The National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC) in partnership with Mefa Abuja (MEFA), has launched a 4,500 capacity Arena at The NCAC’s Arts Village, Abuja.
According to Business Africa Digest, a statement signed by Dr. Dennis Olofu, Head of Media of NCAC and made available to Business Africa Digest in Abuja said the parties have completed a groundbreaking ceremony for the first of six, 4,500 capacity, state-of-the-art performance venues, that are set to transform Nigeria’s creative landscape.
The groundbreaking ceremony which held at the NCAC’s Arts and Crafts village Abuja, marks a historic milestone in the development of cultural infrastructure in the Federal Capital Territory. The MEFA Abuja is the flagship and pilot of a visionary, privately funded initiative aimed at expandng Nigeria’s creative economy by delivering 6 world class venues starting in Abuja and extending to Abuja, Enugu, Kaduna, Jos and Port Harcourt in the first phase rollout. This project is the beginning of building a domestic touring ecosystem for live entertainment, sports and cultural events. The project is fully supported by the Federal Ministry of Arts, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy (FMACTCE), under the leadership of Honourable Minister, Hon. Barrister Hannatu Musa Musawa.
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In his remarks, Mr. Obi Asika, Director General of NCAC, described the initiative as “a key moment in building the hard infrastructure to support Nigeria’s creative and cultural sectors.” He stated that while, the Arts and Crafts Village had existed since 1988, this is the first time such a high value structure will be erected there.
He called for enhanced collaboration and support from all stakeholders in the sector, emphasizing that the facility will create significant employment opportunities for Nigerian youth, attract global attention, and serve as a vibrant hub for performance arts. “When completed, this will be one of the best performance venues anywhere—accessible, inclusive, and impactful,” Asika further stated that the arena will serve as a beacon for world class performances, enabling segments such as music, sports, theatre, dance, visual art, variety entertainment, esports, fashion and the arts to deliver world class performances and experiences in a world class environment here in Abuja. We want to thank MEFA for their diligence and investment and for building a strong collaboration with NCAC which will empower thousands.
Yinka Obebe, Co-Founder of MEFA, presented a detailed slide deck, unveiling the venue’s major features. These include:
A flexible indoor seating capacity of 4,000 to 4,500 guests
A fully movable, dynamic performance stage
World-class sound and lighting systems
VIP zones, artist lounges, curated guest experiences
Rooftop Recreation and Sports functionality
A year-round programming calendar generating over 10,000 direct and indirect jobs annually and seeking to deliver 250 plus events per annum at the venie.
“MEFA will be a catalyst for the creative economy—activating promoters, artists, vendors, and service providers with every event,” Obebe said, stating that the Mefa facility will be one of the most impactful performance spaces in West Africa. The venue will also generate significant revenues for the ecosystem and be a massive enabler for jobs and economic growth.
Delivering the keynote address, Minister of Arts, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, Hon Barrister. Hannatu Musa Musawa hailed the groundbreaking as “a defining moment” in her tenure, affirming that infrastructure is crucial to unlocking Nigeria’s creative potential. “As a Nigerian, it pains me that we lack arenas to enjoy our world class talent. I shouldn’t have to travel to Ghana or Rwanda to witness world-class performances in world class venues,” she said. The Minister described the venue as a “magnificent hub for multiple cultural and creative outputs and a sanctuary for creativity.” According to the minister, the arena is a one stop stage for talent and a home for the rhythms that define our lives.
The event was marked by the official signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between NCAC, FMACTCE, and MEFA, cementing an alliance that is set to transform the creative and cultural economy of Nigeria. The closing remarks came from Bola Yinka-Obebe, Co-Founder MEFA who thanked the Minister for her kind words, NCAC leadership for their collaboration and all stakeholders who have brought this project alive today.
She closed by charging all of us to move to deliver the promise of what MEFA brings to the table, world class experiences and world class production. The formal event closed on this note with guests returning to their work day and a big sense of palpable excitement and anticipation as to how MEFA can impact Abuja, its culture and of course the opportunity for Abuja based talents and promoters to have this level of facility in town.
Notable attendees at the event include, Mr. Fegho Umunubo, Special Assistant to the Vice- President on Digital and Creative Economy; Mrs. Bola Yinka Obebe, Co-Founder, MEFA Ody Anumba, Director of Special Duties, NTDA, Mrs. Mzako Florence, Representative of the Republic of Congo, Eva Barta, Cultural Attaché, Embassy of Spain, Colonel Felix Alaita, Ceo Criterion, Mr Onome Sideso, Co-Founder, Polystyrene Industries, Ms Ada Enwezor, Founder, Africa Hair Summit, Mr Kunmi Adenipebi , Founder GammeEvo, Mr Bayo Omoboriowo, Founder, Madhouse by Trikera, Directors and Management of NCAC, Key stakeholders from the arts and culture sector, embassies, Ngo’s, and development partners.
MEFA is a visionary entertainment brand redefining Nigeria’s performance and live entertainment landscape through a chain of world-class, interconnected performance venues that will fuel the local creative economy and empower communities.
