British Council, Sterling One Foundation Partner To Promote Creative Economy

The British Council’s Film Lab Africa and Sterling One Foundation have partnered to drive economic transformation, cultural preservation, and elevating Africa’s voice on the global stage.

The organisations hosted an exclusive screening as a high-impact side event at the Africa Social Impact Summit (ASIS) 2025. Bringing together changemakers from multiple sectors, the event spotlighted how film and television can serve as powerful tools for economic transformation, cultural preservation, and elevating Africa’s voice on the global stage.

Film Lab Africa, a flagship programme by the British Council, is designed to equip emerging Nigerian filmmakers and television producers with the skills, knowledge, and networks they need to thrive.

The initiative seeks to strengthen Africa’s creative economy through inclusive platforms that spotlight African stories for local and international audiences.

Country director, British Council Nigeria, and West Africa Cluster Lead, Donna McGowan shared insights on the infrastructure, investment, and collaboration required to build a sustainable creative economy, saying that “it is not just about discovering talent, it’s about creating lasting systems that nurture and scale it. By investing in people, policy, and platforms, we can build an Africa where creative expression becomes a thriving industry.”

The director of Programmes, British Council Nigeria, Chikodi Onyemerela emphasised the impact of long-term, skills-base development initiatives, adding that “creative industries are economic drivers, not side projects. Film Lab Africa is helping young Africans move from talent to trade, placing their work on global stages while strengthening local creative ecosystems.”

The CEO of Sterling One Foundation, and co-convener of the Africa Social Impact Summit,  Olapeju Ibekwe praised the British Council’s commitment to supporting storytellers, calling for even deeper integration of the creative economy into Africa’s broader development strategies.

According to her, the creative sector is Africa’s next growth frontier. ASIS is committed to building platforms that elevate these voices. Film Lab Africa is not just producing stories, it’s shaping the future of Africa’s social impact landscape.

Sterling One Foundation (SOF) is a registered non-profit focused on tackling the root causes of poverty in Nigeria, and Africa through interventions and social impact programmes across three critical sectors namely: health, education and climate action & food security. Gender Equality and women empowerment are integrated as a cross-cutting priority across all our programming areas.

The Foundation’s programmes adopt a central theme of prioritizing partnerships for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).