Flutterwave backs Tiwa Savage Music Foundation to champion African creative talent

Flutterwave, Africa’s leading payments technology company, has announced its strategic partnership with the Tiwa Savage Music Foundation, marking a landmark commitment to investing in African creative talent.

The foundation’s official launch event took place on March 9, 2025, at the The Delborough Lagos, bringing together some of Nigeria’s most prominent voices in entertainment, business, and culture.

The Tiwa Savage Music Foundation is dedicated to empowering emerging talent through music, education, and creative opportunity, providing access to world-class music training, mentorship, and resources across the African continent. Uniquely, its mission extends beyond performers to producers, composers, engineers, and music business professionals, recognising that a sustainable creative economy requires investment in the entire industry ecosystem.

The evening brought together an exceptional gathering of leaders across government, business, and culture, including Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who delivered closing remarks; Mrs. Layal Tinubu, Co-Founder of the Noella Foundation; Dr. Stanley Uzochukwu, Chairman of The Delborough Lagos; veteran politician and stateswoman Florence Ita Giwa; media mogul and philanthropist Mo Abudu; Don Jazzy and Tega Oghenejobo of Mavin Records; and representatives from the United States Consulate, underscoring the broad institutional support behind the foundation’s mission.

Flutterwave Founder and CEO Olugbenga ‘GB’ Agboola was among the formal speakers on the evening’s programme, appearing alongside Dr. Tiwa Savage, Lagos Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Vannessa Amadi-Ogbonna Manager to Tiwa Savage and Board of Trustee for the Tiwa Savage Music Foundation and Jason Carmelio, Assistant Vice President of Global Partnerships and Programmes at Berklee College of Music.

In his remarks, GB drew a direct line between Flutterwave’s mission and the foundation’s ambitions.

“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. That is why this partnership makes perfect sense.”

Flutterwave’s strategic partnership with the foundation reflects the company’s broader commitment to empowering African communities beyond payments infrastructure. As part of the partnership, Flutterwave has also made a financial contribution to support the foundation’s programmes and long-term vision, reinforcing its commitment to investing in Africa’s next generation of creative talent.

The presence of Berklee College of Music at the launch, one of the world’s most prestigious music institutions, signals the foundation’s ambition to create real, structured pathways for African artists into global music education and industry networks, including scholarships to study at Berklee in Boston and the long-term establishment of a permanent music school in Nigeria.

By investing in the creative economy, Flutterwave affirms that economic growth and cultural advancement are deeply intertwined, and that the companies building Africa’s future have a responsibility to support both.

Speaking at the launch, Tiwa Savage expressed her gratitude for Flutterwave’s 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.”

The Tiwa Savage Music Foundation launch marks the beginning of a long-term commitment from Flutterwave to invest in Africa’s creative economy, recognising that the continent’s greatest export is not just its products, but its people, stories, and sound.