The African Union (AU) has awarded the hosting right for the Pan
African Music Initiative, All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA), to Nigeria
for another three years (2017-2019), following its successful hosting
of the 2014-2016 editions.
In a statement in Lagos on Sunday, the Minister of Information
and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said the award of the hosting right
was conveyed in a letter written to him by the Commissioner of Social
Affairs at the African Union Commission, Mrs Amira Elfadil
In the letter, the AU Commissioner commended the growth and
inclusiveness of AFRIMA by reaching out to ‘many musicians, music
producers and creative arts practitioners in general’.
Between 2014 and 2016, during which Nigeria hosted three editions of
AFRIMA, Mrs. Elfadil stated: “The All Africa Music Awards initiative
has become a very crucial event and movement of African musicians
which allows them to establish synergies and work towards the
development of Africa’s music and promotion of music in the continent
and in the international arena.”
Based on this and other factors such as the willingness to create
value and deepen the brand equity not only for Nigerians but also for
Africans, the AU returned the hosting right of AFRIMA to Nigeria.
Reacting to the award of the 2017-2019 hosting right to Nigeria, the
Minister said the government’s desire to retain the right was informed
by the enthusiasm and sense of duty with which Nigerians embraced
AFRIMA from 2014 to 2016 as well as the prevailing international
confidence in the present administration.
”The African Union’s gracious concession to our request is beneficial
for the creative sector in Nigeria and across Africa. The Federal
Government of Nigeria is calling on state governments and corporate
Nigeria to partner with it and the African Union in ensuring a
successful hosting of AFRIMA 2017, which will bring immense
socio-economic benefits to the selected host city,” he said.
The 2017 edition of AFRIMA is scheduled to hold 10-12 November 2017.
Organizers said the event will present to the continent a world-class
programme that includes activities such as the Africa Music Business
Round Table (November 10), which brings together big music brands,
music producers and intellectual property experts to discuss the
needed networks and infrastructure for an expanding
economically-vibrant music industry in Africa.
Other events are the AFRIMA Music Village (November 10), an evening of
a non-stop open music festival of live performances from the African
stars and nominees, with an expected audience of 40,000 people, and
the Main Awards Ceremony (November 12), a star-studded and world-class
event with live performances and television broadcast to 84 countries
on 109 television stations around the world.
