Michael Ugwu, Chief Executive Officer of Freeme Digital, is one name that stands out as Nigerian music and show business gain global recognition.
Having just been named one of Billboard’s 2021 Indie Power Players, the music executive has made history yet again.
The Billboard Indie Power Players list honors industry leaders who are creating a name for themselves within the music industry while heading independent labels and distribution outlets.
In the past year, Ugwu has pioneered a creative space in which he has recorded nearly 100 videos, including one with Burna Boy, and one with multinational brands such as Budweiser and Hennessy Cognac.”
A former investment banker and ‘agropreneur,’ Ugwu showed remarkable leadership abilities in the agriculture industry in 2010 and has received several acclaims for his accomplishments. Shortly after debuting Freeme Space, the media mogul was named Pioneer General Manager for Sony Music Entertainment West Africa in 2014 and has been instrumental to the success of notable deals such as the Davido and Columbia Records deal, Wizkid and RCA records deal, as well as the MTN licensing deal with Sony Music West Africa.
Furthermore, Ugwu serves as the first black board member of Merlin, a top-tier music and digital licensing company which represents Africa internationally.
“Some of my key strategies have been to be consistent and resilient, especially within a country like Nigeria. It is also crucial to be abreast of unit economics. Keep your eyes on the prize and be patient. If at first, you don’t succeed, keep trying,” the CEO said while revealing the motivations behind his success.
Like many passionate music executives, Ugwu hinted at his dream to help “artistes get their content on many commercially viable platforms as possible.”
“We also help artists develop their careers, as well as identify specific artistes we want to work with and back them up with resources to drive their careers,” he said.
