19 young Beninese creators at the Forum Création Africa Lagos 2025

The forum will bring together artists, entrepreneurs, producers, investors and institutions from across the continent and the diaspora. On the agenda: conferences, workshops, pitching sessions, think tanks and B2B meetings around themes such as video games, augmented reality, digital fashion, webtoons, animation, sound design and audiovisual co-productions.

Renowned figures such as Serge Noukoué (Nollywood Week), Ariane Suveg (Celestine Blue) and Joëlle Épée Mandengue (Bilili BD Festival) will lead panels and masterclasses. The forum will also address emerging issues such as artificial intelligence, visual effects (VFX) and sustainable financing for the CCI.

Beyond the debates, Lagos will come alive with artistic performances, exhibitions and cultural evenings, including the “Cinémathèque Afrique” at the Alliance Française and a closing concert bringing together Queen Rima, Super Jazz Club, The Cavemen and Odumodublvck.

Conceived as a talent and collaboration accelerator, the Forum Création Africa aims to strengthen the place of African creators on the global stage and to support a new generation of innovative, connected cultural players.

19 Beninese representatives

Supported by the Embassy of France in Benin, a delegation of 19 young Beninese creators and innovators will take part in the Forum Création Africa 2025 in Lagos. These participants, from a variety of fields – fashion, film, video games, animation, immersive technologies and e-sport – embody the vitality and diversity of Benin’s creative scene. Their journeys reflect a shared ambition: to showcase local know-how, celebrate African identity, and durably integrate Benin into the global dynamic of the cultural and creative industries.

In the field of fashion and design, figures such as Roberto Zinli, Faou Soulé, Leila Kinlodon, Peter Toni Basengula, Bermine Kikisagbe and Osmy Gangnon are reinventing tradition, giving it a new, contemporary and sustainable dimension. Their work combines aesthetics, innovation and environmental commitment, blending recycled materials, reimagined craftsmanship and digital technology. Through their brands, they carry a vision in which creation becomes a tool for social and cultural transformation.

The audiovisual and technology sector will be represented by talents such as Ineck Houngbedji (TV series), Mahoutondji Kinmagbo (virtual reality), Gilchrist Domingo, Stella Houedan and Olav Babi (animation), as well as Harrison Hazoume and Caryl Schallum Setondji (interactive technology and video games). Together, they are redefining the forms of African storytelling through image, sound and digital media. The president of the Beninese Federation of Electronic Sports, Médard Djekete, meanwhile embodies the structuring of e-sport as a lever for inclusion and opportunity for young people. Alongside recognized artists such as Laeïla Adjovi and Christiane Chabi Kao, these creators affirm the rise of a creative, bold Beninese generation connected to the world.

1/ Roberto ZINLI – Fashion styling and influencer

Commonly known as President DJANGOUN to his community on social media, Roberto is a committed artist and cultural entrepreneur. He is recognized for his creative boldness and his commitment to sustainable fashion. Through his brand and innovative collections, he transforms recycled materials into genuine wearable works of art, affirming his role as a pioneer in celebrating African identity and eco-responsible fashion.

His vision: to make fashion a vehicle for social, cultural and environmental transformation. President DJANGOUN champions a conscious fashion, one that combines aesthetics, authenticity and respect for the planet. Since January 2025, he has been pursuing an artistic approach that turns metal waste into futuristic garments. Every outfit carries a message: giving objects a second life and promoting a circular economy.

2/ Médard O. DJEKETE – E-SPORT

President of the Beninese Federation of Electronic Sports (FBSE), he is a certified physical education teacher with more than 10 years of experience organizing competitive eSports events. In 2023 and 2024, the Embassy of France in Benin supported Afrigamers, the association he leads, enabling it to coordinate the participation of numerous young Beninese players in various e-Sports competitions, forums and international conventions to represent Benin. In 2025, with the backing of the Republic’s institutions, he founded Benin’s first Federation of Electronic Sports (FBSE). A member of the executive committee of ACES (African Confederation of Electronic Sports), Médard O. DJEKETE is a major player in promoting the video game industry in Africa and in Benin. Thanks to his drive, he notably secured a strong showing for Benin at the Versus Fighting EVO World Championships in Nice, France.

3/ Harrison HAZOUME – Creative Technologist, Interactive Developer

Harrysson HAZOUME, 23, is a Creative Technologist and immersive-experience designer with a passion for human-machine interaction. For him, XR, gaming and creative technologies are not just entertainment tools but levers for rethinking how we use digital technology. Holder of a bachelor’s degree in computer expertise from Epitech Bénin, he quickly steered his career toward virtual reality, augmented reality and game design, developing a hybrid approach that blends artistic creation, software engineering and design.

