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DEVELOPING NIGERIA HUMAN CAPITAL THROUGH MUSIC 

ENTREPRENEURSHIP 

 

Alvan-Ikoku O. Nwamara & Nnamdi C. Onuora-Oguno  

Department of Music, 

Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka 

 

ABSTRACT  

Entrepreneurship has to do with an individual’s ability to organise, manage and assume the 

risks of a business enterprise. Such ability eventually earns such an individual means of 

livelihood and recognition in the society. This by implication portrays music 

entrepreneurship as that which deals with starting or organizing commercial music enterprise 

(difficult project or activity that requires effort), especially one that involves financial risk. 

Human capital on the other hand, supplies physical labour, technical and professional skills, 

which are germane to the efficient and effective planning of developmental activities in the 

economy of a nation. Both have a symbiotic relationship. This paper therefore sets out to 

highlight, the usefulness and importance of music entrepreneurship, its place in the 

development of Nigerian human capital, and possibly looks into ways of improving and 

encouraging music entrepreneurship in Nigeria and utilizing its potentials for the betterment 

of the nation. 

INTRODUCTION 

The Nigerian nation is highly blessed with much qualitative human and natural resources. 

The human resource is made up of people from various ethnic groups comprising majorly the 

Igbo, Hausa and Yoruba ethnicities. These people supposedly, occupy various positions in 

the country’s work force and thereby constitute what is known as the Nigerian human capital.  

Unfortunately, a reasonable number of these people fall within a group that are completely 

unprepared to succeed within the realities of the professional world, despite their outstanding 

God-given talents. Most human capital developmental efforts in the past were focused on 

developing skills in the individuals. Much consideration was not given to the real world 

situation as regards how the skills developed can be harnessed and utilized to create wealth 

for the highly skilled individual that is about to join an over saturated workforce, hence the 

emergence of entrepreneurship or better still, music entrepreneurship.  

 

Music entrepreneurship is a new phenomenon in the world’s music business, not only 

because entrepreneurship has just come into existence in the early 21st century but also for 

the fact that it is being newly introduced in the formal academic music setting as an area in 

the music discipline. Although it has not been approved in many institutions in Nigeria, it is 

gaining grounds in quite a few institutions where it has been introduced and implemented as 

either a course of study under the department of music or under the School/Institute of 

Awka Journal of Research in Music and the Arts (AJRMA) Vol. 9 2013 



254 

 

Entrepreneurial Studies. In some institutions, the school of entrepreneurship or 

entrepreneurial studies exists as an independent institute while in others; it is incorporated 

into their curriculum as an aspect of the various courses offered. In the Nnamdi Azikiwe 

University, Awka, for instance, the school of entrepreneurial studies exists as an independent 

institute, named after late Chike Okoli, a young lawyer who made an indelible mark as an 

entrepreneur early in life before the cold hands of death snatched him away from the planet, 

earth. The institute is run collaboratively by the university and the Chike Okoli Foundation 

(an extended arm of the Emzor group). In the case of the above mentioned institute, classes 

are run in general entrepreneurship while the students are allowed to employ the 

entrepreneurial knowledge gotten from the classes in their various specific areas and 

disciplines; in this case music. 

Akpan (1982:128) observes that the main intent of developing the human capital is ―to equip 

people with the knowledge required to qualify them for various positions of employment or 

improve their skills and efficiency in the positions they already occupy.‖ In the case under 

discourse, developing the Nigeria human capital through music entrepreneurship entails 

equipping the people with musical knowledge required to qualify them as performers, 

consultants, composers, teachers, authors, researchers, music therapists and so on, or improve 

their musical skills and efficiency in their already occupied positions. This is the main thrust 

of this paper. 

