It was important for the ACE team to launch our Listening Tour in Abidjan, to ensure we engaged with voices and perspectives from the heart of the music industry in Francophone Africa.
—
Mrs. Kike Aluko Wahutu, Chair, ACE Advisory Board
On September 6, 2025, CSASE's African Creative Economies (ACE) Initiative kicked off its 2025-26 Listening Tour of Africa's key music markets with a full-day convening in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. Organized by Listening Tour Planning Committee member Aissata Sylla and two members of ACE's Advisory Board - Mr. Daniel Oyolu and Mr. Jacob Omorodion - the event featured discussions with distinguished stakeholders of the music ecosystem of Francophone Africa. Attendees included representatives from the Ministry of Culture, EMPIRE, Sony Music Entertainment, The Orchard, ONErpm, the French Embassy, the Ivorian Copyright Office (BURIDA), and several Ivorian performing artists. The participants discussed, most notably, the future of international contracting opportunities for African musicians, the reimagination of Africa's music industry policies and business models, and the unique challenges currently faced by Francophone Africa's music industry stakeholders. ACE Advisory Board Chair Mrs. Kike Aluko Wahutu remarked: “It was important for the ACE team to launch our Listening Tour in Abidjan, to ensure we engaged with voices and perspectives from the heart of the music industry in Francophone Africa.”
See photos from the Abidjan Listening Tour event below.
While in Abidjan, the ACE team also held meetings with individual members of the creative ecosystem in the city, including the Deputy Chief of Mission at the United States Embassy in Côte d’Ivoire (and Harvard Law School Alum) Junaid Munir.
ACE's Listening Tour will continue with a convening in Lagos, Nigeria, on December 13, 2025, which will focus on prospects and needs of the music industries of English-speaking West Africa.
