A culture and creative industry advocacy group, Arewa Creative Industry Heritage Vanguard, has called on President Bola Tinubu and the Minister of Art, Culture, and Creative Economy, Hanatu Musawa, to lead efforts aimed at in securing the hosting rights for the next two editions of the All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA). The hosting right was offered by the African Union Commission to Nigeria and South Africa as reported in the media recently. The group want to ensure that at least one edition of the prestigious event takes place in the northern region of Nigeria of Kaduna, Jos or Abuja, due to years of deliberate marginalisation and deprivation of international events of this nature.
According to Dr Shehu Samadi, the President of the Vanguard, who was speaking from Kaduna, they have learned that the African Union (AU) invited the governments of Nigeria and South Africa to submit bids for the hosting rights for the next editions of the All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA). As such, they are imploring and advising President Tinubu not to allow South Africa to beat Nigeria to the hosting rights as this will have implications on the national psyche of Nigerians and the development of the music industry. It called on the Minister Hanatu Musawa to update Nigerians on the progress made thus far in securing the AFRIMA hosting rights, for Nigerians to know how and where to assist in achieving this common objective.
The group believes it is essential for Nigeria, especially the Northern region, to play a central role in hosting the event and showcasing the country’s rich creativity and cultural diversity from its point of expertise and cultural expression.
Samadi emphasised reasons why President Tinubu should champion the course of securing the hosting rights. The group recalls with nostalgia how President Tinubu in 2015, in person, received a 23.9 karat gold plated AFRIMA trophy as the pillar of Arts and Culture in Africa presented by the African Union commission.
“This should motivate the President to intensify efforts to secure the hosting rights having experience the creative power and the global influence of AFRIMA personally.
“Another reason is that as the Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), President Tinubu can utilise the opportunity of hosting a large-scale event like this to further his commitment towards promoting unity, economic development, and cultural diversity in the region and on the continent. Although an event of AFRIMA’s scale can cause significant ripples across the continent and around the world, Nigeria stands a chance of benefiting the most, and we in the North hope to tap into the inherent benefits as against the past practice of marginalisation where such international events are preserved for the exclusive experience of the southern part of Nigeria,” he said.
The group is advocating for the cities of Abuja, Jos and Kaduna to be considered as host cities for at least one of the two editions of AFRIMA. The group believes that these cities are strategically located, culturally significant, and have vibrant music scenes, making them ideal venues for the event.
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