TAFTA Trains 150 Female Creators to Build Sustainable

The Terra Academy for the Arts (TAFTA) recently concluded its inaugural Creator HQ program, which trained 150 female digital creators in Nigeria. The three-day intensive workshop, held in Lagos from September 28th to 30th, 2026, focused on equipping participants with practical skills, tools, and industry connections for sustainable careers in the country's expanding creative economy.

Titled "Create, Protect and Scale," the program covered essential topics such as content creation, storytelling, personal branding, intellectual property protection, monetization, global income opportunities, brand partnerships, and audience development. Unlike traditional training programs, Creator HQ blended workshops, classroom sessions, group exercises, creator challenges, Q&A sessions, and networking opportunities with professionals from various creative, legal, business, and digital sectors.

A notable highlight was the hands-on creator challenges and activities that allowed participants to apply their newly acquired knowledge. All 150 attendees received press passes to the Lagos International Theatre Festival (LITF) on November 14 and 15, offering them a chance to document the event and engage with a larger creative ecosystem.

TAFTA's Founder, Bolanle Austen-Peters, emphasized that while talent and online visibility are crucial, creators must also understand how to protect their work, create sustainable income, and build structures around their business. The initiative was supported by the Mastercard Foundation and other partners, who contributed to providing participants with learning opportunities, resources, and practical experiences.

Joseph Umoibom, Academy Lead at TAFTA, explained that the program aimed to bridge the gap between creative talent and the business knowledge necessary for long-term career success. He stressed that being a creator involves more than just posting content and highlighted the importance of understanding intellectual property, monetization, audience development, partnerships, contracts, and long-term sustainability.

The initiative comes at a time when digital creators have growing opportunities to build audiences and generate income through social media, digital content, brand partnerships, and other ventures. TAFTA's Founder stressed that the central message of Creator HQ remains "Create. Protect. Scale," focusing on helping female creators move from content production to building structured and sustainable creative careers.