4/ Peter Toni BASENGULA – Fashion styling

Based in Benin, Peter Toni BASENGULA is a Congolese-Beninese creator and founder of the ready-to-wear brand FARE. He draws on the richness of local traditions to offer a contemporary, universal fashion, blending streetwear with timeless pieces that pay tribute to African craftsmanship in general and to made-in-Benin in particular.

5/ Olav BABI – Animation film

He has been a self-taught illustrator and concept artist since 2015. Driven by a desire to improve his craft, he earned a graphic design diploma from Africa Design School in 2023. It was there that he discovered animation filmmaking and, through an application process, joined the incubIMA Animation program at Sèmè City, a technical and entrepreneurial training delivered by Les Gobelins, ranked the world’s top animation school. As part of the program, he co-directed Adieu Pi Pan with two classmates, a nostalgic short film about the disappearance of trains in Benin. He later released Chemins Étoiles, his first independent film. Today, together with Gilchrist Domingo and a collective of about ten animators, he co-founded Ti’Tans Animation Studio, Benin’s first animation studio, with the ambition of telling the world stories deeply rooted in Beninese culture.

6/ Stella HOUEDAN – Animation film – Founder of EDA studio

Age 23, her passion for drawing began in 2012. She has honed that talent over the years, which opened the door to the IncubIMA Animation program at Sèmè City. Her world draws as much from nature as from imagination, always with the desire to bring sensitive, universal stories to life. Her journey began at the AARG in Ouidah, before she turned to digital painting and self-teaching. She has collaborated on several animation projects across Africa and taken part in residencies such as “Animato Mada” and the “Meknès Writing Residency.” She also had the opportunity to work with “Leti Arts” in Ghana. Today, she has founded “EDA,” a concept-art studio dedicated to connecting producers and individuals with talented young African freelancers, to develop original visual worlds and support projects from their inception.

7/ Gilchrist DOMINGO – Illustration and animation storytelling

Gilchrist DOMINGO is a Beninese illustrator, animator and storyteller shaped by African culture and mythology. With more than ten years of experience in illustration and storytelling, and four years in 2D animation, his world blends humor, mystery and spirituality. Gilchrist draws his inspiration from the rich heritage of Dahomey and stands out for his exploration of Beninese myths and legends, to which he brings a contemporary, accessible touch. Gilchrist DOMINGO dreams of creating innovative works that celebrate and share the richness of African culture with the world.

8/ Mahoutondji KINMAGBO – Director and Producer

Mahoutondji KINMAGBO is a self-taught new-media artist exploring the intersection of African heritage and technology. Through immersive storytelling and speculative projects, his work reinvents tradition and challenges colonial narratives, preserving cultural histories while prompting reflection on identity, memory and cultural evolution in the digital age. He notably produced HONME, a 3D virtual tour of King Béhanzin’s royal palace, as well as Le PACTE, another VR project created with Sénami DONOUMASSOU. Both works will be presented at the Forum Création Africa in Lagos, then at the Institut Français du Bénin as part of Novembre numérique.

9/ Laeïla ADJOVI – Contemporary art, photography and literature

A reporter, photographer, visual artist, writer and researcher, Laeïla is Franco-Beninese and French, and has lived in Dakar since 2010. A multidisciplinary artist, her work spans photography, writing, drawing, painting and sound creation. Her favored themes touch on transcendence, hybridity, the layering of identities, the circulation of memory, and the notion of heritage. After a career as a journalist and reporter for the BBC, Laeïla ADJOVI received the 2018 Grand Prix Léopold Sédar Senghor for the photo-poetic project Malaïka Dotou Sankofa. In recent years, she has been developing a multidisciplinary project on African spiritualities in Cuba and cultural resistance during the era of slavery. Together with artist Joséphine Derobbe, she originated the immersive 3D dome projection project KANCICA, produced by MansA and Dream Feel Factory, which will be presented in Brazil, in Benin and around the world.

10/ Amzat Abdoulaye – Audiovisual production

Administrator of the Wani-Ayo association since 2021, he works on training, production and the professionalization of young talent in film and the visual arts. With a bachelor’s degree in human resources management (UPIONM, 2012), he combines project management expertise with a passion for artistic creation.

