The Nigerian American Chamber of Commerce is set to honour Nigerian cultural entrepreneur and filmmaker, Bolanle Austen-Peters, in recognition of her contribution to the growth of Africa’s creative economy and her role in projecting Nigerian stories on the global stage.
The founder of Terra Kulture and BAP Productions, Austen-Peters, will receive the Excellence in Cultural Innovation and Global Creative Industry Trailblazer Award during the Chamber’s April 2026 International Roundtable in Lagos.
The event, themed “Policy and Governance Reforms in Nigeria’s Immigration and Border Management Sector,” will take place on Thursday, April 23, 2026, at the Legend Hotel, Lagos Airport (Curio Collection by Hilton).
According to the Chamber, the award recognises her “visionary leadership in inspiring Nigerian creativity, promoting Africa’s cultural influence, and transforming the continent’s creative landscape through theatre, film, and cultural enterprise”.
Previous recipients of the Creative Economy Award include Mo Abudu, Richard Mofe-Damijo, and Femi Odugbemi.
Austen-Peters, a lawyer-turned-creative producer, is widely regarded as one of the key figures driving Nigeria’s modern theatre and film resurgence. Through Terra Kulture, established in 2003, she has built what has become one of Nigeria’s most prominent arts and culture hubs, combining theatre production, education, hospitality, and visual arts.
The institution has hosted hundreds of exhibitions, stage productions, and literary events while serving as a training ground for emerging talent in Nigeria’s creative sector.
Through BAP Productions, she has also produced several internationally recognised films, including 93 Days, The Bling Lagosians, Man of God, Collision Course, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, and House of Ga’a, which gained global streaming success and featured prominently on Netflix rankings in multiple countries.
Her stage productions, including Saro the Musical, Fela and the Kalakuta Queens, and Death and the King’s Horseman, have toured internationally across London, Dubai, Egypt, and South Africa, helping to expand the visibility of Nigerian theatre beyond domestic audiences.
Austen-Peters has also placed strong emphasis on skills development through the Terra Academy for the Arts, established in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation. The initiative aims to train tens of thousands of young Nigerians in film, theatre, and entrepreneurship, with over 50,000 reportedly enrolled and thousands already integrated into the workforce.
She has been recognised internationally for her work, including features by global media outlets and speaking engagements at institutions such as the Financial Times Africa Summit, the London School of Economics, and NYU Stern School of Business.
The NACC roundtable will bring together senior government officials, policymakers, and private sector leaders to discuss reforms in immigration and border governance, with broader implications for trade, tourism, and investment flows between Nigeria and the United States.
Expected guests include the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior, Magdalene Ajani, who will serve as Special Guest of Honour and deliver the keynote address.
Other participants include the Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Immigration Service, Kemi Nanna Nandap; the Director-General of the Nigerian Tourism Development Authority, Ola Awakan; and the Director-General of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, Eghosa Osaghae.
Panel discussions will feature representatives from the Nigerian Employers’ Consultative Association, the Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria, the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission, and private sector advisory groups focused on tourism, investment, and labour mobility.
The Chamber said the award presentation reflects its broader objective of recognising individuals and institutions contributing to Nigeria’s economic diversification through culture, innovation, and global engagement.
The National President of the Nigerian American Chamber of Commerce, Alhaji Sheriff Balogun, will host the ceremony, which is sponsored by Legend Hotel, Lagos Airport, and Curio Collection by Hilton.
The NACC said the event underscores the growing intersection between cultural production and economic diplomacy, as Nigeria seeks to position its creative industry as a key export sector alongside energy, agriculture, and technology.
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