ID Africa, organisers of NECLive, the marketplace of ideas, products, and services for the African Entertainment industry, have announced the return of its flagship conference for November 2026. The conference is set to hold on November 12, 2026, at Alliance Française, Lagos.
Since its inception in 2013, NECLive has served as the premier platform for discussions, networking, innovation showcase and policy advocacy within Nigeria’s entertainment and creative industries. The 2026 edition will be themed “Home Advantage: Transforming Local Demand into Global Power.”
The conference has hosted more than 500 industry experts as speakers and panellists, attracted over 500,000 participants, and reached an audience exceeding 10 million people across 50+ countries. The conference has facilitated over a thousand deals and partnerships while maintaining its core mission of building sustainable pathways for the entertainment industry to thrive.
The 2026 edition builds on a landmark moment for the conference following the release of The State of Nigeria’s Creative Economy 2026, a research report produced in partnership with Frontyard and drawing on the lived experience of 377 creative professionals across eight sectors.
Nigeria’s creative economy has continued its remarkable trajectory, with Nollywood ranking among the world’s largest film industries by volume and Afrobeats consolidating its global mainstream success. Recent wins include Nigerian artistes selling out major international arenas, continued Grammy recognition for Afrobeats stars, and the viral reach of African content creators across digital platforms.
The sector contributes approximately 2.3% to Nigeria’s GDP worth over $4.2 billion annually. However, significant challenges persist. Infrastructure deficits, limited access to funding, inadequate intellectual property protection, unreliable international payment rails, and weak distribution networks continue to constrain growth potential and industry sustainability. The creative sector faces increasing competition from international markets whilst struggling with brain drain as talent migrates to markets with better opportunities and support systems.
Despite these challenges, the opportunities for global impact remain immense. Africa’s creative industries have the potential to capture a significantly larger share of the global creative economy. With strategic investment in infrastructure, technology adoption, and policy reforms, Nigerian creatives could leverage the continent’s rich cultural heritage and growing youth population to build sustainable enterprises that power broader economic development.
The 2026 edition of NECLive will feature a distinguished lineup of speakers and performers from across Africa and the global diaspora, bringing together industry leaders, policymakers, investors, corporate brands and emerging talent. The conference aims to showcase successful models of creative enterprise whilst providing practical solutions for scaling African creative businesses globally.
Call for Participation
NECLive 2026 invites prospective sponsors, speakers, exhibitors, partners, and volunteers to join this important conversation about Nigeria’s creative future. The conference offers unique opportunities for networking, knowledge sharing and business development within Africa’s most dynamic creative ecosystem.
Interested parties are encouraged to visit www.nec.ng to indicate their interest, explore partnership opportunities, or learn more about participation in NECLive.