Kenya and Sierra Leone each signed a Statement of Intent with UK-based The Akuna Group on the sidelines of the 2026 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Antigua and Barbuda, aiming to grow their creative sectors.
The agreements target financing shortfalls, skills gaps and limited market reach that have hindered African creative enterprises, with the goal of converting artistic talent into viable businesses, jobs and export revenue.
Kenya’s Principal Secretary for Foreign Affairs Korir Sing’Oei and Sierra Leone’s Chief Minister David Moinina Sengeh signed the documents alongside Akuna Group chairman Sir Idris Elba.
Sing’Oei said the partnership will give young creative firms access to markets, helping artists and content producers turn their work into sustainable enterprises, complementing Kenya’s Talanta Hela programme.
The deal seeks to bridge the divide between creative talent and commercial opportunities in areas such as film, music, fashion, design and digital content, and to forge commercial links across Commonwealth nations.
One component, the From Script to Screen with AI programme, is funded by a US$1 million (KSh129 million) Google.org grant and will train emerging filmmakers in Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and South Africa on AI-enhanced production techniques.
Akuna’s move into financial services includes the admission of Akuna Wallet Ltd to the Bank of Ghana’s one-year regulatory sandbox in January 2026, offering a supervised setting to test cross-border payment solutions for creatives.
Ghanaian MP Joycelyn Tetteh noted that the partnership could open new avenues for filmmakers, musicians, designers and storytellers to reach global audiences, while Sengeh linked the agreement to President Julius Maada Bio’s human-capital agenda, stressing that youth should be viewed as an economic asset.
Discussions are also under way with Barbados Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley on cultural exchanges and commissions, and the initiative forms part of a broader push by African governments to position creative industries as a source of growth amid expanding digital distribution platforms.
