L–R: Senior Economist & Program Lead, Narrating Behavior Change Program, World Bank, Victor Orozco-Olvera; Founder/CEO, The Light Design Factory, Osaru Alile; Associate Professor (Research Track), Department of Computer and Information Science, University of Pennsylvania, Sharath Chandra Guntuku; Founder/CEO, Eden Venture Group, Fifehan Osikanlu; Managing Director, Norman Lear Center, University of Southern California, Johanna Blakely; Managing Director, BGR Consulting Ltd, Habibah A. Waziri; and Senior Digital Manager, MTV Staying Alive Foundation, Bolade Ogunfuye, during the session titled “Entertaining Change: Next-Generation Media Partnerships for Social Impact and Gender Equality” held in Lagos.
Eden Venture Group, in partnership with the World Bank, successfully hosted the Nigerian pilot edition of Entertaining Change: Next-Generation Media Partnerships for Social Impact and Innovation.
Held as part of a global series spanning New York, Los Angeles, Abuja, and Lagos, the Nigeria sessions examined practical models for leveraging Nigeria’s fast-growing creative economy to drive scalable social impact.
Conversations focused on creative data use, AI-driven behaviour change tools, and investment pathways that unlock both social and economic value.
The convenings brought together leading voices from government, private investment, global development institutions, and the creative industries to explore how storytelling, technology, and strategic capital can strengthen education outcomes, shift social norms, and accelerate inclusive economic development.
As part of broader engagements that week, Eden Venture Group, alongside MTV Staying Alive Foundation and MBO Capital, also convened a focused Investing in Creative Futures roundtable with private investors and creative-sector executives.
This dialogue spotlighted visionary leaders and innovators, particularly women at the forefront of media, entertainment, and technology.
Their contributions underscored the central role women play in driving cultural influence, shaping emerging markets, and powering the next generation of Nigeria’s creative industries.
“By aligning innovation, storytelling, and investment, we can build an ecosystem that drives inclusive growth and global competitiveness for Africa’s creative economy,” said Fifehan Osikanlu, Founder and CEO of Eden Venture Group.
“When research meets creativity, powerful tools emerge to improve development outcomes at scale,” added Victor Orozco-Olvera, Senior Economist at the World Bank.
The Entertaining Change Nigeria sessions form part of a broader global alliance linking AI, data, and creative storytelling to advance education, shift harmful norms, and promote inclusive growth.
Strategic partners across the global initiative include the Gates Foundation, USC Annenberg, Women in Film (Los Angeles), the University of Pennsylvania, Fable Advisory, BGR Consulting, Audacity Assets, SBB Media, and BellaNaija.
