AKSU Fest 2025: A Compelling Dialogue on Creativity, Cultural Globalization and Intellectual Property Management
By Mathias Essien
The 2025 edition of the Festival of Performances, hosted by the Performing Arts Department of Akwa Ibom State University (AKSU), has brought to the fore crucial conversations on the future of creativity in Nigeria. With a theme centered on “Globalizing Indigenous Artistic and Cultural Heritage,” the festival served as a melting pot for dialogue, performance, education, and policy direction on cultural preservation and intellectual property (IP) management.
Over the course of the multi-day celebration, stakeholders in Nigeria’s creative and academic sectors gathered to explore how institutions of higher learning can not only nurture artistic talent but also establish mechanisms for protecting and monetizing creative output in an increasingly globalized world.
Delivering an address at the event, Mr. Moses Ekpo, former Deputy Governor of Akwa Ibom State and the pioneering Director General of the Nigerian Copyright Commission, expressed profound satisfaction at the evolving role of universities in the protection and promotion of indigenous art forms.
“It was always our dream in those early days that a time such as this would come,” Mr. Ekpo noted. “A time when universities would function not merely as think-tanks for developing artistic concepts, but as active platforms for stakeholders to deliberate, collaborate, and ensure that creativity is encouraged, protected, and properly rewarded.”
Mr. Ekpo commended the AKSU Performing Arts Department for its unique initiative in creating a recognizable performative brand that showcases Nigeria’s cultural wealth both locally and internationally. According to him, the students’ creativity, as demonstrated in the festival, is proof that Nigerian talent can thrive on the global stage,if nurtured and adequately protected.
He also paid posthumous homage to the late General Sani Abacha, attributing to him an important role in laying the foundation for Nigeria’s progress in copyright enforcement and cultural diplomacy. Mr. Ekpo recalled that it was during Abacha’s regime that Nigeria hosted the first World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) summit, a landmark that set the tone for subsequent national and continental developments in copyright law.
“Educating Nigerian artists and exposing them to international copyright conventions have had monumental results,” he said. “Today, data shows that motion pictures and music recordings alone contributed over ₦154 billion to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2023.”
The symposium on “Performer’s Rights,” a major highlight of the festival, featured a powerful presentation by Dr. John Asein, the Director General of the Nigerian Copyright Commission. He challenged universities to take the lead in structuring frameworks that not only protect creativity but also provide avenues for global monetization of cultural products.
Dr. Asein drew attention to the explosive growth of the Pan-African creative economy, noting that the region saw a 22.3% revenue increase, surpassing $100 million USD in earnings. He pointed out that South Africa alone generated over $174.6 trillion in creative industry revenue, a feat that could be mirrored in Nigeria with the right infrastructure and policy backing.
“Nigeria is the cultural engine of Africa,” he stated. “Our music, films, fashion, and comedy dominate the global space. What we lack is not talent but it is strategic monetization and intellectual property management.”
Dr. Asein warned that digital platforms, while providing exposure, have also exposed artists to risks of unauthorized usage and creative exploitation. He emphasized the need for educational institutions to establish clear IP policies that address ownership, third-party collaborations, and curriculum development.
“Intellectual property must be identified, evaluated, managed, and in many cases, commercialized. Our universities must rise to the occasion and serve as launchpads for the protection and growth of our creative economy,” he said.
He estimated that Nigeria’s creative sector—already the second-largest employer after agriculture could generate over $6 billion USD in revenue and create 2.7 million jobs by 2025 if properly harnessed.
Speaking on the impact of the festival, Dr. Lucy Iseyen, Head of the Department of Performing Arts and Festival Director, described the event as a celebration of identity, ingenuity, and cultural pride.
“This festival is more than a showcase; it is a statement. It is a space for our students to express themselves freely, challenge artistic boundaries, and translate what they’ve learned into something impactful,” she said.
A key feature of this year’s festival was the inauguration of the Mr. Moses Ekpo Copyright Prize, an annual award for the best graduating student in the department. The prize is designed to raise awareness about copyright and encourage student excellence in the field of creative arts and IP responsibility.
AKSU FEST 2025 featured a rich lineup of events that celebrated indigenous artistry and youthful expression. The festivities began with a lively Fashion Parade and Carnival, followed by a performance by the university’s acclaimed Pinnacle Theatre Troupe.
Exhibitions of Pinnacle Products, alongside a command performance of ISAN by third- and fourth-year choreography and kinaesthetic students, drew rounds of applause from a captivated audience.
Theatrical performances rooted in African traditions, such as Joromi, Midnight Hotel, and The Trials of Oba Ovonramwen, provided an avenue for students to explore and reinterpret cultural narratives through modern lenses.
The grand finale featured an intellectual property awareness campaign, interactive panel sessions, an awards ceremony, and goodwill messages from guests and academic dignitaries.
The previous edition of AKSU-FEST, themed “Theatrepreneurship, Interactivity & Survival in a Globally Recessed Economy,” was unveiled by Prof. Umoren Umoren, former Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academics) of the university. It set the stage for this year’s conversation on sustainability, rights protection, and globalization in the arts.
With each edition, AKSU FEST reaffirms its role as a vibrant cultural institution—merging artistic expression with academic scholarship, and community engagement with global relevance.
This year’s theme emphasized not just performance, but purpose. In doing so, it positioned the performing arts not merely as a discipline, but as a national asset—one capable of driving economic transformation, cultural diplomacy, and sustainable development.
