Chocolate City Celebrates 20th Anniversary with Strategic Partnership for Music Infrastructure

As Chocolate City celebrates two decades of shaping Nigeria's music landscape, the entertainment powerhouse is marking its anniversary with strategic partnerships to address one of the industry's most critical needs: infrastructure.

Last weekend, Chocolate City Group formalized a 15-year partnership with the Plateau State Government to establish a creative industry hub and radio station in Jos, the city where the company's story began over twenty years ago.

The partnership, signed in Jos, will develop production facilities, training programs, and media infrastructure designed to nurture creative talent in Nigeria's Middle Belt.

"Plateau is dear to me. I came here in 1993 to study law. Without Jos, there would be no Chocolate City," said Audu Maikori, Chairman of Chocolate City Group, who led his company’s delegation. "It's time we give something back."

The Jos hub represents more than just the company's business expansion. For Maikori and co-founder Paul Okeugo, who began their journey organizing campus events at the University of Jos, it's a meaningful homecoming.

A National Vision Takes Shape

What makes Chocolate City's infrastructure push particularly significant is that the Jos partnership isn't happening in isolation. It builds upon an earlier Memorandum of Understanding signed with the Federal Ministry of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy (FMACCE) in April.

That agreement, which outlined collaboration between Chocolate City and the federal government, established a framework for developing creative industry infrastructure across multiple regions of Nigeria.

Abuchi Peter Ugwu, CEO of Chocolate City Music, explained the company's broader vision: "Our goal is to channel creativity into productive economic activities across Nigeria. We're starting with Jos because of our roots there, but we're working with both state and federal partners to address infrastructure gaps nationwide."

The FMACCE partnership focuses on policy development, capacity building, and connecting Nigeria's creative industries to global markets, while the Plateau State initiative provides a concrete implementation model that could be replicated elsewhere.

The Infrastructure Gap

These moves come at a critical time for Nigeria's creative sector. While Nigerian music, film, and fashion have gained international recognition, the country's creative infrastructure has struggled to keep pace with the explosive growth.

PwC’s Global Entertainment & Media Outlook (2024-2028) projected that Nigeria’s entertainment and media market will grow from US$9.0bn in 2023 to US$13.6bn in 2028, making it one of the fastest-growing segments of the economy. Industry experts believe this figure could multiply several times over with adequate infrastructure.

"The talent has always been here, but the tools, training, and distribution channels have been limited, especially outside Lagos," notes Paul Okeugo, Vice Chairman of Chocolate City Group. "We've seen countless artists with tremendous potential who simply couldn't access what they needed to develop their craft professionally."

What This Means For The Industry

The implications of these partnerships extend far beyond Chocolate City's business interests. They signal a potential shift in how Nigeria's creative economy develops over the next decade.

First, these initiatives could address the extreme centralization of Nigeria's music industry in Lagos. While the commercial capital will undoubtedly remain the industry's nerve center, developing regional hubs could distribute opportunities more equitably and uncover talent that might otherwise go undiscovered.

Second, the public-private partnership model for the creative industry that is being developed offers a template for sustainable infrastructure development. Government partners bring policy support, land, and basic infrastructure, while industry players like Chocolate City contribute expertise, networks, and creative development know-how.

"This approach solves problems the government alone can't solve, and reaches places private industry alone wouldn't go," explains Eze Obioha, a music industry insider. "If executed well, it could become a blueprint for creative economy development across Africa."

Third, these partnerships potentially create career pathways beyond performing artists. The planned facilities will require technical specialists, producers, managers, and other professionals, potentially broadening the creative careers available in Nigeria.

Legacy Building In Real Time

As streaming numbers and social media followers have become the dominant metrics in music industry success, Chocolate City's focus on physical infrastructure represents a different kind of ambition.

These developments could significantly improve career possibilities for young artists and creative entrepreneurs, particularly those outside Lagos. The combination of studio facilities, professional training, and media platforms promises to reduce barriers to entry that have historically limited who can participate in Nigeria's creative economy.

Whether this model succeeds will depend on sustained commitment from all parties. Still, the ambition alone marks a significant moment in the evolution of Nigeria's creative industries—one where infrastructure development finally begins to match the country's enormous talent pool.

"The best journeys take you back to where you started, but with the resources to make it better for those who come after you," Okeugo reflects. As Chocolate City enters its third decade, that philosophy appears to guide its next chapter.