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Nigeria’s creative economy has a talent problem. Not a shortage of talent, but a shortage of access. On April 8, 2026, Cecil Hammond put ₦5 billion ($4 million) on the table to help fix that.
The announcement came not from a boardroom but during a two-day birthday celebration that culminated in a 2,000-guest party at Eko Convention Centre, fully produced by Flytime.
The night showed exactly how far Nigerian entertainment has come and how high the bar now sits. RnB icon Case made a surprise appearance courtesy of the celebrant’s wife, Chief Operations Officer of Flytime, Keke Hammond. Mavo and N11 took the stage alongside DJ sets from Dope Caesar, DJ Consequence, DJ Ocean and more.
The celebration drew some of Nigeria’s most prominent figures across business, music, fashion, art and media, including Alhaji Aliko Dangote, President of the Dangote Group; Femi Otedola, Chairman of First HoldCo; Dr. Wale Tinubu CON, Group CEO of Oando PLC; Abdul Samad Rabiu CFR CON, Chairman of BUA Group; Dame Dr. Adaora Umeoji OON, CEO of Zenith Bank; and Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede CFR, founder of Coronation Group, alongside Mo Abudu, CEO of EbonyLife; Don Jazzy, founder of Mavin Records; Genevieve Nnaji, award-winning actress; Tiwa Savage, Grammy-nominated artist; Kelechi Amadi-Obi, renowned photographer and artist; Bolanle Austen-Peters, founder of Terra Kulture and BAP Productions, and many more of Nigeria’s most prominent figures across business, entertainment, and media.
Hammond, the architect behind Rhythm Unplugged and Flytime Fest and the man who helped turn Afrobeats into a global industry, also used the occasion to announce the Flytime Foundation. Backed by a ₦5 billion commitment, the Foundation will fund performing arts education, mentorship, equipment access, and structured pathways into Nigeria’s entertainment industry.
With Nigeria’s creative sector contributing roughly 2.5% of GDP, the music industry talent is valued at over $65 million and growing. Afrobeats now generates hundreds of millions in global streaming revenue annually. Yet structured training infrastructure, institutional funding, and clear entry pathways into the industry remain thin. That bottleneck is exactly what the Foundation targets.
“For every artist you see, there are many more who never got the chance, not for lack of talent, but for lack of opportunity,” Cecil Hammond said.
For Nigeria’s creative economy, the implications stretch beyond philanthropy. A funded, structured talent pipeline could accelerate the industry’s ability to meet surging global demand for African content, reduce the dropout rate of undiscovered talent, and build the kind of workforce depth that sustains long-term growth in addition to breakout stars.
About Mr Cecil Hammond
Cecil Hammond is widely regarded as the defining force in Nigeria’s entertainment and hospitality industries. As the founder of Flytime Promotions, Hammond has spent over two decades shaping Nigeria’s live entertainment industry through Rhythm Unplugged and Flytime Fest; platforms that have become key defining moments in Lagos’ December season. Hammond’s company has extended beyond music and concerts.
His businesses have grown into corporate events for publicly traded institutions, Presidential campaigns, government agencies. His portfolio of ventures spans film with Magicline Films, a talent booking agency, H48, a record label, Flytime Records in partnership with Virgin Music UK, a nightlife establishment, TAPE Lagos in partnership with TAPE London through Rich Hospitality, the Lagos-based group behind Mako Lagos and Koko Beach Hotels and Resorts.
Hammond is an avid supporter of charitable initiatives related to education and child well-being in Nigeria. He hopes to achieve more impact through the recently launched Flytime Foundation
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Nigeria’s creative economy has a talent problem. Not a shortage of talent, but a shortage of access. On April 8, 2026, Cecil Hammond put ₦5 billion ($4 million) on the table to help fix that.
The announcement came not from a boardroom but during a two-day birthday celebration that culminated in a 2,000-guest party at Eko Convention Centre, fully produced by Flytime.
The night showed exactly how far Nigerian entertainment has come and how high the bar now sits. RnB icon Case made a surprise appearance courtesy of the celebrant’s wife, Chief Operations Officer of Flytime, Keke Hammond. Mavo and N11 took the stage alongside DJ sets from Dope Caesar, DJ Consequence, DJ Ocean and more.
The celebration drew some of Nigeria’s most prominent figures across business, music, fashion, art and media, including Alhaji Aliko Dangote, President of the Dangote Group; Femi Otedola, Chairman of First HoldCo; Dr. Wale Tinubu CON, Group CEO of Oando PLC; Abdul Samad Rabiu CFR CON, Chairman of BUA Group; Dame Dr. Adaora Umeoji OON, CEO of Zenith Bank; and Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede CFR, founder of Coronation Group, alongside Mo Abudu, CEO of EbonyLife; Don Jazzy, founder of Mavin Records; Genevieve Nnaji, award-winning actress; Tiwa Savage, Grammy-nominated artist; Kelechi Amadi-Obi, renowned photographer and artist; Bolanle Austen-Peters, founder of Terra Kulture and BAP Productions, and many more of Nigeria’s most prominent figures across business, entertainment, and media.
Hammond, the architect behind Rhythm Unplugged and Flytime Fest and the man who helped turn Afrobeats into a global industry, also used the occasion to announce the Flytime Foundation. Backed by a ₦5 billion commitment, the Foundation will fund performing arts education, mentorship, equipment access, and structured pathways into Nigeria’s entertainment industry.
With Nigeria’s creative sector contributing roughly 2.5% of GDP, the music industry talent is valued at over $65 million and growing. Afrobeats now generates hundreds of millions in global streaming revenue annually. Yet structured training infrastructure, institutional funding, and clear entry pathways into the industry remain thin. That bottleneck is exactly what the Foundation targets.
“For every artist you see, there are many more who never got the chance, not for lack of talent, but for lack of opportunity,” Cecil Hammond said.
For Nigeria’s creative economy, the implications stretch beyond philanthropy. A funded, structured talent pipeline could accelerate the industry’s ability to meet surging global demand for African content, reduce the dropout rate of undiscovered talent, and build the kind of workforce depth that sustains long-term growth in addition to breakout stars.
About Mr Cecil Hammond
Cecil Hammond is widely regarded as the defining force in Nigeria’s entertainment and hospitality industries. As the founder of Flytime Promotions, Hammond has spent over two decades shaping Nigeria’s live entertainment industry through Rhythm Unplugged and Flytime Fest; platforms that have become key defining moments in Lagos’ December season. Hammond’s company has extended beyond music and concerts.
His businesses have grown into corporate events for publicly traded institutions, Presidential campaigns, government agencies. His portfolio of ventures spans film with Magicline Films, a talent booking agency, H48, a record label, Flytime Records in partnership with Virgin Music UK, a nightlife establishment, TAPE Lagos in partnership with TAPE London through Rich Hospitality, the Lagos-based group behind Mako Lagos and Koko Beach Hotels and Resorts.
Hammond is an avid supporter of charitable initiatives related to education and child well-being in Nigeria. He hopes to achieve more impact through the recently launched Flytime Foundation
