Kenya and Sierra Leone have partnered with British actor and entrepreneur Sir Idris Elba’s Akuna Group to develop their creative industries, focusing on youth employment, skills development, and access to international markets.
The two countries signed separate Statements of Intent with the organisation on November 3, during the 2026 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Antigua and Barbuda, joining the Commonwealth Creative Economy Partnership as founding participants, according to the Akuna Group announcement.
Chief Minister David Moinina Sengeh represented Sierra Leone, while Kenya's Principal Secretary for Foreign Affairs, A. Korir Sing’Oei, signed on behalf of his country. Elba, who chairs the Akuna Group, represented the organisation. The partnership also brings together Ghana and Barbados, as part of a broader effort to strengthen creative-sector cooperation across the Commonwealth.
The initiative aims to connect creative professionals and young entrepreneurs with financing, professional training, production infrastructure and international markets. Its priority sectors include film, music, design, digital innovation and content production.
In Kenya, the partnership is expected to complement the government's Talanta Hela programme, which focuses on identifying, developing and commercialising local talent. In Sierra Leone, the initiative supports President Julius Maada Bio's broader human capital development agenda.
A related programme, From Script to Screen with AI, developed by Akuna and Google in partnership with Curious Refuge, has received $1 million in funding from Google.org. It will provide training in artificial intelligence-assisted filmmaking to emerging creators in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and South Africa.
The wider partnership reflects growing efforts across African countries to develop creative industries as sources of employment, entrepreneurship and export earnings, while helping local creators reach international audiences and turn their talent into sustainable businesses.
