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 workshop in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. Moderated by two members of ACE's Advisory Board - Mrs. Kike Aluko Wahutu and Mr. Daniel Oyolu - the event featured discussions with distinguished stakeholders of the music ecosystem of Francophone Africa. 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's Listening Tour will continue with a workshop in Lagos, Nigeria, on December 13, 2025, whose focus will be the on prospects and needs of the music industries of English-speaking West Africa.
