Nigeria's creative community is caught between cautious optimism and growing unease over the Creative Economy Development Fund (CEDF). The fund, launched with significant fanfare, was expected to begin disbursements in January. As of April, no official update has been released, prompting concern among filmmakers, musicians, designers and other creatives across Lagos, Enugu, Asaba, Abuja, Makurdi and Kano. Eminent Nollywood producer Zeb Ejiro, an Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON), expressed frustration, asking, "They promised to start disbursing the fund in January. But they have been silent. No news, no information, just silence. And this is April. We are worried, very worried." The CEDF was introduced with technocratic language emphasizing "Bankable IP," "Structured financing," and "Global competitiveness," marking a shift from past government handout narratives. Unlike previous initiatives such as Project ACT Nollywood, the YouWin Programme, and Bank of Industry creative loans—many of which faced criticism for weak execution, uneven disbursement, or alleged misapplication—the CEDF promised a more structured, business-oriented approach. It includes grants for social impact and loans requiring repayment, with intellectual property recognized as collateral. Despite these innovations, the lack of transparency has fueled speculation. Unverified claims suggest politically connected individuals or government insiders may have accessed funds. No list of beneficiaries has been published, and there is no public information on selection criteria or application success rates. While there is no confirmed evidence of wrongdoing, the silence from fund managers is deepening distrust.
Zeb Ejiro, a veteran Nollywood producer, is publicly questioning the CEDF months after disbursement was expected to begin, exposing a gap between official timelines and reality. Creatives like him, who have waited for structured support, now face uncertainty despite their reliance on transparent systems. The absence of a beneficiary list and selection criteria undermines the fund's credibility among those it aims to serve. This silence risks turning a well-designed initiative into just another broken promise in the eyes of Nigeria's creative professionals.
💡 NaijaBuzz is an AI-assisted news aggregator. This content is curated from third-party sources — NaijaBuzz is not the original publisher and is not responsible for the accuracy of source reporting. The NaijaBuzz Take is AI-assisted editorial opinion only, not established fact. All persons mentioned are presumed innocent until proven guilty by a court of competent jurisdiction. NaijaBuzz does not endorse the views expressed in source articles.
