Media entrepreneur and Chief Executive Officer of EbonyLife Group, Mo Abudu, has called on Nigerian and African creatives to channel their energy and resources into building homegrown streaming platforms, warning that reliance on foreign investors is no longer sustainable.

Her appeal follows industry reports that some international platforms are cutting back on African operations and investment, including indications that Canal+ may wind down Showmax after its acquisition of MultiChoice as part of broader cost-cutting efforts. For Abudu, these developments are a wake-up call rather than a death knell for African content.

In a message shared with her followers, Abudu declared that “no one is coming to save us,” insisting that the responsibility for the continent’s creative future rests squarely with Africans themselves. She argued that the time has come to design business models tailored to local realities instead of waiting for global giants to underwrite the industry.

Abudu acknowledged that indigenous streaming platforms are still in their infancy, but urged patience and long-term thinking. Citing her own company’s service, EbonyLife ON Plus, she said her team is committed to steadily growing and strengthening local platforms, fully aware that success will require persistence, experimentation and sustained investment.

She framed Africa’s cultural wealth as a strategic advantage, pointing to the continent’s deep traditions, languages and storytelling heritage as the raw material for a powerful entertainment ecosystem. According to Abudu, African creators must study global success stories, adapt the lessons that fit their environment and then “create our own pathways,” just as other regions have done.

Rather than viewing the retreat of some foreign players as a crisis, Abudu described it as a pivotal opportunity for local ownership and control. She urged collaboration among filmmakers, tech entrepreneurs, investors and policymakers to build platforms that serve both local audiences and global viewers hungry for authentic African narratives.

Expressing confidence in the continent’s capacity, she stressed that “the future is in our hands” and called for a mindset of “Local for Local, Local for Global” – content rooted in African realities but capable of competing on the world stage.