The European Union (EU) is developing new projects and funding opportunities to support cultural events, artists and creative collaborations across Nigeria and Africa.

The EU Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Gautier Mignot, disclosed this on Saturday at the maiden Lagos Contemporary Circus Festival held at the National Theatre in Lagos.Mignot said the EU was seeking to increase funding for culture, the arts and the creative economy amid challenging global conditions.

EU expands support for Nigeria’s creative sector

Mignot said the EU had supported the recent Kano Creative Summit organised by the National Theatre and was partnering with film festivals across Nigeria.

He added that the bloc would support the Lagos Biennial of Contemporary Art scheduled for November.

According to Mignot, the EU is also developing projects aimed at empowering artists across Africa and creating more opportunities for collaboration between European and African creatives.EU backs Lagos Contemporary Circus Festival

The maiden Lagos Contemporary Circus Festival was organised by the National Theatre with EU sponsorship under the theme “Circus in Motion.”

Mignot described the festival as an example of the value of cultural partnerships, noting that the event brought together artists from Nigeria, Ethiopia, Côte d’Ivoire and Switzerland.

“It’s really very international, colourful, full of energy and very modern, very contemporary,” Mignot said.

He expressed hope that the festival would continue in subsequent years, attract more sponsors and develop into a regular platform for international artists.National Theatre highlights opportunities for artists

The General Manager and Chief Executive Officer of the National Theatre, Tola Akerele, said contemporary circus combines dance, movement, acrobatics, sport and physical performance.

Akerele said the art form could provide Nigerian artists with opportunities to develop their skills and tell their own stories.

“Nigeria is a young contemporary circus festival, but there’s so much potential. Contemporary circus is dance, it’s movement, it’s acrobatics, it’s sport,” she said.

She said the festival demonstrated Nigeria’s ability to develop its own contemporary circus stories through collaborations with international artists.

Akerele also highlighted the role of sponsorship in making cultural experiences more accessible to the public, noting that admission to the festival was free.

“This is a free show. Everyone can come in. So we want more of this. The community is here. Everyone can have access,” she said.

Nigeria’s creative sector funding landscape

The EU’s latest plans build on previous efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s creative economy through funding, cultural partnerships and capacity development.

In July 2025, Nigeria and the EU agreed on a €20 million initiative to strengthen museum partnerships, support film festivals and advance digital creative industries. The initiative also included cooperation on capacity building, digital skills, infrastructure and youth employment.

In May 2025, the Federal Government launched the first phase of its Creative Economy Development Fund (CEDF) to provide financing for businesses across film, music, fashion, art, publishing, gaming and cultural tourism.

In April 2026, the UK-Nigeria Tech Hub launched a Creative Fund targeting technical capacity gaps in Nigeria’s film, fashion and music industries, including access to digital tools and AI-driven production technologies.