11/ Sarah CODJO – Fashion and digital

Sarah CODJO is the founder of the SARAI brand, which helps brands and leaders grow by providing them with visibility, credibility and cultural excellence. SARAI is a strategic creative agency that is transforming African creative industries through digital innovation, cultural storytelling and AI-driven strategies. It designs, deploys and teaches high-impact digital strategies powered by AI for the fashion, beauty, music and creative industry sectors. Based in Benin, France and the United Kingdom, SARAI operates on a global scale: it runs masterclasses supported by public authorities and collaborates with international creatives.

12/ Ineck HOUngBEDJI – TV Series

Ineck HOUngBEDJI is a Beninese screenwriter and producer passionate about human stories. Her work draws on everyday realities and explores universal themes close to her heart: childhood, parenthood, identity, the environment and spirituality. Through her projects, she combines creative work with management, supporting films from development through to distribution. Head of management and operations for the Courts Circuits residency and founder of Dakki Dakka Picture, she aims to make Benin a reference point for artistic inspiration and the production of African auteur films aimed at the world. She launched the Courts Circuit residency in 2025 with the Tohouégnon Brothers and the support of the Institut Français du Bénin (IFB).

13/ Caryl Schallum SETONDJI – Video games

A Bachelor’s graduate of Epitech Bénin, he has always had a passion for video game development and e-sport. His path led him to join the Massera Game Studio incubator, where he sharpens his skills working as part of a team on ambitious projects. With his team, he is currently developing Astroworld, a space-exploration game combining science, storytelling and interactive immersion. Through his work, Schallum aspires to build a new generation of African creators and to put Benin on the global map of the video game industry.

14/ Faou SOULE – Fashion

Founder and artistic director of Esthet., a French-Beninese creative studio and brand at the intersection of fashion, contemporary art, design and electronic music, Faou SOULE conceives and leads artistic and cultural projects that tell unique stories, showcase emerging creative talent and African know-how, and aim for international reach. She also specializes in brand strategy and project structuring and management within the Cultural and Creative Industries, with proven expertise in fashion and experience at Benin’s Agency for the Development of Arts and Culture.

15/ Christiane CHABI-KAO – Audiovisual Production

Christiane CHABI KAO is president of the Lagunimages association, which organizes the Lagunimages Film Festival Biennial in Cotonou. She was awarded the “Femme de feu” (Woman of Fire) Prize in the Art category at the JCFA in Ouagadougou for her work with the International Festival of Cinema and Shared Memory / FICMEC in Cotonou. She has also served as a jury member at FESPACO and the Cine229 Awards. In 2019, she chaired the jury of the first edition of the Cotonou International Women’s Film Festival (FIFF Cotonou).

16/ Leila KINLODON – Fashion and digital

Passionate about fashion and innovation, Leila KINLODON blends skills in law, fashion design and pattern-making, and digital technology to build a unique career. Through her brand Leila K, she showcases local fabrics and African craftsmanship. With her app Le Tailleur (“The Tailor”), she offers tailors and dressmakers a digital solution that modernizes their management and strengthens their competitiveness. Her ambition is to shine a light on Beninese and African fashion on the international stage by combining creativity, tradition and digital innovation.

17/ Bermine KIKISAGBE – Fashion

Bermine KIKISAGBE is the founder of BAI Galery, a fashion brand that celebrates African craftsmanship through the use of Dotokan, a distinctive material made from the cords traditionally used to draw water from wells. By transforming this everyday material into timeless pieces, she blends tradition and modernity while showcasing the know-how of local artisans. Self-taught, Bermine learned in the field through direct contact with artisans, guided by her intuition and her attachment to ancestral techniques. At BAI Galery, DOTOKAN becomes the common thread running through contemporary creations, symbolizing the strength and elegance of the modern woman. Committed to an ethical and sustainable approach, she combines aesthetics and responsibility, creating pieces that tell the story of an authentic, innovative Africa turned toward the future.

18/ Osmy GANGNON – Fashion

Artistic director of the brand NOVA BREED ADVENTURE, Osmy Gangnon is a member of a young, dynamic team that has been active in fashion for several years. It is an initiative that draws its strength from Africa’s roots to define the codes of a global style. The brand embodies the boldness of urban youth through its pieces and a distinctive visual identity. NOVA sits at the crossroads of lifestyle, streetwear and tailoring. It brings to market pieces that combine authenticity and quality, offering both accessible essentials and urban collections; its mission is to give the urban scene a strong fashion identity recognized beyond Benin’s borders.