Sierra Leone and Kenya have signed creative economy agreements with The Akuna Group, a platform built on the Stellar blockchain network that is designed to help African creators earn from their work internationally. Stellar is a payments-focused blockchain network built for fast, low-cost cross-border transfers. The platform aims to cut the more than 8% in fees that African creators lose on cross-border earnings, beginning with oversight from the Bank of Ghana, where the Akuna Wallet has entered the central bank's regulatory sandbox for virtual asset service providers (VASPs) to build creator payment rails. How the wallet advances through the sandbox is an early milestone to watch as those creator payment rails move toward rollout.

The agreements were spotlighted at One Commonwealth Night, an event attended by Sierra Leone Chief Minister Dr. David Moinina Sengeh, Kenya Principal Secretary for Foreign Affairs Dr. A. Korir Sing'Oei, Akuna Chairman Sir Idris Elba, and Sierra Leone President Julius Maada Bio. Both countries are Commonwealth member states.

Speaking at the event, Sir Idris Elba, Chairman of The Akuna Group, said: "And that's really what we're trying to do through Akuna. Bring people together, build those connections, and help turn creativity into opportunity, so more people can make a living from their talent and own what they create."

For Sierra Leone, the agreement aligns with President Bio's human capital agenda. Chief Minister Sengeh said: "Our young people are not a problem to be managed; they are the resource to invest in."

In Kenya, the collaboration complements the Talanta Hela initiative, a government programme built to identify and monetize young talent. Dr. Sing'Oei said the partnership would give "youth creative enterprises a route to market."

The Akuna Group's work currently spans Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and South Africa, while the organization is also holding discussions with Caribbean and U.K. leaders on cross-border creator monetization and vocational pathways.

The agreements build on earlier engagements around the platform, including reports that Ghana's Innovations Minister engaged the Stellar Foundation on the Akuna Wallet to boost the creative economy. They also come as Kenya leads Africa's gig economy, having recorded 216% growth in online freelancers over five years, according to previously published statistics. That growth points to a widening base of earners paid across borders — flows of the kind Akuna's lower-fee rails are designed to serve.

Education forms a central pillar of the initiative. Sir Idris Elba said: "For me, this is about learning. This is about access to courses that help educate creators across the continent to tell their stories. Through Ak Learning, we're partnering with Google and Curious Refuge on 'From Script to Screen with AI', a remarkable training and mentorship programme teaching African filmmakers to use AI tools. Selected projects will receive production funding, and creators will retain control of their work. I'm looking forward to seeing the stories they choose, and how the education leads to employment and self-momentum, but helps shape the narrative of Africa."

Source: BitcoinKE