Hey,
A little while ago, someone asked us a question that caught us completely off guard.
“So… what has Chocolate City Group been up to this year?”
For a second, nobody answered.
Not because we didn’t have one.
Because we had too many.
How do you squeeze six months of conversations, campaigns, music, partnerships, late-night brainstorms, packed calendars, unforgettable moments and a few surprises we’re still keeping under wraps into one answer?
You don’t.
You tell the story instead.
So, before the second half of the year races ahead of us too, we thought we’d press pause for a moment and invite you into ours.
Some of these moments you’ve probably seen. Maybe a song found its way into your playlist. Maybe you came across one of our campaigns, saw us at an event, or watched one of our artists make headlines. Others happened quietly, behind meeting room doors, in brainstorming sessions, or over cups of coffee that somehow turned into ideas much bigger than anyone expected.
Looking back now, it’s funny how connected it all feels.
One conversation led to another.
One idea opened the door to the next.
One milestone quietly became the foundation for another.
That’s the thing about building something meaningful—you rarely realise you’re collecting stories until you stop long enough to look back.
So, let’s do exactly that.
One Conversation Led to Another
Looking back, it feels fitting that one of our first highlights of the year wasn’t a launch or an announcement, it was a conversation.
We had the pleasure of welcoming Her Excellency Annika Hahn-Englund Westerberg, the Ambassador of Sweden to Nigeria, alongside members of her delegation, to Chocolate City Group. We spent time exchanging ideas about creativity, innovation, collaboration and the future of Africa’s creative economy, and left the meeting feeling exactly the way the best conversations should leave you: inspired.
As it turned out, that wouldn’t be the only meaningful conversation we’d have this year.
A few months later, we were delighted to welcome representatives from the French Embassy to our offices for another thoughtful exchange of ideas. Different people, different perspectives, but the same belief that creativity has an incredible way of connecting cultures, opening doors and creating opportunities.
If the first half of this year taught us anything, it’s that some of the biggest opportunities don’t begin with presentations.
They begin with conversations.
Then We Got Everyone in the Same Room
Which made our next stop feel even more important.
Every January, we gather as one team for our annual retreat.
It’s one of the few moments in the year when everyone slows down long enough to reflect on where we’ve been before getting excited about where we’re going. We celebrated the wins that shaped 2025, unpacked the lessons that came with them, and spent time imagining what 2026 could become.
There were big ideas.
Healthy debates.
The kind of conversations that spill over into lunch breaks because nobody wants to stop talking.
Looking back now, it’s amazing how many of the things written on those boards have already become reality.
We like to think that’s what happens when you get the right people in the same room.
Turns Out, Curiosity Looks Good on Us
Those conversations reminded us of something else.
No matter how much experience you have, there’s always something new to learn.
That’s why we spent part of this year investing in growth not just as individuals, but as a group.
Our Vice President of Business and Legal Affairs, Ifeyinwa Anyiegwu, represented Chocolate City Group at the Creative Business Academy, contributing to conversations around building stronger creative businesses across Africa. Joining her was Anthony, who represented Bean Creative and shared perspectives from the world of integrated marketing, brand building and culture.
Around the same time, Chocolate City Group joined the Stanford Seed Transformation Program at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, another exciting milestone in our journey to build institutions that don’t just grow but endure.
Because in our experience, curiosity is one of the best investments you can make.
Not Every Investment Belongs on a Balance Sheet
Not every important moment happened in a boardroom.
Some happened on yoga mats.
Some happened over healthy meals.
Some happened during conversations that had absolutely nothing to do with work.
To celebrate International Women’s Day, our Built By Her platform brought together an incredible community of women for a wellness experience designed to encourage exactly that: slowing down.
There was yoga, networking, nourishing food, a lip gloss-making workshop and, perhaps most importantly, the chance to reconnect—with yourself and with other women building remarkable things.
In a year that has moved as quickly as this one, creating space to pause felt just as valuable as creating space to perform.
And honestly, we think that’s a lesson worth carrying into the second half of the year too.
Some Conversations Deserve a Bigger Stage
By this point, one thing had become clear.
The conversations we’d been having inside Chocolate City Group were beginning to happen across the industry too.
Throughout the first half of the year, we found ourselves in rooms where some of the biggest questions about Africa’s creative economy were being asked—and we were proud to contribute to them.
Our co-founder, Audu Maikori, joined industry leaders at the State House in Abuja to explore a question that sits at the heart of every growing industry: How do we move bold ideas from vision to scale, and who helps fund the journey?
Our Co-Founder and Executive Vice Chairman, Paul Okeugo, continued championing the business of creativity, joining the Selahmeditate Podcast for a conversation on entrepreneurship, sales mastery, leadership and the African music business landscape. He also released *From Beats to Business: The Business of Entertainment (The Sales Chronicles)*, sharing practical lessons from decades spent building one of Africa’s leading entertainment companies.
Soon after, our Group CEO, Abuchi Peter Ugwu, joined industry leaders at MTN’s Reverbnation Roundtable, where he shared his thoughts on shaping the future of digital audio across Africa. He later took the stage alongside Ifeyinwa Anyiegwu at the BusinessDay Creative Entertainment Summit, unpacking everything from ownership and intellectual property to the growing global business of Afrobeats.
