By Esther Onyegbula

Mavin Records, the French Embassy in Nigeria and French authors’ rights body, Sacem, have unveiled AFROCROISER, a new international songwriting initiative aimed at strengthening creative collaboration between French and Nigerian composers.

The programme, which kicked off on January 18 and will run until January 25, 2026, is holding its first edition at Mavin Records Studios, Lagos, and brings together leading composers from both countries for an intensive week of music creation, exchange and experimentation.

Funded by the Création Africa programme of the French Embassy in Nigeria, AFROCROISER is conceived as a collaborative space designed to foster dialogue between two of the world’s most influential music scenes, with a focus on developing new sounds at the intersection of Nigerian Afrobeats and French pop.

A carefully selected group of Sacem-affiliated French composers from diverse genres, including pop, afro-pop, shatta and chanson, are participating in the camp. They include Dany Synthé, Julio Masidi, Ozhora, PSK, Renaud Rebillaud, Seysey, Shannon and Voluptyk, who have worked with top French and international acts such as Aya Nakamura, Gims, Booba, Vianney, Indochine, Jul, Jason Derulo and Major Lazer.

On the Nigerian side, the camp features hit-making composers behind some of the biggest global Afrobeats records, including “Calm Down” and “Dumebi” by Rema, “Rush” by Ayra Starr, and “Unavailable” by Davido. Participants include Mbryo, Andre Vibez, Magixx, Bayanni, Kold AF, Elestee, Deeno, Milar, Ragee and Ozedikus.

Organisers said works created during the songwriting camp may be pitched for release under the Mavin Records label, including projects by artistes such as Rema and Ayra Starr, as well as leading acts from the French music scene.

Speaking on the initiative, Senior Publishing and Licensing Manager, Mavin Records, Kizito Ahams, described AFROCROISER as a critical platform for shaping global hits.

“Songwriting camps like AFROCROISER are critical to how global hits are shaped today. This initiative is as much about creative excellence as it is about knowledge exchange, how writers work, how they collaborate, and how value is fairly created and shared across borders,” Ahams said.

He added that bringing French Sacem-affiliated composers into the Mavin ecosystem offers a rare opportunity for cross-pollination capable of producing globally competitive works while strengthening professional standards on both sides.

Also speaking, Director of International Development, Sacem, Akotchayé Okio, said musical creation thrives on encounters between different cultures and perspectives.

“With AFROCROISER, Sacem aims to offer French and Nigerian composers a space for freedom and dialogue at the heart of one of the most dynamic music ecosystems in the world,” Okio said, noting that Lagos was a natural choice as “the beating heart of African music.”

Similarly, Regional Music Attaché for Sub-Saharan Africa, Margaux Demeersseman, said the initiative reflects the growing synergy between the French and Nigerian music markets.

“Given the importance of our respective markets and the musical movements emerging from them, the connections between France and Nigeria have never been more obvious,” she said. “Through AFROCROISER, our ambition is to build lasting relationships between composers and music publishing professionals from both countries.”

AFROCROISER is expected to lay the foundation for sustainable, organic and artistically ambitious collaborations, reinforcing Nigeria’s growing influence on global pop music while deepening France’s long-standing cultural ties with Africa.