Indigenous socio-economic enterprise, WAWU, has launched a digital platform aimed at addressing revenue losses in Africa’s creative economy by helping creators establish ownership of their work, access international markets and receive payments across borders.

The platform, known as WHO MADE THIS? (WMT), is designed to provide creators, professionals and intellectual property owners with digital infrastructure for identity verification, intellectual property protection, international payments and commercial transactions.

It seeks to address challenges faced by African creators who produce music, films, digital content and other intellectual property consumed globally but often struggle to secure proper recognition, commercial rights and financial returns.

Speaking at the launch, WAWU Chief Executive Officer, Emmanuel Lennox, said the major challenge confronting African creators was not a shortage of talent or global demand but the absence of systems capable of translating their creative output into sustainable earnings.

“Attention is not income. African creators have never lacked talent or audience. They have lacked infrastructure. WHO MADE THIS? gives them a place to put their name on their work and be paid for it,” Lennox said.

He explained that the platform would enable users to establish verified digital identities, commercialise their intellectual property and receive payments from international markets.

According to him, WMT goes beyond a conventional digital marketplace by integrating financial services, creative production tools, professional networking, commerce and learning facilities into a single ecosystem.

Its features include cross-border fund transfers, multi-currency payments and WAWU Creative Studio, which provides artificial intelligence-powered tools for producing voice recordings, music, videos, images and written content.

The platform also incorporates a digital hub for professional networking, digital products, financial services, learning and commercial activities.

WAWU said the initiative was designed to reduce barriers preventing independent creators, entrepreneurs and skilled professionals from monetising their work beyond their immediate geographical markets.

Lennox disclosed that the platform was launching with an established network of institutional and private-sector partners, supported by the company's previous involvement in the Federal Government's 10 Million Youths and Women Upskilling and Empowerment Initiative.

The programme, launched through the Office of the Vice-President and coordinated by the Presidential Committee on Economic and Financial Inclusion, was designed to expand access to digital skills, financial literacy, creative arts and entrepreneurship training.

WAWU said it collaborated with global learning partner Alison and six professional bodies, including the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria, Chartered Risk Management Institute of Nigeria, Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers, National Institute of Credit Administration and Nigeria Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

The company said WMT would provide beneficiaries of skills acquisition programmes with opportunities to convert their newly acquired competencies into commercial ventures and income.

Other launch partners and collaborators include Afreximbank, Development Bank of Nigeria, Enterprise Development Centre, Innovation Support Network, Pistis Life and Leadership Institute of The Elevation Church, WACCIMA, Business and Professional Women Nigeria and Wallx.

Lennox said joining the platform was free, although users would pay a nominal verification fee to unlock global selling and monetisation features.

He also invited universities, innovation hubs and other organisations to participate as founding partners to expand the platform's reach and strengthen its commercial ecosystem.

He said the ultimate objective was to ensure that African creators retained greater control over the economic value of their intellectual property rather than simply generating content and audiences for others to monetise.

“Now, when the world asks who made it, the answer will be an African name, and the payment will go to an African account,” he said.