Bolanle Austen-Peters award announced as NACC honours creative entrepreneur for cultural innovation and global industry impact

Nigerian American Chamber of Commerce, NACC, has announced that it will honour renowned cultural entrepreneur Bolanle Austen-Peters with the Excellence in Cultural Innovation and Global Creative Industry Trailblazer Award in recognition of her transformative impact on Nigeria’s creative sector and Africa’s global cultural reach.

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Bolanle Austen-Peters prestigious award will be presented during the Chamber’s April 2026 International Roundtable scheduled for 23 April at the Legend Hotel Lagos Airport, Curio Collection by Hilton.

According to the Chamber, the honour celebrates Bolanle Austen-Peters’ visionary leadership in promoting Nigerian creativity, advancing African storytelling and reshaping the continent’s entertainment landscape through theatre, film and enterprise.

Previous recipients in the creative economy category include Mo Abudu, Richard Mofe-Damijo and Femi Odugbemi, placing the latest recognition among a distinguished group of industry figures.

Austen-Peters, a lawyer, producer and director, founded Terra Kulture in 2003.

The institution has since grown into one of Nigeria’s leading arts and culture centres, hosting exhibitions, stage productions, book readings and creative development initiatives.

Through BAP Productions, she has also delivered acclaimed films such as 93 Days, The Bling Lagosians, Man of God, Collision Course, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti and House of Ga’a, the latter reaching Netflix’s global top 10 and topping charts in multiple countries.

Her stage productions, including Saro the Musical, Waaka the Musical and Death and the King’s Horseman, have toured major international cities, helping project African theatre to global audiences.

A secondary highlight of her career has been talent development through the Terra Academy for the Arts, created in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation.

The initiative offers free training in film, theatre and entrepreneurship, with tens of thousands of young Nigerians already enrolled.

The April roundtable is themed Policy and Governance Reforms in Nigeria’s Immigration and Border Management Sector and is expected to attract senior public and private sector leaders.

NACC National President Alhaji Sheriff Balogun will host the event, while Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior Dr Magdalene Ajani is billed as special guest of honour and keynote speaker.

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The Chamber said the ceremony reflects its commitment to celebrating excellence that strengthens Nigeria’s cultural influence while advancing policy dialogue on national development.