WITTY GLOBAL BLOGS | THURSDAY FLAGSHIP EDITION Africa's $2 Billion Creative Economy Financing Push: What Nigerian Filmmakers, Musicians and Digital Creators Need to Know By Itoro Uwah | Thursday, November 12, 2026 CREATIVE ECONOMY | BUSINESS | TECHNOLOGY | INVESTMENT LAGOS, NIGERIA — Africa's creative economy is attracting renewed attention from development financiers and policymakers, following the Creative Africa Nexus (CANEX) WKND 2026 gathering in Lagos from November 5 to 8. Organised by the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) and hosted by Nigeria, the gathering brought together creative entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers and cultural-industry professionals to explore financing, intellectual property, technology and market access. Afreximbank's CANEX financing ambition has expanded to $2 billion, reflecting a growing institutional effort to support African cultural and creative enterprises. However, the figure must be understood correctly...
The World Is Waiting for Your Song: Unleash the Giant Within the Child
By Itoro Uwah
Founder, BEFOCUS Children and Youth Foundation
There is a moment in the video that changes everything. A little girl, small enough to be overlooked, walks up to a grand piano in a busy public square. The crowd is distracted. The musicians are skeptical. The world is ready to ignore her.
But she doesn’t shrink back. She sits down. And she plays.
She doesn't just play notes; she commands the atmosphere. In seconds, skepticism turns to reverence. The professional violinists stop leading and start following her.
This is not just a video about music. This is a message about potential.
At BEFOCUS, we believe that every child carries a sound inside them that the world is desperate to hear. But that sound doesn't come out by accident. It requires two powerful forces: The Courage of the Parent and The Audacity of the Youth.
To the Parents: Be the Door, Not the Wall
Look closely at the start of that video. Before the girl played a single note, her mother stepped forward. She cleared the path. She told the world, "Wait. My daughter has something to give."
Parents, listen to me: You are the architects of your child’s belief system.
The world will tell your children they are "too young," "too inexperienced," or "not ready." It is your job to silence that noise. Do not wait for the world to invite your child to the stage—build the stage for them.
When you believe in your child before they have a track record, you give them an invincible armor. You are not just raising children; you are raising leaders, innovators, and creators. When you back them, they don't just walk; they fly.
To the Youth: Play It "Your Way"
The song the girl played was Frank Sinatra’s "My Way." It is the anthem of self-discovery.
Young people, this is your challenge. The world is full of people playing someone else’s music—living lives of copy and paste, afraid to stand out. Don't be one of them.
You have a unique fingerprint, a unique mind, and a unique destiny. It might look different from your friends. It might look impossible to the crowd. But like that little girl, you must have the audacity to sit at the piano of life and play your own melody.
Do not wait for the applause to start. Play until the world has no choice but to stop and listen.
The Symphony of Destiny
When the girl finished, the applause was thunderous. Why? Because there is nothing more magnetic than a human being walking in their true purpose.
We are on a mission to reprogram mindsets. We are moving from "I can't" to "Watch me." We are moving from confusion to direction.
The lesson is clear:
If you are a parent, open the door.
If you are a youth, walk through it.
The piano is waiting. The crowd is watching.
It’s time to play your song.
© 2025 BEFOCUS Children and Youth Foundation.
Reprogramming mindsets for a brighter future.
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