Create stages for talent
We provide performance opportunities that connect emerging musicians with audiences, fellow artists and industry professionals.
MUSIC · EDUCATION · OPPORTUNITY
Help Build Nigeria’s
Music Future.
From a first music lesson to a live stage—and a sustainable creative career.
Make Music Lagos creates opportunities for people to learn, perform and develop through music. We bring together students, emerging artists, educators, event professionals and communities to make music more accessible.
We are seeking financial support and programme partners to reach more public-school students, support emerging musicians, strengthen local production skills and preserve Nigeria’s diverse musical cultures.
Access to music educationPathways for emerging talentCulture worth preserving
01 / WHO WE ARE
Music opens
possibilities.
Make Music Lagos is a music and community-development platform connecting education, live performance and creative opportunity.
Since 2016, our work has brought artists and audiences together through concerts, learning activities, volunteer opportunities and collaborations. Our experience includes events in Lagos, Abuja, Jos and other communities.
We want young people to have a clear route from discovering music to developing their skills, sharing their work and finding opportunities in the creative sector.
What we do today
Introduce young people to music
Through Learn to Play activities, we help public-school students discover instruments, build confidence and experience the possibilities of music.
Develop people behind the stage
Our volunteer and production activities give participants practical exposure to event delivery, media, sound and creative teamwork.
Bring communities together
We use music events and partnerships to encourage participation, support education and create shared cultural experiences.
02 / OUR TRACK RECORD
A foundation to build on.
Cumulative attendees across our events
Artist performances since 2016
Volunteers trained, with participants progressing into creative work
Raised for scholarships through a benefit concert with Courage Education Foundation
These experiences provide the foundation for our next phase: more structured, sustained support for learners, artists and the communities around them.
03 / WHY SUPPORT IS NEEDED
Talent needs
opportunity.
Talent needs access to instruments, teaching, rehearsal spaces, professional guidance and opportunities to perform.
For many public-school students, those resources are limited. Emerging musicians also need support to understand the business of music, protect their work and build sustainable careers. Outside major industry centres, opportunities for visibility and professional development can be harder to reach.
At the same time, street performances and local musical traditions can go undocumented, limiting their visibility and preservation.
Financial and practical support will help us address these connected needs through education, artist development, local capacity building and cultural documentation.
04 / WHAT WE WANT TO DO NEXT
Five programmes.
Connected possibilities.
We propose five connected programmes. The targets below describe our planned annual reach, subject to funding and delivery agreements.
01
Music Cities Activation Lab
Bring free performances, open mics and practical event-production training to more communities.
Proposed annual targetActivate six cities and train more than 100 local event producers and sound engineers.
Support neededLocal venues, production equipment, technical trainers, coordination and programme delivery.
02
Emerging Sounds Fellowship + Incubator
Give emerging artists a structured development journey combining creative practice, mentorship, music-business knowledge and recording experience.
The proposed model includes a 12-week bootcamp and a one-year advanced residency, culminating in a collaborative Make Music EP.
Proposed annual targetSupport 30 artists.
Support neededProgramme delivery, mentors, access scholarships, studio time and EP production.
03
Sounds of the Street
Take a mobile recording studio into communities to document performances and bring local musical expression to wider audiences through recordings, playlists and short documentaries.
Proposed annual targetVisit five cities and capture more than 50 performances.
Support neededMobile recording equipment, travel, sound and video crews, editing, archiving and distribution.
04
Learn to Play
Expand practical music learning for public-school students through three-day music camps that introduce instruments, encourage participation and nurture early talent.
Proposed annual targetReach more than 1,000 students.
Support neededInstruments, teaching materials, facilitators, school coordination and camp delivery.
05
Resource Library
Make practical music-business information and professional guidance easier for creatives to access.
The proposed library will include legal templates, curated guides and access to discounted advisory sessions.
Proposed annual targetServe more than 500 creatives.
Support neededResource development, legal and business expertise, digital access and advisory support.
05 / HOW YOU CAN SUPPORT
Help the next
chapter happen.
Financial support, practical resources and shared expertise can open more opportunities for people and communities.
Fund programme delivery
We are seeking financial support to expand artist development, recording and documentation, city activations, music education and access scholarships.
Funders can support the wider programme or a specific area of work, with an agreed budget, delivery period and reporting framework.
Discuss financial support ↗Provide the tools to create
Contribute instruments, recording and sound equipment, rehearsal rooms, studios, training venues or performance spaces.
Offer equipment or space ↗Share what you know
Support participants through teaching, mentoring, music-business guidance, legal advice, production training or content development.
Share your expertise ↗Connect us with communities
Work with us through schools, cultural organisations, community groups and local delivery partners to reach participants and coordinate activities.
Become a programme partner ↗06 / THE CHANGE WE AIM TO CREATE
More access.
More possibilities.
With support, we aim to create lasting opportunities for learners, artists and communities.
- Give more public-school students practical access to music education.
- Help emerging artists strengthen their creative and professional skills.
- Build event-production and sound-engineering capacity in participating cities.
- Document and share musical expression that might otherwise go unrecorded.
- Improve access to resources that help creatives understand and manage their careers.
For each funded programme, we propose agreeing measurable milestones with the funder. These may include participation and completion figures, learning assessments, performances and recordings delivered, resource use, and follow-up on participants’ next steps.
07 / SUSTAINING THE WORK
Built to keep
making a difference.
Our long-term approach combines grants and other financial support with partnerships, donor and alumni giving, and earned income from activities such as advanced training, merchandise, content licensing and creative services.
The aim is to build a stronger foundation for continued delivery while protecting access to funded learning and development opportunities.
08 / OUR CAPACITY TO DELIVER
Experience. People.
Community.
Make Music Lagos brings experience in live events, artist development, education logistics and community mobilisation.
Our delivery foundation includes a network of more than 400 trained volunteers and a dedicated project-management role established in 2023. We work across the music, education, cultural and business communities to turn programme plans into practical experiences.
LET’S BUILD THE NEXT CHAPTER TOGETHER
Be part of Nigeria’s
music future.
Help more young people discover music, more artists develop their craft, and more communities take part in Nigeria’s creative future.
Discuss support ↗To discuss financial support, programme partnerships or in-kind contributions, contact:
Adeola Akinyemi
Team Lead, Make Music
makemusiclagos@gmail.com ↗+2349037748860