NCBA Sponsors Creative Economy 101 Programme in Kenya: Empowering Kenyan Creators

• NCBA Group has sponsored 10 Kenyan creators to undertake the Creative Economy 101 programme.
• The programme is designed to equip creatives with business skills needed to build sustainable enterprises.
• The initiative aims to help create one million jobs across Africa by 2035 by strengthening the continent's creative ecosystem.
• The programme covers business scaling, financial management, intellectual property protection, and market expansion.

Africa's creative sector has enormous untapped potential but requires stronger business foundations to compete globally.

Africa's creative industry has long been touted as a sleeping giant, with enormous untapped potential waiting to be harnessed. However, the sector has faced numerous challenges, including limited access to business education, financing, and intellectual property protection. To address these issues, The Burns Brothers, in partnership with Strathmore University Business School, has launched the Creative Economy 101 programme, a self-paced online certification designed to equip creatives with the business skills needed to build sustainable enterprises. This initiative is part of a broader ambition to help create one million jobs across Africa by 2035 by strengthening the continent's creative ecosystem.

Universities have a critical role to play in professionalising Africa's creative economy, according to Dr. Caesar Mwangi, Executive Dean of Strathmore University Business School. By combining academic excellence with practical industry experience, universities can help develop competitive creative enterprises and stronger innovation ecosystems. This is particularly important given the sector's enormous untapped potential, which requires stronger business foundations to compete globally. The Creative Economy 101 programme forms part of this effort, providing creators with practical knowledge in business management, financial planning, intellectual property protection, and enterprise growth.

NCBA Group has demonstrated its commitment to empowering young entrepreneurs by sponsoring 10 Kenyan creators to undertake the Creative Economy 101 programme. The sponsorship is offered through NCBAs Elev8 programme, which supports the inaugural cohort of the initiative. According to Nelly Wainaina, NCBA's Group Director, Marketing, Communications and Citizenship, the bank views creators as entrepreneurs capable of driving economic growth and job creation. By supporting the first cohort, NCBA aims to equip young entrepreneurs with the skills, networks, and knowledge required to grow successful businesses.

This development may require lawyers to advise clients on the commercial implications of intellectual property protection and market expansion, particularly in the context of emerging creative industries.

Source: Original reporting via Business Daily Africa