From Storm Records to the Smithsonian

Obi Asika built one of Nigeria’s most successful entertainment brands. Now he is applying that entrepreneurial mindset to transforming the National Council for Arts and Culture.

Before he became the Director-General of the National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC), Obi Asika was already a legend in Nigeria’s creative economy.

He built Storm 360/Storm Records, one of Nigeria’s most successful entertainment brands. He was Executive Producer of Big Brother Nigeria, The Apprentice Africa, and the Calabar Festival. He co-founded Social Media Week Lagos, the largest new media and technology conference in Africa.

Now, he is bringing that entrepreneurial fire to the public sector.

The Challenge

When Asika was appointed DG in January 2024, the NCAC was a traditional cultural preservation agency operating under a legal framework from 1975. The challenge was immense: reimagine the Council into a responsive public sector support organization that is useful to the community and the ecosystem.

As he stated in the Council’s annual report:

“It has been my privilege to provide leadership for the Council at this historic time when the cultural and creative industries of Nigeria are making front-page news locally and globally.”

The Transformation

Under Asika’s leadership, the NCAC has undergone a fundamental shift:

• From Preservation to Enablement: The Council now supports the entire Creative and Cultural Industries (CCI) across 49 sectors.
• From Bureaucracy to Hubs: NCAC offices across the country have been redesignated as creative hubs, offering co-working spaces to the ecosystem.
• From Isolation to Partnership: The Council has signed MoUs with tech companies, universities, media platforms, and international organizations.

The Credentials

Asika’s appointment was not accidental. His track record includes:

• Senior Special Assistant to the President on Digital Strategy & Social Media (2015).
• Advisory Board Member at the Smithsonian Museum of African Art in Washington, D.C. (since 2014).
• Contributor to 15+ Federal Government committees across different administrations.
• Core member of the presidential team that created the National Start-Up Act.
• Speaker at London Business School, Harvard Business School, MIT, and Wharton.

“We are seeking to unlock the resources to push through this year, putting NCAC to work and bringing some of our assets alive to enable the ecosystem.”

Why This Matters

Public institutions often struggle to adapt to the digital age. But under Asika’s leadership, the NCAC is proving that government can be innovative, entrepreneurial, and responsive.