Warner Music Africa (WMA) plans to establish a new creative hub in Lagos, Nigeria.
The move will mark Warner’s first fully owned office in the local market. WMA said the expansion into Lagos will allow it to “provide additional A&R, operations and marketing expertise to Nigeria’s creative ecosystem.”
Ahead of the opening of the new office in Lagos, Warner Music Africa’s management team includes Alfonso Perez-Soto, President, Warner Music Emerging Markets; Laverne Thomas, WMA Head of Operations; Temi Adeniji, WMA Managing Director and Africori Executive Chief Minister Yoel Kenan met with government officials in Abuja last week.
According to Warner Music Group, during this “pivotal journey,” senior-level meetings were held with key government officials to build important relationships and support WMA’s mission to empower Nigeria’s vibrant creative industries.
In 2019, Warner Music Group invested in Nigeria-based music company Chocolate City, a deal WMG said would significantly expand the reach of African artists around the world and create new opportunities for global superstars in the region.
In 2022, Warner Music Group acquired a majority stake in Africori, a leading African music distribution, music rights management and artist development company with offices in Johannesburg, London and Lagos.
WMG first invested in Africori in early 2020. Warner Chappell Music, WMG’s publishing arm, also signed a global agreement with Africori in 2020.
In addition, the Warner Music Group/Blavatnik Family Foundation Social Justice Fund (WMG/BFF SJF) donated more than $400,000 to the Nigerian creative industry through its repertoire and core funds.
These include $200,000 in 2022 for vocational education in West Africa and $150,000 in 2023 for the Salz Institute, which develops emerging talent in music production.
WMA recently signed Nigerian singer-songwriter Joeboy, who has amassed 2 billion plays in the past 5 years. As part of the deal, Joeboy has created his own record label, Young Legend, which will partner with Warner Music Africa to distribute his artists’ music globally.
