Empowering Women Creatives: TAFTA and Mastercard Foundation Lead the Way
The Terra Academy for the Arts (TAFTA), in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, has successfully wrapped up a three-day Women Entrepreneurs Development Programme (WEDP) bootcamp aimed at helping female creatives build scalable and sustainable businesses in Nigeria’s creative economy.
Held from October 27 to 29, 2025, the hybrid event combined online learning with an in-person showcase at Terra Kulture, Lagos, bringing together young women aged 18 to 35—all TAFTA alumni. The program equipped participants with essential business knowledge, mentorship, and connections to help transform their creative ideas into thriving enterprises.
From Creativity to Sustainability
TAFTA’s founder, Bolanle Austen-Peters, emphasized the importance of combining creativity with entrepreneurship.
Over the course of the bootcamp, participants learned about legal compliance, financial management, intellectual property, and digital strategy—key areas that every creative entrepreneur should master. The sessions, led by industry experts, focused on practical applications of these skills in Nigeria’s growing creative sector.
The final day featured a live pitch showcase where participants presented their business ideas to a panel of mentors, investors, and industry leaders. This gave them the opportunity to receive feedback, network, and potentially secure partnerships and funding.
“At TAFTA, we believe that talent without opportunity is potential unfulfilled. We want women to become confident entrepreneurs capable of building, growing, and scaling businesses that transform their communities,” – Bolanle Austen-Peters
How You Can Benefit
If you are a creative woman—whether in fashion, music, film, design, or art—programs like TAFTA’s WEDP can help you move from talent to income. Here’s how to benefit:
- Join creative academies like TAFTA that offer free or subsidized training.
- Learn business fundamentals such as pricing, branding, and financial management.
- Apply for bootcamps and mentorship programs that connect you to investors and collaborators.
- Use digital tools to promote your craft and reach a global audience.
The TAFTA and Mastercard Foundation partnership proves that when women are empowered with both skill and strategy, they become unstoppable forces in the creative economy. By turning creativity into entrepreneurship, Nigerian women can drive economic growth, create jobs, and inspire others to do the same.
