TCN Monthly Recap: February 2025 Edition
Here's a recap of the stories—news, events, opportunities, resources, insights, opinions and conversations—we published in February 2025 and some other recommended stories for you
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As you may already know (and for those who are new here), every month we bring you TCN Monthly Recap; a recap of all the exciting stories—news, events, opportunities, resources, insights, opinions and conversations—we published all through the month. We also share interesting reads and recommended stories at the end. Watch out!
In this edition of TCN Monthly Recap, you will find;
Nigerian type designer Chisaokwu Joboson’s latest typeface inspired by the traditional Oja flute from Eastern Nigeria
The latest Nigerian financial services company to rebrand.
The return of dEX Design Conference
The return of Joburg Film Festival (JFF)
Open Call for the 2025 STARTS Prize Africa
Our conversation with illustrator and graphic designer Ife Aminu on creating Feel Good's flower-inspired illustrations
Studio Styles’ attempt to understand the pay landscape in Nigeria’s cultural industry through the Culture Pay Survey.
Nigerian type designer launches new typeface inspired by the traditional Oja flute from Eastern Nigeria
In February, Nigerian-based brand and type designer Chisaokwu Joboson announced the release of his latest typeface—Oja Display, a bold and expressive typeface inspired by the anatomical structure of the traditional Oja flute from Eastern Nigeria.
Oja Display, he explains, “features unique counterforms shaped like the flute's finger holes and boldly tapered stems, striking a balance between modernity and heritage.”
He notes that Oja Display features 1,042 glyphs, and supports over 180 languages, and “is ideal for impactful headlines, editorial design, branding, and cultural projects.”
Nigerian financial services company, First Bank Nigeria (FBN) Holdings PLC, rebrands as First HoldCo Plc
Last month, Nigerian financial services company First Bank of Nigeria (FBN) Holdings Plc announced its rebrand as First HoldCo Plc, as part of plans to create a uniform identity across all its subsidiaries.
According to the company, the transformation and rebranding is a pivotal milestone in its journey to redefine its identity, unify its subsidiaries, honour its heritage, and solidify its leadership in the financial services industry. “The new name reflects a forward-looking vision rooted in a timeless legacy of trust, resilience, innovation, and exceptional service delivery,” the announcement reads.
Dex Ghana confirms dEX Design Conference will return this September
In February, dEX Ghana, a community helping African creatives amplify their value through design experiences, confirmed that its flagship design conference would return this September (2025).
The dEX Design Conference (formerly called Artmosphere), which was last held in 2022, will take place on September 20, 2025, at the ISSER Conference Hall, Accra, Ghana.
With the theme, ‘The Evolution of Design in Africa: The Past, Present, and AI-Driven Future,’ this year’s edition of the conference will “explore the past, present, and future of design in Africa—honouring the foundations laid by pioneers, examining the role of contemporary creatives in shaping today’s industry, and envisioning an AI-driven future that redefines creativity and craftsmanship.”
Joburg Film Festival (JFF) returns for the seventh edition of its annual festival this March
Joburg Film Festival (JFF), Africa's premiere Film Festival curating and showcasing captivating African and international films, will return for its 7th edition this March (2025),
The festival, which is scheduled to take place from 11 – 16 March 2025, will bring together filmmakers, industry professionals and audiences from across the globe to share their experiences and forge connections through the universal language of cinema.
With the theme, ‘The Golden Thread – Connected Through Stories,’ this year’s festival will explore the profound interconnectedness of our shared human experiences and the timeless value of storytelling.
S+T+ARTS announces Open Call for the 2025 STARTS Prize Africa
S+T+ARTS, an initiative of the European Commission to foster alliances between science, technology, and the arts, is accepting entries for the STARTS Prize Africa, a prize that honours innovative initiatives at the intersection of art, science, and tech.
The prize money, which amounts to € 30.000, will be distributed among the Grand Prize (€ 15.000) and 5 Awards of Distinction (€ 3.000 each).
“I really love how it turned out”—Ife Aminu on Feel Good's flower-inspired illustrations
In 2023, Wuruwuru, a collective for independent creators, published Feel Good, an anthology of short stories written by some of Nigeria’s most gifted and thoughtful queer storytellers.
One of the captivating things about the project is the website and cover illustrations for the stories. The website—created by Studio Null, a digital experience studio run by Isaac Fayemi and Seyi Oluwadare—presented the stories in a fun and refreshing format, while the illustrations—created by Ife Aminu, an illustrator and graphic designer—added more delight to the story.
In a conversation with The Creatives Note, Ife Aminu talks about getting to create the illustration for Feel Good, how she approached the brief and how the illustration added more delight to the stories.
Studio Styles announces Culture Pay Survey, a survey aimed at understanding the pay landscape in Nigeria’s cultural industry
Studio Styles, a studio incubating projects that enrich Nigeria’s culture industry as a public good, has announced the Culture Pay Survey, an anonymous survey aimed at understanding the pay landscape in Nigeria’s cultural industry.
The survey, which is led by Immaculata Abba and a group of volunteers—Elizabeth Akpan, Kachi Eloka, Edikan U, Ama B, and Princess Briggs—wants to “gather data to help us collectively move towards fair pay and reveal the real costs of cultural work.”
As an extra incentive for filling the survey, the group says respondents “stand a chance to win a no-strings-attached 500,000 Naira project grant or a gift card for Yoga/Pilates/Dance fitness classes at Hearts Wellness Studio.”
Emerging Expressions to return for the second edition of its art fair for Nigerian undergraduates
Last month, Emerging Expressions, an art fair dedicated to empowering Nigeria’s next generation of creative voices, confirmed that it will return for the second edition of its art fair for Nigerian undergraduates.
With its open call now closed, this year’s theme, ‘HOW DO WE LEARN TO SEE,’ will explore works that make people stop, think, and feel. “From painting to sculpture to mixed media to photography to AR/VR installations, we want to see how you define how we learn to see and tell exciting stories with your art,” its open call announcement noted.
Recommended reading
Mentored by Annie Leibovitz, this multidisciplinary artist uses photography as a powerful medium to chronicle emotional growth and personal transformation.
The G.A.S. Foundation, in collaboration with the Yinka Shonibare Foundation, has announced Shatha Afify and Dr. Tinashe Mushakavanhu as the recipients of the 2025 G.A.S. Fellowship Award.
What Kept Me Up, a Nigerian digital media publication that focuses on film and television, announces that it has been awarded €20,000 in funding, as part of a collaborative effort with Sinemafocus (founded by Jennifer Ochieng in East Africa) and Akoroko (founded by Tambay Obenson). Together, we are forming the African Film Press, a pioneering press alliance that will unify our independent efforts.
Norval Foundation and The Sovereign Art Foundation (SAF) are delighted to announce Modupeola Fadugba as the Grand Prize Winner for The Norval Sovereign African Art Prize 2025, sponsored by Schroders.
Geneza reimagined Coachli’s identity, crafting a fresh, dynamic brand that aligns seamlessly with its mission as an all-in-one platform for virtual coaching. The rebrand introduced a bold direction, reinforcing Coachli’s values of innovation, accessibility, and community.
That will be all for now. Thank you for reading. And HAPPY NEW MONTH!!!
We enjoyed bringing you these updates and putting this recap together. See you at the end of this month. Until then, follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn to stay up to date.
