Flutterwave, a leading African payments technology company, has announced a strategic partnership with the Tiwa Savage Music Foundation aimed at nurturing emerging creative talent across the continent.
The partnership was unveiled during the foundation’s official launch on March 9, 2025, at The Delborough Lagos in Lagos, where influential figures from Nigeria’s entertainment, business, and political circles gathered to support the initiative.
The foundation, founded by Nigerian music star Tiwa Savage, is designed to empower young African creatives by providing access to music education, mentorship programmes, and industry resources.
Unlike many talent-focused initiatives, the foundation aims to support not only performers but also producers, composers, sound engineers, and music business professionals to strengthen the broader creative ecosystem.
The launch attracted notable personalities across government and the creative industry, including Babajide Sanwo-Olu, governor of Lagos State, who delivered the closing remarks.
Other guests included Layal Tinubu, co-founder of the Noella Foundation; Stanley Uzochukwu, chairman of The Delborough Lagos; veteran politician Florence Ita Giwa; media entrepreneur Mo Abudu; and music industry leaders Don Jazzy and Tega Oghenejobo of Mavin Records.
Representatives of the United States Consulate General Lagos were also present, reflecting international interest in the project.
Speaking at the event, Flutterwave Founder and CEO Olugbenga Agboola highlighted the alignment between the company’s mission and the foundation’s vision.
“At Flutterwave, our dream has always been to connect Africa to the world and the world to Africa. Tiwa’s dream is to take Nigerian and African creative talent global. These are not two separate dreams; they are the same dream,” he said.
Flutterwave’s partnership includes financial support for the foundation’s programmes as part of its broader commitment to empowering African communities beyond digital payments infrastructure.
Also speaking at the launch were Tiwa Savage’s manager Vanessa Amadi-Ogbonna and Jason Carmelio, Assistant Vice President of Global Partnerships and Programmes at Berklee College of Music.
The involvement of Berklee—one of the world’s leading music institutions—signals plans to create structured pathways for African musicians into global education and industry networks.
These plans include potential scholarships for African students to study at Berklee in Boston and the long-term goal of establishing a permanent music school in Nigeria.
Flutterwave said the partnership underscores the growing recognition that Africa’s creative industries are central to the continent’s economic future.
Speaking at the event, Tiwa Savage expressed appreciation for the support.
“Africa has always had the talent. What our artists have needed is the infrastructure, the access, and the belief. Tonight, with partners like Flutterwave standing behind us, we are building all three,” she said.
The initiative marks the beginning of a long-term effort to strengthen Africa’s creative economy by investing in the next generation of artists, producers, and music entrepreneurs.