New initiative aims to equip young creatives and innovators with skills, mentorship and funding opportunities across the Mano River Union
Mano River Week and iCampus Liberia have signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish the Mano River Week Creative Academy, Creators Incubator, and Creators Fund, a major regional initiative aimed at empowering young creatives, innovators, and entrepreneurs across the Mano River Union (MRU).
The agreement, signed in Monrovia by Zubin L. Cooper, Regional Coordinator of Mano River Week and Chief Executive Officer of XL-Entertainment, and Luther D. Jeke, Chief Executive Officer of iCampus Liberia, marks a significant step toward building a sustainable creative economy in the MRU member states of Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Côte d’Ivoire.
The partnership seeks to transform creative talent and innovative ideas into viable businesses through structured training, mentorship, networking opportunities, and access to funding.
Under the agreement, the partners will jointly establish, manage, and mobilize resources for three flagship programs designed to nurture the next generation of creative entrepreneurs.
The Mano River Week Creative Academy will provide practical, industry-specific training complemented by entrepreneurship and enterprise development courses. Participants will receive hands-on instruction aimed at strengthening both their technical expertise and business acumen.
The Creators Incubator will offer selected participants intensive mentorship, project-development support, and guidance to prepare them for commercial success, while the proposed Creators Fund will serve as a financing mechanism to support qualifying projects and emerging enterprises across the region.
As part of the collaboration, iCampus Liberia will co-lead the development of the academy’s curriculum and training programs while serving as the principal implementing partner and national focal point for Liberia.
Officials disclosed that the first pilot phase of the Creative Academy is expected to commence in Liberia during the first quarter of 2027. The model developed through the Liberia pilot will subsequently be replicated across the Mano River Union through country offices and local delivery partners coordinated by Mano River Week.
The partnership also lays the groundwork for the establishment of the Mano Innovation Directory (MIND), a regional platform intended to connect innovators with training opportunities, investors, strategic partners, and wider market visibility.
To ensure effective oversight and accountability, the partners have agreed to establish a Joint Steering Committee comprising representatives from both organizations, the Regional Coordinator of Mano River Week, two representatives nominated by the Mano River Union, and both founding and current Mano River Week Champions.
Financial governance measures have also been built into the agreement. According to the partners, program funds will be maintained in ring-fenced accounts, and all payments related to activities in Liberia will require authorization from both organizations.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Cooper described the agreement as a major milestone in advancing youth empowerment and economic development throughout the region.
“This agreement with iCampus is another step forward for Mano River Week,” Cooper said. “Our region is full of creative and innovative young people. The Creative Academy, the Creators Incubator, and the Creators Fund will provide them with a clear pathway from skills development to sustainable enterprise.”
He emphasized that the initiative aligns with Mano River Week’s broader vision of leveraging the creative economy as a catalyst for regional growth, employment, and cross-border collaboration.
For his part, Jeke said the collaboration builds on iCampus Liberia’s longstanding commitment to helping young people transform innovative ideas into successful ventures.
“For ten years, iCampus has helped young Liberians turn ideas into businesses,” Jeke said. “This partnership allows us to expand that impact across the Mano River region. Leading the Creative Academy curriculum is a responsibility we take seriously because we want every young creator and innovator, in every member state, to leave with practical skills, strong networks, and a pathway to opportunity.”
Officials said further details regarding the Liberia pilot will be finalized ahead of the academy’s formal unveiling later this year.
The Mano River Creative Academy is scheduled to be officially announced during the launch of Mano River Week initiatives in Freetown, Sierra Leone, on December 11, 2026, and subsequently in Monrovia, Liberia, on January 29, 2027.
Mano River Week is a private-sector-led regional initiative championed by the Mano River Union Secretariat and delivered by XL-Entertainment. The platform rotates annually among the four MRU member states and operates around four core pillars: Culture, Entertainment, Trade, and Tourism.
Organizers say the initiative seeks to position the Mano River region, home to an estimated 61 million people, the majority of them young, as one of Africa’s emerging centers for creativity, innovation, commerce, and tourism.
Founded in 1973, the Mano River Union promotes economic cooperation, regional integration, peace, and security among its member states. Through initiatives such as Mano River Week, the organization is working to place young people at the center of regional development by equipping them with the skills, resources, and platforms needed to thrive in the modern creative economy.
The partnership between Mano River Week and iCampus Liberia is widely expected to create new opportunities for aspiring entrepreneurs, artists, and innovators while strengthening regional collaboration and fostering a more dynamic and inclusive creative sector across West Africa.
