When Barbara Debre ‘16 graduated from Ashesi, she carried the Ashesi community with her. Today, as Operations Manager at Virgin Music Nigeria and the company’s Ghana lead, she is helping open doors into the music industry for students who came after her.

Through the strength of her work and her engagement with the Career Services team, Virgin Music Nigeria has made its New Gen Internship Program available to Ashesi students. The 12-week placement gives students direct exposure to how the music business operates, from strategy and distribution to artist development and commercial partnerships.

The first two interns to take up the opportunity are Kekeli Biga, an Economics major, and Maureen Allandi, a Mechanical Engineering major. Their placements highlight how Ashesi’s multidisciplinary curriculum equips students with valuable skills for any industry, including one as fast-paced as music.

The program begins with six weeks of departmental rotation, during which interns gain a working understanding of the organization’s functions. The second six-week shift shifts to specialization, where interns contribute to targeted projects in a chosen department alongside industry professionals.

“The African music industry is evolving quickly to become one of the continent’s most significant cultural and economic exports,” said Kay Ikazoboh, Managing Director of Virgin Music Nigeria. “As the industry expands, it is important to intentionally invest in developing young talent who will help drive it forward. The goal is to give them real exposure to how the music business operates while building a talent pipeline for the sustained growth of Africa’s music economy.

For Najeeb Ibrahim, Assistant Director for Career Services, the internship reflects a broader shift in how students are thinking about their careers. “Africa’s creative and digital industries are growing, and our students are growing with them,” he said. “This opportunity gives them a chance to explore new professional terrain, build their networks, and see firsthand how a global music company operates on the continent.”