On Saturday, February 23, 2025, the who’s who of the creative industry gathered for the unveiling of Creator Economy Practice (CEP) Entertainment Hub, a content space completely free for creatives to use, no strings attached!! An initiative that CCHub aptly describes as a “celebration of creativity and innovation in storytelling”.

[Watch my personal recap here / See what the hub looks like—I don’t have official photos yet!]

I arrived a little later than the scheduled 11 AM start time, but just in time to join the first tour of this facility, a project that has been quietly in the works at CCHub. The stairway signages directing us upstairs hinted at something exciting, but they didn’t quite prepare me enough for what we met; from podcast studios and media production rooms to editing suites and collaborative workspaces—each one designed to empower storytellers in film, TV, and the Creator Economy.

The CEP Entertainment Hub is funded by the Gates Foundation and delivered in partnership with Africa No Filter. A similar hub was launched in Nairobi in December 2024, forming part of a broader initiative to empower creatives to tell stories that challenge or dispel gender stereotypes.

We got a glimpse of this mission in action through Africa No Filter’s grant initiative, which awarded ₦5 million each to Deborah Johnson and Victor Felix:

• Deborah’s project flips the script on catcalling and sexual harassment, charging men to experience its absurdity from the other side.
• Victor’s story challenges culinary stereotypes, following a boy who loves baking but is constantly taunted by a father who deems it “emasculating.”

[can’t find the videos online - but they were sooooo good!!]

Africa No Filter and CCHub are bullish on authentic, gender-equitable narratives that represent diverse perspectives.

This project is led by Ojoma Ochai, Managing Director of CCHub, who envisions the hub doing for the creative industry what CCHub has long done for tech—providing a platform where people come together to solve real problems.

For context: CCHub has been at the heart of Nigeria’s tech ecosystem since 2010, even hosting Mark Zuckerberg during his visit to Lagos in 2016. Ochai now leads the company, following Bosun Tijani’s transition into his role as Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy in 2023.

What’s Inside the CEP Entertainment Hub?

The space offers:

• Two fully equipped podcast studios
• A media room with a filming area and a movable green screen
• An editing suite with ~50 computers loaded with all necessary software
• A co-working space for up to 50 people, ideal for training and workshops
• A nursing mother’s room ❤️—a small but very thoughtful addition

This hub is just one part of a larger program structured around four interconnected pillars—the 4Cs—as outlined by the Gates Foundation rep who addressed us:

• Community
• Capacity
• Capital
• Capability

Before accessing the space, you’ll need to join the Creator Economy Practice community [join here] and book a slot in advance.

Just like that, the barrier to creative expression and storytelling is already being lowered one initiative at a time. Love to see it!