Lucy Ilado

Lucy Ilado is a cultural policy and creative economy specialist working across Africa. Over the past decade, she has led multi-country programmes advancing artistic freedom, public investment and the development of sustainable arts and culture ecosystems.

Her work includes cultural sector mapping including post-conflict contexts, multi-country culture value chain research and the design of platforms that convene policymakers, civil society, financial institutions and creative practitioners. She has engaged African Union and UNESCO processes, contributing to dialogue on governance, sector financing, policy harmonisation and institutional reform.

Alongside programme leadership, Lucy produces policy-informed journalism and delivers training on branding, marketing strategy and intellectual property rights for artists. Her work positions culture within governance, economic planning and long-term development frameworks.