Onome Amuge
Nigeria’s photography sector is being urged to step beyond artistry into structured enterprise, as industry leaders, financiers and policymakers converged at the Business of Photography (BOP) Conference 2025 in Lagos recently. The five-day gathering, themed “The Art of Enterprise”, dwelled on the untapped potential of photography in Africa’s creative economy, while highlighting the financing, policy and business frameworks required to make it sustainable.
Held across the DAP Experience Centre and the Landmark Event Centre, home of the Africa Creative Market (ACM), the conference attracted a cross-section of stakeholders from fashion, media, wellness and technology. With sessions spanning business skills, wellness, branding, sustainability, and investment readiness, the event sought to shift perceptions of photography from a creative pursuit into a structured industry with scalable returns.
Nigeria’s creative economy, driven by Nollywood, Afrobeats, and fashion, has become one of the country’s strongest soft-power exports. Yet photography, despite being embedded in these industries, has historically been seen as informal, underfunded and fragmented. A report presented at the conference by Scott C. Eneje pointed to the absence of structured financing, inadequate infrastructure, and limited policy support as obstacles to growth.
Keynote speakers at the main conference included Aisha Adamu Augie, the director-general at the Centre for Black and African Arts & Civilisation, Oladipo-Adetayo Babalola of the National Gallery of Art, and Scott C. Eneje, who presented an international report on the Nigerian photography industry.
The day’s panel discussions explored themes of sustainability, branding, and cross-industry collaboration. In “The Creative Hustle: Turning Passion into Profit,” Oladotun “Do2dtun” Kayode, Aisha Augie-Kuta and Bayo Omoboriowo unpacked how creatives can build businesses while maintaining artistic integrity. “From Idea to Impact: Building Businesses That Matter” featured Solape Akinpelu of Hervest, Nkechi Eze of Aso Ebi Bella and others, who shared lessons on purpose-driven entrepreneurship. Other standout sessions included “Creative Collaborations: The Future of Shared Genius” with Clarence Peters, Ryan Onifoto Alabi, Emeka Amafor and Mai Atafo, which emphasised the power of partnerships, and “Legacy Over Hype: Building for the Long Game,” where Dayo Adedayo, Kelechi Amadi-Obi and Lanre Da Silva championed sustainability and longevity as pillars of creative success.
One of the highlights of the conference was the Masterclass Series, which offered deep-dive training in wellness, branding, digital storytelling, pitching and presentation, financial sustainability, and legal considerations. Experts such as Oyin Talabi, Nnenna Onyewuchi (Barefoot Strategist), Dayo Adedayo of DAP Experience Centre, Solape Akinpelu (CEO, Hervest), Jokotade Shonowo (Poshclick), Olajumoke Coker, and celebrated photographer Kelechi Amadi-Obi delivered sessions that blended actionable knowledge with thought-provoking insights, empowering participants to strengthen both their creative and business journeys.
One of the most business-focused element of the week came in the Speed Pitch session, where nine innovators pitched to an investor panel including Utica Capital’s Aderonke Osho and Ventures Platform’s Collins Gilbert. Proposals ranged from digital storytelling platforms to creative hubs.
While no immediate deals were signed, panellists said the session exposed both the promise and the fragility of photography-linked ventures. That observation reflects the wider reality that Nigeria’s creative industries attract global attention but remain constrained by informal structures and limited investor pipelines. By hosting capital-focused conversations, BOP 2025 attempted to bridge that gap, signalling to investors that photography can yield commercial returns with the right structuring.
Beyond financing, the Masterclass Series drilled participants on less glamorous but equally vital aspects of enterprise;legal frameworks, financial literacy, and personal wellness. Experts including Solape Akinpelu of Hervest, Nnenna Onyewuchi of Barefoot Strategist, and celebrated photographer Kelechi Amadi-Obi emphasised that sustainability in the sector depends as much on discipline and systems as on creative talent.
Sessions like “Legacy Over Hype” challenged younger creatives to pursue long-term business models rather than quick wins. “Going viral won’t build you a career,” Amadi-Obi warned, highlighting the importance of brand, contracts and intellectual property in an industry where exploitation and underpricing are common.
BOP 2025 also made clear that photography cannot be isolated from Nigeria’s broader creative economy. The conference explored cross-industry collaborations with fashion, advertising and film, stressing that photographers must position themselves within value chains that are already attracting global capital.
Closing the week, Kola Oshalusi, convener of BOP, noted that the 2025 edition was about more than inspiration. “BOP is not just about attending sessions; it is about applying what you’ve learned and building a future for the industry,” he said.
Deborah Okoloigwe, business development and project manager for BOP 2025, described the week as a turning point: “Our vision for BOP 2025 was to create a platform that didn’t just inspire but equipped participants with practical skills, networks and clarity to grow their businesses. This year’s edition showed us what’s possible when creativity meets enterprise,” she said.