The Concept of Development 

Nzewi (1999: 38) defines development as ―advancement of an inherited, acquired or current 

state of being.‖ He went further to state that ―every human culture has continuously advanced 

its mental and human systems as well as material products‖ and that ―recognisable states of 

development telescope the historical advancements of a human group’s mental genius,‖ 

stating that ―every period constitutes authoritative development integrity.‖ He informs that 

―advancement implies a continuum of the original concepts, theoretical rationalisations, 

creative principles and structural-formal manifestations.‖ And finally observes that; 

the process of achieving a continuum could be intuitive or research derived or both. A 

continuum definitely cannot be achieved by blind imitation, or reckless adoption of 

foreign thoughts as well as mental-material products. Advancement implicates as well 

as accrues currency. That is, it updates tradition in terms of expanded and impressive 

worldview or human contact. 

Nwamara (2010: 2) quotes the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary as having approached 

the definition of development from various perspectives like; ―gradual growth,‖ ―becoming 

or making something larger,‖ ―more advanced‖ and ―more organised.‖ While Linden (1989: 

36) sees development as ―a process which aims at achieving self reliance and improved 

conditions for the under privileged majority of the people.‖ All these definitions and 

observations present development as that which has to do with advancement, improvement or 

better still, enhancement.  

What is Music Entrepreneurship? 

Music entrepreneurship is a field of study that incorporates music and business aspects. It 

deals with starting or organizing commercial music enterprise or venture (difficult project or 



255 

 

activity that requires effort), especially one that involves financial risk. Music 

entrepreneurship provides for an individual, numerous music business possibilities ranging 

from music teaching, consultancy, composition and performance etc to music recording and 

production, music instrument technology, music therapy and so on. In the academia, music 

entrepreneurship arouses tremendous interest but there is a lot of confusion about what it 

exactly means and how it can best be integrated into the curriculum whether as a minor, 

required classes for all musicians, electives, extra-curricular clubs, entrepreneurial culture, or 

this or that. While several definitions of music entrepreneurship exist, three aspects are 

central:  

(1) Self-employment skills,  

(2) Small business creation, and  

(3) The development of an entrepreneurial mindset. 

Apart from music entrepreneurship, there exist other fields of study that incorporate music 

and business aspects.  With the inclusion of music entrepreneurship, they are four in number. 

These four fields, according to Cutler (2010), attempt to advance the cause of music-related 

ventures in economically viable ways but appeal to different constituents and present 

distinctive priorities. The four fields of study as identified by Cutler (2010) include: 

1. Music Business (aka Music Industry) 

2. Arts Administration 

3. Music Career Development 

4. Music Entrepreneurship 

In an attempt to highlight the major similarities and differences between the four fields of 

study and make way for easy analysis, the following table was deduced: 

 

 Business 

Music 

Arts Admin Music Arts 

Development 

Music 

Entrepreneurship 

Advent Mid-1970s 1970s 1980s. But has 

grown 

substantially 

since 2000 

 

Early 21st Century 

Nature of 

the 

Programme 

& Courses 

offered 

Many schools 

currently offer 

majors, minors 

and courses in 

the area.  

 

Many schools 

currently 

offer majors, 

minors and 

courses in the 

area.  

No schools offer 

a major or minor 

in this area.   

 

Several 

programmes 

A relatively small amount 

of schools offer minors or 

courses in this area, 

though that number is 

growing rapidly. Career 

development classes often 

incorporate some 



256 

 

Typically 

housed within 

music schools 

(ie. Majors are 

expected to 

play an 

instrument and 

study core 

music topics 

₦éèÝéin 

theory, history 

etc.) 

 

Typically 

housed 

outside the 

music school, 

and have an 

interdisciplin

ary approach 

have career 

centres housed 

in their music or 

arts school. 

 

entrepreneurial elements. 

Some programmes utilize 

pre-existing 

entrepreneurship courses 

taught through the 

business school, while 

others hire music 

specialists. Some 

successful models team up 

music and business 

faculty. 

 

Job Target Prepares 

students for 

jobs in the 

―for-profit‖ 

music world 

(especially the 

recording 

industry) 

Prepares 

students to 

work 

as administrat

ors in the 

non-profit 

sector, for 

organizations 

such as 

orchestras 

and 

museums.  

