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Yinka Olatunbosun

For three electrifying days, Lagos was transformed into a global hub of innovation, art, and imagination as creators, thinkers, and technologists from across Africa and Europe converged for the second edition of Forum Création Africa.

Held from October 16 to 18 at the Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, the event drew thousands of participants for a spectacle that integrated culture, technology, and creativity into a single immersive experience. It was a gathering where coding intersected with culture.

From captivating bark cloth exhibitions and digital fashion showcases to conversations on video games, animation, and webtoons, the forum offered an inspiring panorama of what the future of African creativity looks like. Beyond the panel sessions and workshops were evening concerts as well as food courts that kept the festive spirit alive.

Delivering his opening address virtually, French President Emmanuel Macron described the decision to host the first African edition in Lagos as “an obvious one,” citing the city’s status as a continental hub of innovation.

“Lagos is not only a creative powerhouse in Africa but also a global reference for cultural innovation,” Macron declared. “You have gathered in this vibrant city to explore new perspectives, foster collaboration and spark creative energy. You are exploring exciting new frontiers in music, TV series, animation, video games, visual effects, and more. But Creation Africa is more than just a forum; it’s a bridge that connects people across borders, shaping the stories of today and tomorrow.”

The French President also spoke of MansA – Maison des Mondes Africains, a newly established cultural institution in Paris, dedicated to promoting contemporary African creativity and strengthening ties between Africa and France.

“Today marks an important milestone in this journey,” Macron added. “I’m counting on each of you to open new horizons, create new spaces, and spark new hopes for our youth and our societies.”

Barr. Hannatu Musa Musawa, Nigeria’s Minister of Art, Culture, and the Creative Economy, welcomed participants to what she called “the heart of African creativity — where tradition meets innovation and talent meets opportunity.”

In her goodwill message, Musawa described the forum as a “renaissance of African imagination and global cultural diplomacy,” underscoring Nigeria’s leadership in Africa’s creative ecosystem.

“Our ‘Destination 2030’ framework places the creative economy at the centre of national development,” she explained. “Through our data mapping initiative, we are building a strategic foundation to drive growth across Nigeria’s cultural sectors.”

For Elisabeth Gomis, Director-General of MansA, the Lagos forum marked a new chapter in the journey that began with the inaugural edition in Paris in 2023.

“It is with great enthusiasm that we are opening this second Forum Création Africa in Lagos,” she said. “More than an event, this forum is a shared adventure — a meeting point for ideas, collaboration, and imagination. The first edition laid the foundation for a shared process, and this one adds a new dimension by giving more visibility to emerging creators and showcasing the power of Pan-African creative industries.”

Gomis highlighted the contribution of several experts and curators who helped shape the forum’s thematic areas including Bukola Akingbade and Teddy Kossoko (video games), Ariane Suveg and Mbuotidem Johnson (animation), Malik Afegbua and El Hadji Malick Badji (digital fashion), and Eyram Tawia and Selim Harbi (immersive experiences).

“The Forum Création Africa is a shared tool,” she noted, “designed to stimulate discussions, encourage cooperation, and help new stories and practices to emerge.”

One of the most captivating exhibitions at the forum was “Heritage in Motion,” a stunning exhibition curated by Zara Odu, Founder of Roundabout, a sustainable platform that spotlights innovative creative practices across Africa.

In her curatorial statement, Odu described the exhibition as an exploration of the influence of traditional African crafts on contemporary design, not as nostalgia but as a living system of creativity.

“Heritage in Motion highlights the dynamic relationship between past and future, where legacy practices are not preserved as static relics, but transformed into living systems of design, sustainability, and cultural expression,” she explained.

The exhibition celebrated indigenous techniques such as weaving, dyeing, beading, and bark cloth-making, framing them as models of innovation deeply rooted in material intelligence and community.

“At Roundabout,” Odu said, “our goal is to show that these indigenous craft processes are not only sustainable but innovative in themselves. By revisiting how bark cloth is made or how paper is produced from recycled textiles, we prove that African creativity has always been forward-thinking. The future, in many ways, is rooted in the past.”

Forum Création Africa is part of a wider network of French cultural initiatives on the continent. France currently operates nearly 130 cultural institutions across Africa including French Institutes, Alliances Française, and research centres all focused on education, language, and creative cooperation.

The forum’s success stands as proof that Africa’s greatest export is its imagination, and the future of global creativity will, in many ways, be written in African languages, woven in African fabrics, and powered by African ideas.