Out Of Africa: Tiwa Savage Music Foundation Awards $ 2 Million In Scholarships As It Concludes Inaugural “Berklee In Nigeria” Programme
The Tiwa Savage Music Foundation, in partnership with Berklee College of Music, has successfully concluded the inaugural Berklee in Nigeria: Tiwa Savage Intensive Music Programme, marking Berklee’s first appearance in Nigeria. Held over five days from 22nd to 26th April 2026, the programme brought together 120 of Nigeria’s most promising emerging artistes, songwriters, producers, and music professionals […]
Black News 
The Tiwa Savage Music Foundation, in partnership with Berklee College of Music, has successfully concluded the inaugural Berklee in Nigeria: Tiwa Savage Intensive Music Programme, marking Berklee’s first appearance in Nigeria.
Held over five days from 22nd to 26th April 2026, the programme brought together 120 of Nigeria’s most promising emerging artistes, songwriters, producers, and music professionals for an immersive, world-class training experience delivered on home soil for the first time.
Designed as a bridge between Africa’s thriving music economy and global education standards, the intensive provided hands-on learning across live performance, songwriting, music production, and the business of music. Participants engaged directly with Berklee’s distinguished faculty through workshops, collaborative sessions, and mentorship, gaining both technical skills and critical industry insight.
The programme culminated in a landmark Grand Finale Concert & Award Ceremony at the National Theatre, hosted by Darey Art Alade and Kie Kie, where participants presented original works developed during the intensive. The live concert featured band-backed performances across Afrobeats, R&B, Hip-Hop, Gospel, Jazz, and Fusion, with ensembles led by Berklee faculty performing everything from Stevie Wonder and Miles Davis to Masego, Ayra Starr, and Ne-Yo, alongside original compositions. The evening also featured electrifying guest performances by Loud Choir and Teni the Entertainer.
The finale showcase welcomed an audience of over 1,000 attendees, including members of the U.S. Consulate, industry executives, cultural leaders, media, government representatives, and music enthusiasts, among them, Yeni Kuti, daughter of the legendary Fela Kuti. The evening was opened with remarks from Foluso Phillips, Chairman of Standard Chartered Bank Nigeria and sitting Board of Trustees member of the foundation, and closed with a scholarship awards presentation in which 18 students were awarded fully funded undergraduate places at Berklee College of Music in Boston, representing over $2 million in scholarships, with graduation certificates presented to all 120 participants.
Speaking on the successful completion of the programme, Tiwa Savage shared: “Seeing these young musicians take the stage at the National Theatre was a deeply emotional and proud moment for me. When we started the Tiwa Savage Music Foundation, the goal was to bring the world’s highest standards of music education home to Nigeria, and seeing 18 of our students receive life-changing scholarships to Berklee in Boston is proof that our talent is truly global. This is only the beginning of our mission to ensure that African creatives have the tools, the structure, and the platform to lead the world stage.”
Dean of Admissions Damien Bracken added, “It was such a pleasure to review the results of our Berklee auditions and interviews at the inaugural Tiwa Savage Intensive Music Programme. Having known Tiwa since she enrolled at Berklee, it was clear to us then that she was on a path to success in the music industry, and it is particularly inspiring that she has leveraged her success to give back to her community here in Nigeria in such a meaningful and special way. We auditioned and interviewed a total of 27 highly skilled musicians, and today we will award in excess of $2.1 million in merit scholarships to assist these candidates to successfully enrol at Berklee in Boston next year.”
Berklee faculty members who led the programme included Dennis Montgomery (Academic Director, Professor of Ensembles), Yoron Israel (Chair of Percussion), Tyrone Chase (Assistant Chair of Ensembles), Nichelle Mungo (Associate Professor of Voice), Anthony Nembhard (Assistant Professor of Ensembles), alongside Jason Camelio (Program Director and Assistant Vice President of Global Programmes and Partnerships), who oversees Berklee’s global initiatives.