 

Prepares 

students to get 

music jobs and 

to work as 

freelancers 

Prepares students to work 

as self-employed artists, 

small business owners, and 

arts advocates. 

 

Musical 

Focus 

Primarily on 

pop styles 

Primarily on 

classical, 

jazz, and 

other ―art 

music.‖ 

 

Efforts are 

geared largely 

towards 

performance, 

composition, 

and perhaps 

music 

technology 

Efforts are geared largely 

towards performance and 

composition. Technology, 

education, and business 

majors are increasingly 

finding value in these 

courses 

Topics 

typically 

addressed 

Music 

distribution, 

promotion, 

licensing, 

copyright law, 

royalties, 

contracts, 

Mission, 

organizationa

l structures, 

operations, 

boards, 

leadership, 

legal issues, 

Auditioning, 

interviewing, 

résumés, cover 

letters, websites, 

taxes, 

networking, 

recording, 

Opportunity creation, risk, 

creativity and innovation, 

idea generation, social 

change, product 

development, market 

research, marketing, 

business plans and 



257 

 

business 

models, 

technology, 

and music 

publishing.  

 

fundraising, 

budgeting, 

marketing, 

public 

relations, 

outreach, and 

advocacy. 

management, 

getting gigs, 

working with 

the media and 

job possibilities. 

 

technology 

 Business 

Music 

Arts Admin Music Arts 

Development 

Music 

Entrepreneurship 

Present 

State  

and 

Prospects 

Currently 

doing some 

soul searching, 

as the 

recording 

industry is in a 

state of chaos, 

collapse, and 

restructuring.  

What a ―music 

business‖ class 

or degree will 

mean in 5-10 

years is 

uncertain at 

this point. 

 

Is a quickly 

changing 

field, such as 

competition 

for funding 

and attracting 

audiences 

getting more 

intense?  

Many arts 

administrator

s are 

beginning to 

approach 

their 

businesses 

more like for-

profit 

enterprises. 

The focus was 

primarily on 

―job‖ 

preparation, as 

opposed to self-

employment—

how most 

performers earn 

their living.  In 

response, the 

field of music 

entrepreneurship 

emerged.  Many 

career 

development 

programmes 

now embrace 

entrepreneurial 

concepts as 

well.  

The fact that it is a 

relatively new field 

notwithstanding, there is 

expectations of huge 

developments over the 

next decade. 

 

From the table, a critical observation would present some overlaps between the four areas.  

Each is equipped with valuable lessons that can be gleaned from it, regardless of professional 

direction. For music entrepreneurship, expectations of huge developments are high in the 

area not minding that only a handful of schools offer the course in 2010. There is a prediction 

by David Cutler that within 10 years, every institution will embrace music technology or 

stand the chance of not being able to attract students. 

Music Entrepreneurial Possibilities in Nigeria 

The music industry all over the world is undergoing a very exciting transition presently. 

Business in the present day music industry has gone digital; cutting across the entertainment, 

media and content industries; and this has become a part and parcel of our lives which seems 

irreversible. Today’s music business is a ―Do It Yourself‖ (DIY) thing. The DIY trend in 

today’s music business is a major aspect of music entrepreneurship which is hoped to achieve 

growth in the small-to-medium size service industries (SMEs). Music entrepreneurship now 



258 

 

equips artistes to be capable of establishing their own music enterprise with very little capital 

which can be managed to grow into very big establishments in future. The following are 

some of the many possible areas/aspects of music entrepreneurship in Nigeria.  

 

(1) Music Teaching/Training/Consultancy 

This is where an individual makes a living through tutorials and trainings in various aspects 

of music. There are many possibilities in this aspect of entrepreneurship. These possibilities 

include; instrument teacher/instructing, music directing (choral, band etc), 

(2) Music Performances 

The availability of sophisticated synthesizers and music equipment in the present day music 

business, with the combination of adequate specialized skills and knowledge of performance, 

the sky is not even the limit of the average Nigerian performer; it is instead the starting point. 

