AFRIMA President Mike Dada has issued a stark call for African self-reliance in building the creative economy, emphasizing that external salvation is not coming as the continent’s $2.8 trillion GDP pales against individual developed nations.
Speaking at NECLive 2025, Dada compared Africa’s entire continental GDP of approximately $2.8 trillion to the United States’ $30.6 trillion, asking, “What can we really do to increase that economic strength and power?” His answer was unequivocal: “Nobody is coming to save us. We need to save ourselves.”
The perception management expert and entrepreneur stressed that authenticity remains Africa’s only viable differentiator in global competition. “What Africa is is authenticity. It’s originality. That’s what differentiates us from the rest of the world,” he said, noting that African platforms can feature cultural expressions like masquerade performances that Western awards shows cannot replicate.
Dada revealed significant skills gaps across the continent, citing AFRIMA’s experience: “We have about 337 crew members, some 70% have to come from outside Nigeria. In Nigeria, we don’t have a single lighting designer at the global level.” He noted that only South Africa and Morocco possess adequate technical expertise among African nations.
On sustainable business building, Dada acknowledged numerous challenges from colonial mentality to infrastructure deficits and limited access to finance. “We know more of London, Paris, Dubai than we know of Lusaka, Harare, or Casablanca. We don’t appreciate what we got,” he observed.
His prescription for powering Africa’s creative economy emphasized three pillars: education, continuous learning, and collaboration across the continent and various dimensions of the industry.
