AFRIMA WITHDRAWS HOSTING RIGHTS FROM GHANA … CITES LACK OF COMMITMENT TO FULFILL CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS … THANKS THE YOUTH AND MEDIA OF GHANA FOR THEIR TREMENDOUS SUPPORT … NEW HOST COUNTRY TO BE ANNOUNCED SOON
AFRIMA WITHDRAWS HOSTING
RIGHTS FROM GHANA … CITES LACK OF COMMITMENT TO FULFILL CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS
… THANKS THE YOUTH AND MEDIA OF GHANA FOR THEIR TREMENDOUS SUPPORT … NEW HOST
COUNTRY TO BE ANNOUNCED SOON
The International Committee
of the All Africa Music Awards, (AFRIMA) has withdrawn the hosting rights from
Republic of Ghana for the 2019 and 2020 editions of the All Africa Music
Awards, AFRIMA, over lack of capacity by the Host Country to meet the financial
and contractual obligations entered to on July 12,2018, necessary to retain
hosting the biggest music event in Africa.
The decision was reached on
Monday, July 15 after several months of meetings and consultations with
relevant stakeholders to remedy the situation with the expectation that the
Republic of Ghana would provide concrete assurances and guarantees to discharge
its contractual obligations for hosting the 2019 and 2020 editions of AFRIMA
after its disappointing performance on the contract during the 2018 edition of
the Awards held in Accra between November 21 and 24 which the organisers successfully
put together against all odds.
It would be recalled that
decision of the African Union (AU) and AFRIMA to award a three-term hosting
right (2018-2020) of the All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA) to Ghana followed the
declaration of the President of Ghana, His Excellency, Nana Akufo Addo of his
desire to host the AFRIMA Awards in Ghana made on May 21, 2018 during the
AFRIMA 2018 Calendar Unveiling Ceremony held in Accra. After initially
complying to some of the host country responsibilities, Ghana’s hosting rights
for the 5th AFRIMA was publicly announced by the African Union at the African
Union Secretariat Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on September 5, 2018 and a letter
signed by the Commissioner of Social Affairs, African Union, Mrs. Amira El
Fadil dated September 13, 2018 to effect the hosting rights was dispatched to
the Government of the Republic of Ghana through the Ministry of Tourism, Arts
& Culture, Ghana.
According to the
International Advisor, AFRIMA, Mr. Rikki Stein, while thanking the young people
and the media in Ghana said; “It was a hard decision for us to withdraw the
awards hosting rights for the next two years (2019 and 2020 editions) from the
Republic of Ghana. As an awards owned for the African people, it is structured
to travel around the continent giving the people the true African experience.
We have some fond memories of our time in Ghana immersing ourselves in the
lifestyle and music and we have formed great friendships among the Ghanaian
people. We look forward to returning to Ghana at a more opportuned time.
However, we cannot afford to compromise the standard of the laudable vision of
AFRIMA to create a truly African brand that connects Africans and build the
equity of Africa. The situation faced in Ghana has the potential to erode the
goodwill and giant strides we have achieved in Africa through the awards”.
Mr. Stein, a former Manager
and friend of Afrobeat Legend, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, added that AFRIMA is geared
to increase the tourism and entertainment equity of a host country as the host
receives an influx of international and Africa dignitaries, AFRIMA nominees,
music stars and executives who attend the four-day programme of activities.
AFRIMA further offers benefits that would help in raising the continental and
international profile of the host country, including an opportunity to tap into
the millions of participants and followers of the growing African music.
The African Union had
enjoyed a successful and effective hosting partnership with the Federal
Republic of Nigeria that won the right to host the four editions of AFRIMA
–from 2014-2017.
“The support of the Ministry
of Information & Culture, Nigeria with sponsorship from the Government of
Lagos State, Nigeria as AFRIMA Official Host City in 2016 and 2017 also
fostered the smooth execution of the various AFRIMA events and facilitated the
seamless engagement of corporate sponsorship/partnership at various facets of
event planning and execution”, Mr. Stein explained.
“Our concerns are genuine
and worrying. We must see a commitment from the Host Country government to
secure suitable venues in advance for holding the AFRIMA Awards ceremony and
events, to provide suitable hotel accommodation in advance for nominees, artistes
and guests of the Awards and to provide and process visas -on-arrival in
advance and in good time for guests, nominees, artistes, contractors and other
relevant stakeholders attending the Awards. If these are not in place, then we
have a recipe for disaster on our hands”, he stated.
The International Committee
of AFRIMA has said it is working to determine a new host country for the 6th
edition of the annual All Africa Music Awards AFRIMA and this will be announced
in August 2019. After five outstanding editions of AFRIMA from 2014 to 2018,
the 6th edition will continue in the tradition of celebrating the scintillating
musical culture of Africa by featuring exhilarating Pan-Africa events through
the lifespan of the calendar year in 2019.
The events on the AFRIMA
2019 calendar include the ‘Call for Entry/Entry Submission’ opening on May 15
to end on August 2, a process when African music professionals from across the
continent submit their musical works, songs and recordings via the official
AFRIMA website www.afrima.org for a possible shot at nomination in one or more of
the 36 categories of AFRIMA.
The 6th AFRIMA Main Awards
Ceremony, a four-day fiesta of music, glamour, Afrocentricism and
entertainment, holds in November in the official awards Host City. The four-day
event commences with the Welcome Soiree followed by the AFRIMA Music Village,
the Host City Tour, the Africa Music Business Summit, the exclusive Nominees
Party and concludes with the live Awards Ceremony. Fans of African music
globally can follow along and take part in the AFRIMA 2019 events on social
media, live stream on the AFRIMA website, the AFRIMA App and by tuning to over
84 television stations which are AFRIMA partners.
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