An individual performer now plays his music and sings as if a whole band is playing. Thanks 

to technology. This extends to other forms of performances either as an individual performer 

(solo) or as a group (ensemble). 

(3) Music Composition 

Composing for corporate organisations, individuals, the government, churches and so on 

gives a music entrepreneur enough income for his sustenance. Composition here covers so 

many areas including creation of an entirely new work of art and arranging old works for 

voices or instruments. 

(4) Music Sales/Marketing 

In the music business of today, music entrepreneurship has extended to music sales and 

marketing, where a musician has direct access to his markets with less hassle and yet makes 

more income. This can be done in form of on-line marketing and establishing one’s own 

business affairs where one coordinates his own marketing and business development 

activities. He does not need to sign all rights away to a large music company and live (or 

rather, die) at their mercy. 

(5) Music Instrument Technology 

This ranges from musical acoustics to digital or computer music technology. Specialists in 

this area are not easy to come by in Nigeria. The few are doing so well that they hardly find a 

breathing space in their activities. Music instrument technology offers a very wide range of 

job possibilities that need to be explored. 

(6) Music Therapy 

Music therapy is one unpopular area of the musical arts in Nigeria. But in recent times, music 

technologists, medical scientists and psychologists, have produced some relaxation compact 

discs (CDs) that contain well selected articulated sounds played usually with the aid of a CD 

player and listened to with earphones. This exercise has been proven as being capable of 

relaxing one’s mind thereby keeping the person in a healthier frame of mind and body for 

other activities. Health is wealth and every individual strives to be healthy. Therefore, this 

aspect of music entrepreneurship that deals with the essential commodity - good health, 

invariably is a goldmine. 



259 

 

(7) Music Recording/Engineering 

Now, one can build a small home-studio for a relatively little amount of money and do all his 

own productions from A-Z. With time, he can extend to commercial recording in the home-

studio or help other people in their productions elsewhere, having mastered the recording 

business. More still, other extensions are possible when the business grows. This may include 

mastering services and web services. 

Contributions of Music Entrepreneurship to Nigerian Human Capital Development 

Human capital according to the Wikipedia encyclopedia refers to 

The stock of competences, knowledge and personality attributes embodied in the 

ability to perform labour so as to produce economic value. It is the attributes gained 

by a worker through education and experience. Many early economic theories refer to 

it as workforce, one of the three factors of production, and consider it to be a fungible 

resource – homogeneous and easily interchangeable. 

 Faghoungbe (2008: 3) describes human capital as ―the stock of knowledge and skill 

embodied in an individual as a result of education, training and experience that makes him or 

her more productive.‖ He further informs that ―it is used in labour or employment and 

enables workers increase their productive capacity as individuals, organisational and societal 

members.‖ On the other hand, it entails recruiting, supporting and investing in people, using 

training, coaching, monitoring, internships, organisational development and human resource 

management for realization of desired goals. Ugbo (2010: 5), remarks that ―human capital 

consists of human assets – know how, training, new values, innovations, competence, 

expertise, talents and capabilities.‖ 

Music entrepreneurship equips the human capital with skills, knowledge and opportunities 

that enable the human capital improve socially, mentally, emotionally, psychologically and 

most importantly, economically. These are possible through the many opportunities of which 

some have been mentioned above. Perception from the angle of the three central aspects of 

music entrepreneurship, the following can also be deduced: 

(1) Self-employment Skills 

Education is paramount in the overall and total development of man. Through music teaching 

and training, the human capital is equipped with self-employment skills in form of musical 

skills, good sense of judgement, musical abilities, knowledge and competences for the 

musical challenges in the competitive music industry. These skills with little or no capital 

enable an individual to stand independently on his feet. This is an aspect of human capital 

development. 

(a) Small Business Creation 

Economic growth includes ―the attainment of increased per capita income, increased 

productivity in the economy, greater resource efficiency, increased standard of living, 

reduced cost of living and positive changes in values and attitudes‖ ( Amadasu, 1999: 3). 

