Abuchi Peter Ugwu highlights the importance of intellectual property ownership and commercial discipline in unlocking financing opportunities for Africa’s creative economy.
As Africa’s creative industries expand their global influence, conversations are increasingly shifting towards how intellectual property can be leveraged to unlock financing and drive sustainable business growth.
Speaking at the Nigerian Bar Association Section on Business Law (NBA-SBL) Intellectual Property Committee’s webinar, “Funding Innovation: How IP-Backed Financing Can Drive SMEs and AfCFTA Trade,” Abuchi Peter Ugwu, Group Chief Executive Officer of Chocolate City Group, emphasised the importance of clearly defined intellectual property rights and stronger commercial discipline in positioning creative enterprises for financing.
Ugwu noted that the conversation around financing creative assets must begin with a fundamental question: who owns the intellectual property?
Using music as an example, he explained that a single song involves distinct rights, particularly those associated with the master recording and music publishing. Understanding who owns and controls these rights is essential before such assets can be credibly presented to potential financiers.
Beyond ownership, Ugwu challenged creative entrepreneurs to rethink their approach to financing, advocating a shift from dependence on financial assistance towards building commercially viable businesses.
“We don’t want handouts anymore. We are here to do business,” he remarked, underscoring the importance of approaching financing with a clear value proposition and a sustainable business model.
His perspective reinforces a key consideration in the evolving conversation around IP-backed financing: creative enterprises must strengthen their ownership structures, rights documentation and commercial readiness to engage financial institutions effectively.
With Nigeria’s creative economy expanding its international reach, financing models that recognise the economic value of intellectual property could create new opportunities for investment, business expansion and cross-border trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Realising this potential will require closer collaboration between creative businesses, financial institutions and intellectual property stakeholders, alongside stronger commercial structures within the industry.
For Chocolate City Group, the conversation aligns with its mission of “Building Africa’s Creative Economy, Redefining Global Culture,” and its commitment to advancing commercially sustainable creative enterprises.
Ultimately, unlocking the financial potential of Africa’s creative economy will require more than recognising the value of intellectual property. It will require businesses equipped to own, protect, manage and commercially leverage that value for long-term growth.
