What’s In It for the Local Industry
The creative sector in Nigeria is rapidly growing. It already employs over 4.2 million Nigerians and has potential to add millions more jobs.
The Nigerian media-and-entertainment industry contributed roughly $1.4 billion in 2023 and is projected to grow further.
Local production companies are being recognised as key growth drivers in Nigeria’s creative economy.
Industry analysts note that “local content” is more than a buzzword – it’s foundational for retaining value and building capacity.
For Ibadan and Oyo State, the Davido concert can deliver the following:
Exposure & Breakthrough for Ibadan-Based Artistes
By selecting local performers for paid spots on the stage, they gain access to a live audience, media coverage, digital content, and subsequent bookings.
Economic Momentum for Local Crew & Service Providers
Every aspect of the event (sound, lighting, video, stage-build, social media content) can pull in local production houses — thereby creating jobs, skills transfer and business growth.
Branding Ibadan as Creative Hub
When the concert becomes known for launching home-grown talent, Ibadan positions itself as a destination for concerts, artistic residencies, content studios and more.
Foundation for Sustainable Platforms
The concert shouldn’t be a one-off moment — the right execution (including paid local artistes) can kick-start ongoing programmes, talent incubators, content-creation labs anchored in Ibadan.
What Stakeholders Must Do — To Make It Happen
Artists & Talent
Get vetted and vouched for: Local artistes who will perform must be selected through credible industry panels (Ibadan music associations, promoters, government agencies) to ensure readiness and professionalism.
Sign a performance agreement: Formal contract with payment, responsibilities (rehearsals, media appearances) and rights (recording, streaming use) — not simply an “opening slot for exposure”.
Plan the after-show strategy: What happens post-concert? Single release, social media push, booking pipeline — the exposure must convert into tangible outcomes.
Organisers & Production Committee
Guarantee paid slots for selected local artistes: These are not “free appearance” slots but professional engagements with fees commensurate with performance.
Integrate and highlight local content: Local acts must be featured in promotional materials (posters, trailers, interviews) and included in rehearsals, sound-checks and content-capture.
Document and amplify: Produce behind-the-scenes videos, spotlights on Ibadan talent, interviews — use this as content to elevate the profile of local artistes and the concert simultaneously.
Collaborate with local service providers: Prioritise Ibadan-based production, media-house, technical crew, design and logistics — so jobs and capacity stay local.
Government & Creative-Industry Agencies
Establish a vetted roster of Ibadan/Oyo emerging artistes: Use local talent databases, creative hubs and youth-development agencies to certify talent eligible for paid slots.
Institute support programmes linked to the event: Grants, training workshops, mentorship schemes tied to the concert to ensure the momentum is sustained.
Define and track KPIs: Number of local artistes engaged and paid, number of local crew employed, post-event bookings secured — measure success and replicate the model.
Sponsors & Private Sector
Allocate budget for “Local Talent Engagement”: A portion of sponsorship funds should be designated for paid performances by local artistes and local content production.
Partner for post-event engagement: Brands can sign standout local artistes for campaigns, endorsements or content series — extending impact beyond the concert.
Support infrastructure: Sponsorship can help set up rehearsal spaces, content studios or recording labs in Ibadan — strengthening the creative ecosystem.
Media & Platform Partners
Give local artistes their own voice: Feature interviews, profiles, social-media campaigns centred on the Ibadan performers — increase their visibility and help build their brand.
Use the event as content engine: The concert is more than one night — it’s part of a storytelling arc of “Ibadan talent meets world stage” — capture that and distribute widely.
Why Paying Local Artistes Matters
Exposure alone won’t build industry. When local acts are included but unpaid, the value leaks away: talent remains undervalued, service-providers undervalued, and the ecosystem doesn’t expand. By paying local artistes:
You validate their craft and elevate standards.
You inject money into the local economy, supporting studios, stylists, videographers and more.
You create continuity — talent sees value, stays and develops rather than migrating.
You cement the model: Ibadan becomes known as a place where local talent is respected, rewarded and ready for global stages.
The Davido 5ive Concert is more than a headline show — it is Ibadan’s moment to claim a seat at the table of Nigeria’s creative economy. But for that to happen, local content must be treated as investment, not afterthought. Local artistes must be vouched for, selected and paid to perform. The production chain must engage local services. The government must back the process with systems and metrics. Sponsors must commit toward local inclusion. And the media must amplify these stories.
If all of us step up now, Ibadan will look back and say: “This was the turning point”. Let the lights shine — not just on Davido — but on Ibadan’s stars.
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