Analytical Assessment of the Influence of Digital Platforms on the Market for Emerging Nigerian Visual Artists

Digital platforms including Instagram, NFT marketplaces, and art discovery applications have fundamentally altered the market dynamics for emerging visual artists, and analytical examination of their specific influence in the Nigerian context fills an important empirical gap in creative economy scholarship. This study analytically assessed the influence of digital platforms on market access and income generation for emerging Nigerian visual artists, focusing on Lagos, Port Harcourt, and Abuja contexts. A mixed-method design was employed, with a structured survey administered to 90 emerging visual artists (defined as fewer than 10 years of professional practice) supplemented by 20 in-depth interviews with artists who had achieved documented commercial success through digital channels. Survey data assessed platform usage patterns, revenue attribution, collector relationship development, and perceived transformation of pre-digital market access patterns. Interview analysis examined the mechanics of digital market success in the Nigerian context. Results showed that 68.9 percent of responding artists attributed their first commercial sale to a digital platform interaction, primarily Instagram. Monthly income from digital platform sales averaged 85,000 naira, compared with 42,000 naira from gallery sales among the same respondents, suggesting digital market outperformance of traditional gallery channels. NFT platform engagement was reported by 21.1 percent, with variable experiences of revenue sustainability. International collector acquisition was reported by 37.8 percent, representing a market access transformation with significant income implications. The study provides empirical evidence for digital market transformation and recommends digital platform literacy training in visual arts education programmes nationally.

Keywords: digital platforms, art market, emerging artists, Nigeria, creative economy