The suspense was finally over, Monday, when Lagos was announced as the official city for the hosting of this year’s edition of the All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA).
Three other states, including Cross River, Rivers and Akwa Ibom had bided for the hosting right which was announced at the Protea Hotel, GRA, Lagos, at a press conference that had several artistes, music promoters and officials of the African Union Commission (AUC), a key partner of the award scheme.
Incidentally, AFRIMA, which is gearing up for its third edition, had its two previous editions in Lagos.
Declaring Lagos as the official city to host the show, AUC’s Head of Culture, Ms. Angela Martins posited that taking a decision on the Centre of Excellence was a herculean task because all the cities targeted were equal to the task in terms of infrastructure, tourism potential and richness of culture but that Lagos State has an edge in key areas.
According to Martins, the African Union was pushing forward its developmental agenda and policies through the AFRIMA platform.
In his speech, Governor Ambode who was delighted the award will take place in Lagos, promised that the state would not only throw its weight behind AFRIMA, but also provide facilities and infrastructure to make AFRIMA 2016 a success.
Explaining why Lagos would support the show, Governor Ambode said African Union’s vision aligns with that of Lagos State. “The reason why Lagos State is partnering with AFRIMA should not be far-fetched. More importantly, the vision of AFRIMA is a veritable platform to celebrate the best of talents in African music industry which aligns with the vision of the African Union to foster peace, unity and development through cultural expressions and creative enterprise.”
Continuing, Ambode said, “These values are also in sync with the Lagos State vision of being an undeniable entertainment capital of Africa, as well as being the hub of creative expressions in the continent. The aim is to open up the state for performing arts to blossom and we are ready to partner with credible organizations to ensure that Lagos remains the destination of choice for arts and entertainment, for artistes and for those who make the business of arts to thrive.”
The governor who later received the AFRIMA delegation at the Government House, Alausa, reiterated his promises for the award.
The third edition of AFRIMA has been scheduled for November 4-6, 2016.
