Our foundation

A mission worth building.

The Tiwa Savage Music Foundation exists to dismantle the barriers that keep brilliant musicians from reaching their full potential. One life-changing opportunity at a time.

I don't just want to launch artists. I want to build leaders, producers, executives, and owners who will shape the future of the industry.

Tiwa Savage, Founder

Where we come from

The Tiwa Savage Music Foundation was born from a simple but urgent truth: that across Nigeria and Africa, there is extraordinary musical talent sitting in communities that simply do not have the infrastructure, resources, or connections to develop it to its fullest potential.

Tiwa Savage, internationally acclaimed artist, songwriter, and Berklee College of Music alumna, knows this firsthand. Music gave her the world. And she is determined to ensure that access to music education is not a privilege of geography or economics, but a possibility available to every gifted young person who seeks it.

Founded with the belief that the next generation of globally impactful African musicians is already here, TSMF operates at the intersection of world-class music education, cultural pride, and radical access. Our alumni will not just perform on global stages. They will compose film scores, run labels, build companies, and come back to mentor the generation after them.

What we stand for

Our three pillars

Everything we do flows from three commitments: talent, access, and futures.

Mission

To connect exceptionally talented Nigerian and African musicians with world-class music education, mentorship, and career pathways. Not just to launch artists, but to build leaders, producers, executives, and owners who will shape the future of the industry.

Vision

In ten years, a globally recognised institution that consistently develops talent from Nigeria and across Africa. A pipeline where alumni return as mentors, reinvesting in the generation that follows them.

Values

Excellence without elitism. Opportunity without conditions. Community without borders. We believe access should be radical, education should be transformative, and music should be a force for human flourishing.

The founder

Tiwa Savageartist, alumna, architect.

Born in Lagos, raised across continents, and trained at Berklee College of Music, one of the world's most prestigious music universities, Tiwa Savage returned to Africa as one of its defining musical voices. She has sold out arenas, collaborated with global icons, and built a career that spans continents and genres.

But her most enduring work may well be this: building a foundation with a ten-year vision to become a globally recognised institution that consistently develops talent from Nigeria and across Africa. A pipeline that connects African creativity to global opportunity.

If a young musician from a small neighbourhood can say the Tiwa Savage Music Foundation changed their life, she says, that will mean something real has changed. She doesn't just lend her name. She opens the door.

Berklee College of Music Alumna · Boston, MA

"Music changed my life. But talent alone isn't enough, especially when access is limited. I want to build something that opens people's eyes to the full scope of what's possible in music. The person who composed the score for a film, who creates music for global campaigns, or who uses music as a tool for healing.

Tiwa Savage · Founder, Artistic Advisor & Berklee Alumna

Where we are going

A global pipeline for African talent.

In ten years, TSMF will be a globally recognised institution that consistently develops talent from Nigeria and across Africa, connecting African creativity to global opportunity. Our alumni will become film composers, label executives, and mentors who come back to reinvest in the next generation. If a young musician from a small neighbourhood can say this foundation changed their life, we will have built something real.

120 Artists in inaugural cohort

5 African cities by 2028

18 Scholarships awarded

The journey so far

2026

Foundation established & Berklee partnership announced

Tiwa Savage Music Foundation is formally established and announces a landmark partnership with Berklee College of Music, bringing world-class music education to African soil for the first time through Berklee on the Road.

April 2026

Inaugural Berklee × TSMF intensive, Lagos

120 participants, selected from over 2,100 applications, complete a four-day intensive at the MUSON Centre School of Music (April 22–26). Six Berklee faculty lead sessions in music production, songwriting, sound engineering, harmony, music publishing, and entertainment law.

April 26, 2026

Grand finale at the National Theatre, Lagos

A free public concert and award ceremony at the National Theatre marks the close of the inaugural programme. 18 participants are awarded fully funded undergraduate scholarships to Berklee College of Music in Boston, with a combined value of over $2.1 million.

Coming soon

Next cohort

The next Berklee × TSMF programme cohort is being planned. Applications will open on our social channels. Follow us to be notified first.

Build the foundation with us.

Hands-on experience inside a fast-growing foundation, for passionate, curious, and driven creatives who want to work where music, education, and opportunity meet.

✓ All roles are paid

✓ Work directly with the TSMF team

✓ Hands-on across live programmes & events