bolanle Austen-Peters said creators needed more than talent and visibility to build lasting careers. "Creators today have extraordinary opportunities to build audiences, businesses and careers through digital platforms, but talent and visibility alone are not enough," she said. "They also need to understand how to protect their work, create sustainable income and build structures around what they do." Austen-Peters explained that Creator HQ was designed to bring those elements together and give young women the practical knowledge, access, and tools needed to take greater ownership of their creative careers. "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.

Joseph Umoibom, Academy Lead at TAFTA, described the programme as an opportunity for creators to understand the business side of their work. "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," he said. Umoibom noted that over the three days, participants asked questions, tested ideas, collaborated, and began 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," he added.

As part of efforts to sustain the programme's impact, all 150 participants will receive press passes to the Lagos International Theatre Festival, scheduled for November 14 and 15, 2026, at the MUSON Centre in Lagos. The passes will allow them to attend, cover, and engage with the cultural event, providing opportunities for emerging creators to connect with the wider creative ecosystem.

The Creator HQ programme reflects TAFTA's broader mission to strengthen Africa's creative economy by equipping emerging creatives with the skills and business knowledge needed to turn their talents into sustainable livelihoods. With over 30,000 individuals already impacted by its programmes, TAFTA has established itself as a leading force in addressing expertise gaps and gender imbalances within Nigeria's creative sectors. By focusing specifically on female digital creators, the academy is addressing a critical gap in access to training, resources, and industry networks that have historically limited women's participation in the creative economy.

The decision to centre the programme on the "Create, Protect and Scale" framework reflects a growing recognition that the challenges facing digital creators extend far beyond content production. Many creators struggle to protect their intellectual property, negotiate fair contracts, diversify their income streams, and build sustainable business models. By addressing these practical concerns, Creator HQ is equipping participants with the knowledge and confidence to navigate the commercial realities of the creative industry.

For the 150 women who participated in the programme, the experience represents far more than a three-day training event. It is an investment in their capacity to build businesses, create employment, and contribute meaningfully to Nigeria's creative economy. As digital platforms continue to reshape the entertainment and media landscape, initiatives like Creator HQ will play a vital role in ensuring that African women are not just participants but leaders in the continent's creative future.