Abuja, Nigeria
The federal government has announced the applications for the newly launched N150,000,000 ($100,000) funding for filmmakers, creators and artists.
The fund tagged “Creative Economy Development Fund (CEDF)”, according to the government, is an initiative to support creatives, entrepreneurs, and cultural organisations in Nigeria.
NAN reports that the fund was announced on Sunday by Ministry of Arts, Culture, Tourism, and Creative Economy.
According to the ministry, the creative fund is aimed at scaling projects with strong financial documentation and clear expansion plans.
The statement noted that the first phase of applications, which opened on April 28 and is expected to close on May 30, targets mature businesses needing over $100,000.
The ministry announced that professionals across Nigeria’s creative and cultural industries—including fashion designers, filmmakers, musicians, artists, tour operators, and game developers—are eligible to apply.
This initiative supports President Bola Tinubu’s ‘Renewed Hope Agenda’ by fostering job creation, promoting cultural heritage, and driving economic diversification.
Hannatu Musa Musawa, Minister of Arts, Culture, Tourism, and Creative Economy, described the fund as a “strategic national investment” aimed at unlocking the country’s creative potential.
“This is not just a financial intervention. It is a call to action for creatives, entrepreneurs, and industry enablers to scale their dreams and contribute to a thriving, inclusive creative economy,” Musawa was quoted as saying.
The ministry stated that the Creative Economy Development Fund (CEDF) supports businesses in the creative sector by offering capital to scale production, broaden market reach, and enhance resilience.
The initiative is also designed to help creators leverage their intellectual property as a financial asset, unlocking the economic potential of film rights, music catalogues, digital content, and other creative works.
“CEDF offers various funding options for creative businesses, including affordable loans and credit facilities for businesses across sectors such as film, music, fashion, art, publishing, gaming, and cultural tourism,” the ministry said.
“Equity and quasi-equity investments in high-growth creative enterprises, Grant funding for socially impactful and innovative cultural projects and focus on leveraging intellectual property (IP) as a bankable asset class for securing financing.”
The ministry advised that interested applicants must visit CEDFnigeria.com, complete the official application form, submit a project proposal, and provide the necessary financial documentation.
“Applicants must then wait for the evaluation process and, if selected, receive support beginning January 2026 (phase one) or April 2026 (phase two). Application review, project onboarding, incubation, and acceleration for phase one will take place from June to December 2025, with the disbursement of funds starting on January 1, 2026,” it added.
“For phase two, disbursements will start on April 1, 2026.
“The second phase will open on August 4, focusing on micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) requesting under $100,000.”
The ministry added that the CEDF applications will be evaluated by independent experts, with oversight provided by a private sector-led investment committee.
