The Genius Creators Summit was held today, October 22, 2025, at the Los Angeles
Event Center in Abuja, gathering more than 500 participants from across media,
technology, governance, and the creative industries. Organized by Nate Genius Media
Ltd, the summit focused on shaping the future of Africa’s creative and digital economy,
exploring how creators and innovators can collaborate to drive growth and sustainability
across the continent.

At the event, media entrepreneur and storyteller Chude Jideonwo highlighted the Fourth
Mainland Creator Fund, a $500,000 thousand dollar initiative he established to support
emerging African creators with funding, mentorship, and strategic guidance. The fund
provides capital to filmmakers, writers, podcasters, and digital storytellers whose work
reflects originality, social relevance, and measurable impact. It aims to help creators
build sustainable businesses, scale their platforms, and strengthen the continent’s
creator economy.

Jideonwo’s contribution to the sector extends through Joy, Inc., the #WithChude
platform and now FourthMainland which focuses on storytelling, emotional intelligence,
and innovation as tools for cultural and social transformation. His work continues to
promote creative independence and economic opportunity for African storytellers.
In his keynote address titled “The Role of Creators in Shaping the Narrative of Africa’s
Digital Future,” Jideonwo discussed the need for creators to prioritize African audiences
and deepen local storytelling traditions as well as understanding that they as creators
have the power, through various platforms to boycott traditional bottlenecks that prevent
creators from directly monetizing from their talents. He cited some examples of creators
who are already using this strategy while encouraging creators and investors alike to
take advantage of these times.

Africa’s creative success has historically grown from content built for local audiences,
achieving global recognition through authenticity and scale. The address focused on
strengthening this approach in the digital age by deepening community engagement,
expanding creative commerce, and leveraging technology for growth.

Below is the full text of Chude Jideonwo’s address as delivered at the summit.
Stop trying to tell African stories to the world.docx