With the skills one acquires through music entrepreneurship, he is empowered to create small 

business enterprise. This may include the production of musical goods and services which in 

turn increases his standard of living. This is also developing the human capital. 



260 

 

(b)The Development of an Entrepreneurial Mindset. 

The most creative minds in all world cultures are found in the world of music. But in many 

cases, these creative minds lack direction and mission. Music entrepreneurship therefore is 

designed in such a way that it equips such individuals not only musically but also extra-

musically in form of creative and critical thinking, flexibility, programming, presentation 

skills, outreach, audience development, marketing, self-reliance, communication proficiency. 

Entrepreneurial Musicianship aims at fostering a mindset of self-efficacy and producing a 

new wave of musical leaders equipped with the musical and extra-musical skills integral to 

succeeding. The skills nurture the artistic empowerment that individuals need to be 

successful.  

The Way Forward  

Developing Nigerian human capital through music entrepreneurship requires efforts by the 

government, institutions, parents and all individuals. The following suggestions are hereby 

presented with the belief that if considered and implemented, the Nigeria human capital will 

turn out better and more advanced (developed). 

(1) Music entrepreneurial studies needs to be urgently introduced in all music 

institutions’ curriculum nationwide. Such Nigerian music institutions should be 

capable of inculcating in musicians/students what they really need to succeed, instead 

of just telling them to practice. They should be capable of turning music students 

from degree-holding music hobbyists into professionals. Emphasis should be on the 

DIY trend. Every great musician should be capable of managing to at least make a 

good living. 

(2) The government should integrate music entrepreneurship into the nation’s financial 

system to provide the capital necessary for the empowerment of Nigerian youths and 

musicians who are interested in this area of the musical art. This could be made 

possible through loans and micro finance schemes. 

(3) There is need for the non-academic music practitioners and those in various Nigerian 

institutions to come together, combine their efforts and make music entrepreneurship 

a dream come true in Nigeria. 

(4) Stakeholders should periodically organise intensive programmes and workshops that 

would help musicians and music students explore and develop careers beyond the 

traditional job pathways. Such workshops, lectures and seminars help the participants 

envision and forge careers as music entrepreneurs that earn their living doing what 

they love – music. 

 

Conclusion 

Developing Nigerian human capital is a gradual process that requires an aggressive approach. 

Skills for successful entrepreneurship can be learned and trained. Therefore, all Nigerians, on 

individual and collective basis, the government and all establishments have roles to play in 

order to achieve this noble task. This will in turn make Nigeria the nation of our dream. 

Music entrepreneurship is the way. Being a musician is being an entrepreneur, period.  

 

References 



261 

 

Akpan, N. (1982). Public Administration in Nigeria. Lagos: Longman Press.  

Faghoungbe, B. (2008). Human Capital Development: The Need for Efficient Business 

Policy. A Paper Presented at a Two Day Seminar Organised by the Institute of 

Corporate and Business Affairs Management (ICBAM) in Lagos.  

Hornby, A. S. (1995). Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. New York: Oxford University 

Press. 

Linden, A. (1989). Communication Assistance for Third World Countries: Going Dutch. 

Media Development. No. 3. Nairobi: African Council for Communication 

Education. 

Nwamara, A. O. (2010). Music Technology in National Development: The Nigerian 

Situation. Paper presented at the Ninth (9th) Annual Conference of the Association 

of Nigerian Musicologists held at the University of Uyo, Akwa-Ibom State. (1st – 

5th June) 

Nzewi, M. (1999). Empowering the indigenous music and folklore for development. In M. 

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Ugbo, I. E. (2010, May). The Place of Human Capital Development in the Globalizing 

World: The Nigerian Experience. A Paper delivered at the 2010 Annual Conference 

of the Faculty of Arts, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka. 

 

Internet Sources (Web Pages) 

Cutler, David (2010). Music Business Vs. Arts Admin Vs. Career Development Vs. Music 

Entrepreneurship. Retrieved from www.artistshouse.com Assessed 16
th

 February 

2010.  

 

 

 

 

 

http://www.artistshouse.com/

