Media entrepreneur and storyteller Chude Jideonwo has announced the creation of a $500,000 fund for African creators, aimed at accelerating the continent’s fast-growing creative economy.
The announcement was made during his keynote address at the Digital Creator Africa Summit, part of the Africa Creative Market in Lagos. The event brought together creators, investors, and policymakers from more than 20 countries.
The new initiative, called the Fourth Mainland Creator Fund (4ML Fund), will launch in January, 2026. The fund, representing nearly ₦1 billion in personal investment, will provide direct support to individual creators across East, West, and Southern Africa. Unlike grants or training programs, it will focus on capital injection to help creators scale their platforms and build sustainable businesses.
Chude will be stepping down from his role as CEO after five years. The fund will be managed by Joy, Inc. under the leadership of its newly appointed Chief Executive Officer Jennifer Mairo, who recently relocated from Dallas, Texas to Lagos to oversee its rollout. Alongside the fund, Joy, Inc. is preparing to launch a new “record label” for creators. The initiative adapts the record label model to nurture a roster of creator talents while also investing in standalone voices.
The African creator economy is projected to grow from $3.08 billion in 2023 to $17.8 billion by 2030, one of the fastest growth rates in the global creative sector. With this investment, the 4ML Fund aims to accelerate that momentum and position African creators as global leaders in digital media, entertainment, and independent content.
