The founder and chairman of Phillips Consulting, Foluso Phillips, has spoken about his experience at the Tiwa Savage Music Foundation event held on Sunday at the National Theatre in Lagos.
The event, organised by Tiwa Savage Music Foundation in partnership with Berklee College of Music, marked the Berklee in Nigeria Class of 2026 graduation and concert.
The grand finale was held at the National Theatre in Iganmu, Lagos, also referred to as the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and the Creative Arts. It attracted an estimated 3,000 attendees, including music industry executives, cultural leaders, invited guests, and members of the public.
The night was hosted by Darey Art-Alade and Kiekie.
It featured performances from about 120 emerging Nigerian artists selected from over 2,100 applicants across Africa. The students performed original compositions developed during the training, with performances spanning Afrobeats, R&B, Hip Hop, Gospel and Jazz. All acts were backed by a live band.
Eighteen students received full three year undergraduate scholarships to study at Berklee College of Music in Boston, alongside grants worth over 2.2 million dollars. The presentation of the scholarships formed a key part of the closing ceremony.
Six Berklee faculty members, including Dennis Montgomery and Yoron Israel, were also recognised for delivering the training programme held earlier in the week at the MUSON Centre in Lagos.
Taking to his Instagram page on Monday, Phillips shared a photo with singer Tiwa Savage and reflected on the event.
He wrote:
“Yesterday, I had the privilege of being on the stage of the National Theatre, Lagos, to open the Berklee in Nigeria: Class of 2026 Graduation and Concert.
“As a member on the Board of the Tiwa Savage Music Foundation, I have to say that what we celebrated that evening was more than a music programme. It was proof that Africa’s best no longer have to leave home to access the world’s best.
“120 young Nigerian musicians, selected from over 2,100 applicants, the largest pool Berklee on the Road has ever recorded globally, spent a week being trained by Berklee College of Music faculty, right here in Lagos.
“At the National Theatre, select students received full three-year undergraduate scholarships to Berklee in Boston and other grants in excess of $2.2million. Emotions of gratitude were very high. The Tiwa Savage Music Foundation is built on one truth: “Talent is universal, but access is not”. A harsh reality that the founder, and my lovely friend Tiwa Savage knows personally.
“Now she is paying it forward. But institutions do not run on goodwill alone. Nearly 2,000 talented young Nigerians were turned away this year, not for lack of ability, but for lack of capacity.
“That gap is fundable. If you believe in what Nigerian creativity can become, this is where your support belongs.
“Reach out to the Foundation and we will tell you how you can contribute to our future talent of great musicians.”
Speaking at the closing ceremony, Tiwa Savage said the foundation aims to train the wider creative ecosystem beyond performers, including future producers, sound engineers, film composers and industry executives, as part of efforts to bridge the gap between African talent and global standards.