We often say that creativity is one of Africa’s greatest exports. Conversations like these remind us that building the future of the industry takes just as much collaboration as creating the work itself.
We've Been Keeping a Little Secret
While those conversations were happening, another story was quietly unfolding.
If you’ve been following us closely, you’ve probably seen the name Opstream appear over the last few months.
What you may not have seen were the months of planning, refining, testing and dreaming that came before it.
This year, we officially introduced Opstream to the world—our distribution and artist services platform built to help African artists do more than release music. It’s designed to give creators the tools, support and infrastructure they need to build sustainable careers in an industry that’s constantly evolving.
For us, it wasn’t simply the launch of a platform.
It was another step towards building the kind of ecosystem we want the next generation of creators to inherit.
If You’ve Had Us on Repeat… Thank You
And speaking of creators…
It’s safe to say they’ve given us plenty to celebrate this year.
If you’ve had a Chocolate City release on repeat recently, you’re definitely not alone.
The first half of 2026 reminded us, once again, that great music has a way of finding people wherever they are.
Blaqbonez and Asake’s Chanel stormed out of the gate with more than 5 million streams in its first week, becoming the third biggest opening week in Spotify Nigeria history and the biggest first-day streaming debut ever by a Nigerian rapper.
Young Jonn kept the momentum going with Elumelu, while Blue Disco continued proving that some albums simply refuse to leave the rotation.
TAR1Q gave us Sesi, then returned with Money, reminding everyone why he’s one of the most exciting voices of his generation.
Major AJ delivered the effortlessly smooth Konibaje.
Noon Dave gave us Condo, a record that quickly became a favourite for lovers everywhere.
Candy Bleakz brought her signature energy with Back Am.
And Ice Prince Zamani kept fans well fed with a steady stream of releases through Opstream.
Watching these records find their audience has been one of the biggest highlights of our year.
If you’ve streamed them, shared them, danced to them or argued over your favourite, thank you.
You’ve been part of the story too.
Meanwhile, Bean Creative Was Outside
Of course, not every story this year was told through music.
Some were told through unforgettable experiences.
And if there’s one team that has mastered the art of creating those moments, it’s Bean Creative.
Looking back, it’s almost impossible to pick favourites but we’ll try.
There were the Chivas x Arsenal Watch Parties with M.I Abaga, where football, culture and community came together in all the right ways.
Tiger Beer’s Party in the Park turned an ordinary day into one people are still talking about.
Our International Women’s Day Business Webinar created space for meaningful conversations about women, leadership and business.
For Heineken’s City of Cities experience, Bean Creative booked and managed standout performances that helped bring an unforgettable runway show to life.
Then there was the Hot Air Balloon experience.
If your timeline looked anything like ours, you probably saw it everywhere.
And finally, Jameson City Takeover landed in Ibadan, with Young Jonn delivering the kind of performance that reminds you why live music never gets old.
The funny thing is, that’s only a snapshot.
Behind every campaign people saw were weeks of strategy sessions, production meetings, creative reviews, client calls and a team determined to make every detail count.
The work behind the scenes rarely goes viral.
The moments it creates often do.
We Almost Forgot One Thing...
So… what have we been up to?
Now that we’ve told you the story, maybe we finally have an answer.
We’ve spent the first half of 2026 doing what we’ve always believed we’re here to do: building.
Sometimes that looked like welcoming new partners and exchanging ideas across borders. Sometimes it meant stepping into rooms where the future of Africa’s creative economy was being shaped. Sometimes it looked like creating spaces for our people to recharge, launching new platforms to support artists, celebrating chart-topping music, or helping brands create moments that people are still talking about weeks later.
Different stories.
One purpose.
To keep building an ecosystem where creativity doesn’t just exist—it thrives.
And while we’re proud of everything the last six months have brought, what excites us even more is everything that’s still ahead.
Behind the scenes, another chapter is already taking shape.
One of the projects we’re especially excited about is the Founders Fund, a collaborative initiative we’re developing alongside like-minded partners to support the next generation of founders, entrepreneurs and creative businesses. We’ll be sharing more very soon, but it’s a project that perfectly reflects what we’ve always believed: when great ideas are given the right support, incredible things happen.
It’s one more step in our commitment to building not just for today, but for the future of Africa’s creative economy.
Until Next Time
And somehow… we still feel like we’re just getting started.
So, if you’ve been with us from the beginning, thank you.
If you discovered us somewhere along the way, we’re glad you did.
Whether you’ve streamed a song, attended an event, partnered with us, worked alongside us, cheered us on from afar, or simply opened this email today, you’ve been part of this story too.
Thank you for being on the journey with us.
We’ll be back before you know it.
Until then, keep dreaming boldly, keep creating fearlessly, and keep believing in the power of African stories.
We’ll be doing the same.
With love,
Your friends at Chocolate City Group
P.S. Since we’re already reminiscing…
Go back and play that Chocolate City song you still know by heart.
The one that instantly transports you to another time.
We’ll do the same.
Who knows?
The next song that gives you that feeling might be closer than you think. 🎶
