Tems Unveils ‘Leading Vibe,’ A Mentorship Program for Women in Music

Tems is building what she did not have while on the ascent. With two Grammys, global tours, and endorsements from some of the largest names in the world, the Nigerian songstress and singer is among the most recognisable voices in music. Her latest move, however, has nothing to do with the Billboard charts. She’s now turning attention to the women who follow.

The artist recently announced the launch of the Leading Vibe Initiative, a burgeoning initiative created to support young African women who work in the music industry. The goal is simple but powerful: give women access to creative and professional tools that Tems had to find independently. The project, which kicks off with a two-day workshop in Lagos in August, will draw a limited group of 18- to 25-year-old women and subject them to mentorship, music production training, songwriting coaching, and consultation with industry experts in a series of panels.

Tems announces that the idea for the initiative was conceived in reflection on her beginnings. Back then, she produced videos from home, teaching herself to create her beats and contending with an industry that barely had any women in the roles she wished to fill. She learned because she couldn’t afford not to. Today, having a career that’s taken her from Ojuelegba to the Oscars and places in between, she’s choosing to make that process less alone for others.

READ MORE: From “Mr Rebel” to “Born in the Wild”: Tems Meteoric Rise Continues

The Leading Vibe Initiative is more than a workshop. It’s an intentional attempt to create space for women to lead, produce, and innovate within the African music ecosystem. While men have tended to occupy the studio, stage, and boardroom, this initiative tries to write a different story. And it is not only aimed at artists. Women producers, engineers, writers, and would-be executives are also included in the initiative. Tems wants to produce a generation of women who can hold space comfortably, not just as performers but as decision-makers.

The Lagos event, the initial one in what she hopes becomes a continent-wide program, will give selected invitees hands-on experience with studio equipment, songwriting sessions, industry conferences, and one-on-one mentorship. Tems is working with her collaborators to give each woman access to software and creative tools that will enable them to continue sharpening their craft even after the project ends.

In her own words, Tems explained that she’s honoured to bring something that can open doors for others. She’s called it a wave—a wave built by women, for women, and powered by the belief that African women need more space, opportunities, and mentorship. The Leading Vibe Initiative is a declaration in an industry that often forgets them. It’s not charity. Its structure. It’s vision. And to many young women, it could be the start of something they’ve only dreamed of.

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Ikenna Churchill

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