Since 2013, the Nigerian Entertainment Conference (NECLive) has become one of West Africa’s biggest meetups for people working in the creative industries. Year after year, it’s brought together professionals to talk openly about the challenges they face, figure out solutions, and map out where Africa’s creative economy should be heading next.
What makes NECLive interesting is how its themes have evolved. Each year’s focus tells you something about what was happening in the industry at that moment and what people were worried about, excited about, or trying to fix. Whether it was figuring out how to actually make money from creative work, breaking into international markets, or building up Africa’s own entertainment infrastructure, the themes have always reflected real concerns from people on the ground.
Let’s look at how these themes have changed over the years and what they reveal about the journey of Africa’s creative sector.
2013 – NECLive 1: Building the Industry of Our Dreams
The first conference was all about dreaming big and getting everyone on the same page. People came together to talk about what Nigerian entertainment could actually become if they got serious about it: bringing in real structure, professionalism, and working together instead of everyone doing their own thing in the informal space.
2014 – NECLive 2: Creating Pathways to the Future
Following the foundational vision of the first edition, the second conference shifted the conversation toward concrete steps: what infrastructure needs to exist, what strategies will actually work, and how to make sure this industry doesn’t just flame out after a few years.
2015 – NECLive 3: Buying and Selling Nigerian Entertainment…And Everything in Between
This edition marked a crucial pivot to the commercial realities of the sector. The theme encouraged deep dives into the business of entertainment, covering everything from intellectual property and distribution models to effective monetization strategies for creative output.
2016 – NECLive 4: Entertainment Industry as ‘Last Hope’ for Africa’s Largest Economy
With Nigeria’s economy struggling, the conference made a bold claim: entertainment isn’t just fun and games. It could actually save the economy. The discussions were about job creation, diversifying beyond oil, and proving that the creative sector could seriously contribute to the country’s GDP.
2017 – NECLive 5: It’s Time for Africa
This year, the conference went continental with a message that was equal parts ambitious and defiant: Africa’s cultural moment had arrived, and it was time for creatives across the continent to work together and own the global stage.
2018 – NECLive 6: Understanding Emerging Markets, Trends and Opportunities
With the industry rapidly evolving, the sixth edition was about getting smart: really understanding where the audiences were going, what markets hadn’t been tapped yet, and where the money was actually flowing across Africa and the diaspora.
2019 – NECLive 7: Mobile, Data, Consumers, and the Future of Entertainment
The digital wave had crashed, and everyone needed to figure out what it meant. Mobile phones were changing everything about how people consumed content, and data was becoming the new currency. NECLive 7’s focus was on how creators could use technology to reach audiences directly and understand what they actually wanted.
2021 – NECLive 8: Building the Future
Returning after the Covid-19 pandemic, the eighth edition captured the industry’s resilience and its forward-looking mindset. The theme centered on taking lessons learned during the pandemic and building something even stronger, more flexible, more tech-savvy, and more resilient.
2022 – NECLive 9: Sustaining The Africa Momentum
Following a period of significant global success for African music and film, the focus shifted to long-term viability. During this edition, the conversation revolved around making the success stick: better deals, proper institutions, making sure African creatives actually capture the value they’re creating.
2023 – NECLive’s 10th anniversary
For its 10th anniversary, NECLive did something different. Instead of a conference, there was a report titled Growth, Trends & Opportunities in the Nigerian Creative & Entertainment Industry as well as documentary, both of which offered a comprehensive reflection on NECLive over the years. That same year, there was also the announcement of NECLive X, the ambitious new global, multi-venue format designed to expand the conference’s reach and further propel African creative enterprises onto the international stage.
2025 – NECLive 10: Powering Africa Through Creative Enterprise
The latest theme shows how far the conversation has come. It’s not about asking for a seat at the table anymore, but about recognizing that creative enterprise can be the engine driving Africa’s growth. The industry has moved from proving it exists to showing it can power an entire continent.
NECLive is returning this November 28 at Landmark Events Centre, Lagos. Register now at www.nec.ng.
