Elizabeth Sobowele, Programs Drirector for MBA for Africa
Elizabeth Sobowele, Programs Drirector for MBA for Africa

Creatives Industries Initiative for Africa (C.I.I.F.A) and The Creative Talent Foundation, officially announces the opening of registrations for its 2024/2025 edition of the Music Business Academy for Africa. Aspiring music professionals, industry enthusiasts, and creatives across the continent are invited to participate in this transformative learning experience. The programme has yielded over 1,000 graduates so far from various African countries and around the globe since its initial edition in 2020.

The Music Business Academy for Africa (MBA for Africa), established in 2020, has continuously championed the development of a knowledgeable and skilled workforce for Africa’s music and entertainment industry. This initiative emerged from an evolution, starting as an Internship Programme in 2017 and transitioning into a Talent Management Training Programme.

The Music Business Academy for Africa recently wrapped up the 2023/2024 Edition of the Programme which had over 370 students from across Africa, US and Europe. The 2023/2024 Programme Class released their second album Pepple Street in partnership with The Orchard on March 29. Pepple Street transcends borders and unites diverse musical talents from across the African continent. Inspired by the iconic life of Fela Kuti, who once called Pepple Street home, the album’s 17 tracks weave a tapestry of stories, blending sounds and voices from different corners of the continent.

The Orchard will once again invest in developing the 2024/2025 Edition of The Talent Development Programme, helping to steer students’ journeys from music creation to release. The Orchard will participate in education and mentoring, and provide marketing and promotional support for the release of the album and distributing the final output.

The prestigious Academy recently also worked in collaboration with YouTube and The Orchard to host a series of meetings for some of its Alumni in London and Lagos. During these Creative & Entertainment business tours, the students were introduced to various industry executives where they received hands-on experience, witnessed day to day operations and had an open audience with various music business players.

With this year being the fifth edition of the Programme, the MBA for Africa programme is celebrating its fifth year of impact #FiveYearsOfImpact with the theme “A Music Industry Ecosystem.” The curriculum will explore a simulated version of the music industry with students able to select roles from various sectors that make up the music industry which are: Live Events Industry,

Publishing & Composition, Tech for Music, Recording Industry and Support Services amongst others.

Students will also receive mentorship from sponsors and affiliate companies allowing them to have practical, hands-on knowledge and experience of how each vertical functions in real-time.

Elizabeth Sobowale, Programme Director of MBA for Africa: “Each year of MBA has produced industry leaders and successful careers, we are excited to be embarking on our fifth consecutive program and introducing 2 new languages which will widen our reach in Africa and give non-English speakers a life changing education”.

Lanre Masha, Director, West Africa, The Orchard: “The Orchard is leading the global expansion of music from Africa, connecting artists with fans worldwide. As we continue to grow our presence across the region, we are keen to discover and invest in new talent, both on an artistic level and behind the scenes. With staff in both French speaking and East Africa, we are pleased at the programme’s new offering in French and Swahili, as that increases the talent pool we can reach. The Orchard currently employs MBA alumni in our Lagos office, so we’ve seen the results of what this special education can produce first-hand. Through our ongoing partnership with Music Business Academy for Africa, we can play a substantial role in shaping the future of the business in this musically rich and diverse part of the globe.”

Starting in September 2024, the programme will hold for 9 months and will include French and Swahili translations of the programme for students in different parts of Africa who do not speak English.

The 2024 edition of the Music Business Academy for Africa is currently open at the official portal at www.mbaforafrica.com